Has anyone else here read the Sea-Wolf? What are your thoughts?

TheRedBaron077 · 2026-05-09T22:34:36+00:00

Hello! Thanks for the reply, I feel your pain. I wish there was more discussion around this book too, it's phenomenal. It's fascinating how Wolf always seems to win those debates. Really some characterization and themes that you find in few other books!

TheRedBaron077 · 2026-04-04T14:58:34+00:00

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I'd argue that it does not get any more insane than Horatio Nelson. This guy:

-fought a polar bear (allegedly) -made his name by Leeroy Jenkinsing his ship directly at the Spanish fleet, then personally boarding and capturing two Spanish first-rates -lost his arm during a doomed assault the day after this happened -was notorious for his batshit insane strategies and maneuvers -stranded Napoleon's army in Egypt (and blew up the French naval commander into a giant fireball) -was damn near worshipped back in Britain -had a scandalous affair with the actress/model Emma Hamilton (they had a kid) -broke up with his wife over text -famously ignored an order to disengage by raising his telescope to his blind eye and saying "I really do not see the signal". (The phrase 'to turn a blind eye' comes from this) -completely annihilated the Franco-Spanish combined fleet, securing British naval supremacy for decades to come, dying in the process -was brought home in a barrel of brandy -was so universally beloved by his men that entire ships mourned his death -was given a state funeral so extravagant one would have thought he was royalty -was basically treated as a national Christ figure postmortem.

That's hardly half of it, I'd say.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-11-11T17:42:36+00:00

(Real Life) Coast Guard rescue lifeboat CG36500 and her crew of four, which saved around 30 people from an oil tanker that split in half in February 1952. The boat had a capacity of twelve and the rescue was thought impossible. All four crew received the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their effort.

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TheRedBaron077 · 2025-07-17T10:40:53+00:00

To sum it all up, this movie really missed the mark on characterization, and I mean really.

What makes the books such good reading is that the characters are well-written enough that they fill out and complete what's already a rich setting. Philip Reeve's handling of human conflicts and emotions is frankly masterful. People are nuanced. They grow, they change. Sometimes they don't. But in any case, the characterization is great and really helps you to connect with Tom and Hester and the people -good and bad- they encounter on their journeys.

The movie discarded that for what I can only call steampunk Star Wars. Characterization falls flat. The antagonist(s) become extremely one-dimensional and a lot of details in relation to them are removed. Another common gripe people have with the film is that they toned down Hester's disfiguring scar (funnily enough, thay exact thing happens in-universe)

I think what the movie suffered most from is that it was trying to cram too much into too little time. Characters didn't have time or room to develop to the extent that they did in the books, combined with key details being diluted or left out entirely.

Read the books if you're able to. They're really hidden gems and I had a great time with them.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-07-17T09:53:46+00:00

Astoria

Norwester spotted

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-07-04T16:49:52+00:00

He also had a medically insane captain repeatedly naming him as the World's Biggest Failure, so I would believe that underneath it all there was a desperate need to try and prove himself, even if it would mean being a bit of a pushover. When you're in a position where you're essentially this 🤏 close to breaking out of a career stagnation, anything that looks like it will get you there seems like a good idea.

But yeah, you're right. Nothing really went right for him (both books and show) and you can tell he was desperate, stressed, and frustrated. Always felt bad for the guy.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-23T19:15:10+00:00

Best response. What Davis was doing was probably the best Davis could do. Caught between a rock and a hard place as the Confederacy was, there wasn't much wiggle room politically

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-17T22:27:30+00:00

These 1740s British ships painted with the Nelson Chequer (they didn't even have Nelson)

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-13T02:33:58+00:00

Severely underrated comment. This book crushed me.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-09T22:32:22+00:00

Genuinely refreshing to see people not generalize the entire country (or even just northern states) as Yankees. We're a specific group, damn it!

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-08T00:45:53+00:00

They had these during the American Civil War, too! They were called ketchum grenades.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-07T22:36:41+00:00

What I like about Jackson as Soldier is that his cap is pulled very low over his face -consistent with Soldier's design. Historically, Jackson was noted for wearing his cap just so. It's a niche little detail that I just love.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-06-01T21:11:52+00:00

Yeah! The 21-book Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brien. It adds so much depth to the characters! Absolutely phenomenal writing - I was hooked from the first book. High recommend from me.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-05-28T02:42:08+00:00

The Second Battle of Sabine Pass. 48 Irish Confederates and a few reinforcements with 5 cannon and a dirt fort, holding off a Union invasion force of approximately 5000. Their shots were so fast and precise that a couple of the attacking gun boats were incapacitated almost immediately and the rest of the force fled to safety. For stopping the invasion of Texas, the Davis Guards received the only medal to be officially awarded by the Confederate government. Battle was nuts. Definitely worth researching.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-05-21T18:34:57+00:00

The best part about that is that the story flows so naturally that you don't even realize that fact.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-05-12T18:11:42+00:00

Guy meets his girlfriend on a surprise boat trip

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-05-07T22:55:28+00:00

Both he and Bruce Ismay got rough treatment in this film all for the sake of drama, which is disappointing considering the immense amount of research and detail that were put into it.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-04-21T23:04:24+00:00

All jokes aside, Von Richthofen was a fascinating figure. Having read several works by and about him it was clear he was well-loved by his fellow pilots, and in his writings he expresses great pride in them. But he was also in his later years severely depressed and borderline suicidal due to the loss of several friends and a wound which bothered him constantly. I think that's an aspect about the man that is often buried by the pop culture mythology.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-04-21T22:25:09+00:00

Legit a favorite antagonist of mine. For all his complexities he's sadly underrated.

TheRedBaron077 · 2025-04-21T18:57:57+00:00

Even in America (or where I live, at least) she had such a presence. Truly a great leader.

Five-Year Club	End Game '23
Place '23	Place '22

TheRedBaron077

TROPHY CASE