Books and other stuff I feel like discussing
By education and experience - Accountant with a specialty in taxation. Formerly a CPA (license has lapsed). Masters degree in law of taxation from University of Denver. Now retired. Part time work during baseball season as receptionist & switchboard operator for the Colorado Rockies. This gig feeds my soul in ways I have trouble articulating. One daughter, and four grandchildren. I share the house with two cats; a big goof of a cat called Grinch (named as a joke for his easy going "whatever" disposition); and Lady, a shelter adoptee with a regal bearing and sweet little soprano voice. I would be very bereft if it ever becomes necessary to keep house without a cat.
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A double loss
I've finished listening to Patick O'Brian's Aubrey Maturin series. On the way to work Saturday afternoon I popped the last CD into my car player. The last book is actually a fragment, a scant three chapters of what O'Brian planned as the 21st entry in the series, and which was in progress when O'Brian died. The CD includes an afterword by one of O'Brian's editors who encourages readers to regard the brief introduction to the next set of adventures as the best possible farewell to both books and author - with each of the two main characters enjoying personal happiness and professional success and with O'Brian's death occurring while he was still "at the height of his powers" as the old saying goes.
Well, OK, they have a point. But over the course of the three years I've been listening to these marvelous books, I've become entwined with Aubrey and Maturin, their friendships, their loves, their adventures, their similarities in character, and their mutual, affectionate acceptance of their differences. And I am going to miss them, miss them quite a bit.
The final fragment, titled "21" by the publisher ends in mid sentence, as Stephen Maturin is addressing another secondary character. The abrupt end came as a jolt, even though I knew it was coming.
To add to my dismay, I've discovered through Googling his name, that the narrator Patrick Tull, died last September. He was in his early 60's. Since that's about my age, that seems like a very premature death to me. Tull's marvelous skill with voices and accents, his enthusiasm in the action scenes were addictive and I enjoyed his interpretations immensely. Once I checked the library catalog too quickly and got one of the O'Brian books read by another narrator. After about 20 minutes I missed Tull so much, I took the CD's back to the library and put my name on the waiting list for Tull's version.
Of course, I know that the many audio books he recorded are still available for me to get from the library and listen to. With all that in mind, it still feels like a double loss.
This morning's musings have me thinking about listening to books. Since almost everything available on the radio begins to drive me nuts after awhile, I almost always have a book on CD in the player in the car. In a brief discussion on the Usenet group rec.arts.books I was once challenged by another contributor to the thread that listening to a book was not "reading" it. I didn't rise to the bait to start an argument, but I did respond that while I wouldn't object to the distinction, I nevertheless regard listening to a book as enjoying that book. There are two married couples in library based book discussion groups I attend who take turns reading to each other, and discussing the book as they go along. Mr Woodstock has a great many qualities to recommend him, but an addiction to reading is not one of them. Perhaps it's just as well - my addiction is strong enough for both of us. But I will confess to a slight twinge of jealousy when I hear my library based acquaintances talking about their latest joint experience.
Well, OK, they have a point. But over the course of the three years I've been listening to these marvelous books, I've become entwined with Aubrey and Maturin, their friendships, their loves, their adventures, their similarities in character, and their mutual, affectionate acceptance of their differences. And I am going to miss them, miss them quite a bit.
The final fragment, titled "21" by the publisher ends in mid sentence, as Stephen Maturin is addressing another secondary character. The abrupt end came as a jolt, even though I knew it was coming.
To add to my dismay, I've discovered through Googling his name, that the narrator Patrick Tull, died last September. He was in his early 60's. Since that's about my age, that seems like a very premature death to me. Tull's marvelous skill with voices and accents, his enthusiasm in the action scenes were addictive and I enjoyed his interpretations immensely. Once I checked the library catalog too quickly and got one of the O'Brian books read by another narrator. After about 20 minutes I missed Tull so much, I took the CD's back to the library and put my name on the waiting list for Tull's version.
Of course, I know that the many audio books he recorded are still available for me to get from the library and listen to. With all that in mind, it still feels like a double loss.
This morning's musings have me thinking about listening to books. Since almost everything available on the radio begins to drive me nuts after awhile, I almost always have a book on CD in the player in the car. In a brief discussion on the Usenet group rec.arts.books I was once challenged by another contributor to the thread that listening to a book was not "reading" it. I didn't rise to the bait to start an argument, but I did respond that while I wouldn't object to the distinction, I nevertheless regard listening to a book as enjoying that book. There are two married couples in library based book discussion groups I attend who take turns reading to each other, and discussing the book as they go along. Mr Woodstock has a great many qualities to recommend him, but an addiction to reading is not one of them. Perhaps it's just as well - my addiction is strong enough for both of us. But I will confess to a slight twinge of jealousy when I hear my library based acquaintances talking about their latest joint experience.
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