Comments on On Patrick O'Brian and Fraudulent IdentitiesTypePad2004-09-23T00:14:20ZSeduliahttps://www.ruerude.com/tag:typepad.com,2003:https://www.ruerude.com/2004/09/on_patrick_obri/comments/atom.xml/Sedulia commented on 'On Patrick O'Brian and Fraudulent Identities'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c82d353ef0240a4f60d9a200d2020-03-26T20:08:41Z2020-03-26T20:08:41ZSeduliahttps://www.ruerude.com/Yes, absolutely! Especially the earlier ones—they're excellent.<p>Yes, absolutely! Especially the earlier ones—they're excellent. </p>David V. commented on 'On Patrick O'Brian and Fraudulent Identities'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c82d353ef0240a4ed28ec200b2019-11-20T18:54:39Z2019-11-20T18:54:39ZDavid V.I enjoyed this post, having discovered it by Googling “Patrick O’Brian fraud”. Have not read the books yet, but am...<p>I enjoyed this post, having discovered it by Googling “Patrick O’Brian fraud”. Have not read the books yet, but am strongly considering diving into them, and thought I’d try to learn a little about the author first. According to Wikipedia, it appears that his supposedly voluminous knowledge of ships and seamanship were either lacking (explaining why his prose was impenetrable in that respect, even to experienced modern sailors) or acquired purely by research, not experience.</p>
<p>As a former police detective myself, and no stranger to “questioning”, of convicts or otherwise, I suspect O’Brian/Russ was beginning to realize too late, at the close of his life, that elaborate fictions about oneself never survive the passage of time. They always unravel, particularly in the age of the internet, which he could not have foreseen, but which was beginning to dawn at his death.</p>
<p>In spite of all that, do you still recommend the books?</p>