So good to see someone else who appreciates the exact same paragraph in a book! But you missed out the best and most tragic part of Ahab's lament: "away, whole oceans away, from that young girl-wife I wedded past fifty, and sailed for Cape Horn the next day, leaving but one dent in my marriage pillow—wife? wife?—rather a widow with her husband alive! Aye, I widowed that poor girl when I married her, Starbuck"
And I have to add that my own favourite part of the book is Chapter 94: A Squeeze of the Hand, and in particular this paragraph:
"Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm for ever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fireside, the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally. In thoughts of the visions of the night, I saw long rows of angels in paradise, each with his hands in a jar of spermaceti."
You have a facility comparable with that of David Renwick. I'll let that dangle with understatement and resist elucidating, else risk affecting an urbane Rick Beato doing "What Makes This [blog] Great". [Though last June dissecting Stairway To Heaven, he's similarly respectfully understated, for a Yank.]
But the gamut's there and that's the point: nothing's forced or favoured. It turns up when it should. To the values joy, love, peace, humility, self-control, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and patience, you add poise, timing, surprise, reticence, and poignancy.
So, to summarise, with my best meta-AI pseud effete, one does not simply read George Monaghan, one travels through his words like summer shade through branches of elder.
That photo of you at the helm of a ship made me wonder for a moment if you might be mentioning the Battle of the Gullet on a recently aired House of the Dragon.
So good to see someone else who appreciates the exact same paragraph in a book! But you missed out the best and most tragic part of Ahab's lament: "away, whole oceans away, from that young girl-wife I wedded past fifty, and sailed for Cape Horn the next day, leaving but one dent in my marriage pillow—wife? wife?—rather a widow with her husband alive! Aye, I widowed that poor girl when I married her, Starbuck"
And I have to add that my own favourite part of the book is Chapter 94: A Squeeze of the Hand, and in particular this paragraph:
"Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm for ever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fireside, the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally. In thoughts of the visions of the night, I saw long rows of angels in paradise, each with his hands in a jar of spermaceti."
Thanks hombre. It shows the power of the book I suppose. Just so fantastic. Thank you for reminding me of that passage.
You have a facility comparable with that of David Renwick. I'll let that dangle with understatement and resist elucidating, else risk affecting an urbane Rick Beato doing "What Makes This [blog] Great". [Though last June dissecting Stairway To Heaven, he's similarly respectfully understated, for a Yank.]
The AI bit had a similar effect to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0tiNwOpZ68
But the gamut's there and that's the point: nothing's forced or favoured. It turns up when it should. To the values joy, love, peace, humility, self-control, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and patience, you add poise, timing, surprise, reticence, and poignancy.
So, to summarise, with my best meta-AI pseud effete, one does not simply read George Monaghan, one travels through his words like summer shade through branches of elder.
Nick - thanks so much! Very generous!
Congrats on two years doing Peaceable Land! 🍻
That photo of you at the helm of a ship made me wonder for a moment if you might be mentioning the Battle of the Gullet on a recently aired House of the Dragon.
Another example of my line that all American art comes from Moby Dick, sometimes obviously as in Platoon. Sometimes tacking obliquely.
Lovely article. The DWP vs MD line is impeccable and inspired.
Thanks so much John :)
Thank you!
Cheers York :D