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Quote by Patrick O'Brian

“And although in many cases these unions proved happy enough, sailors being excellent husbands, often away and handy about the house when ashore, it did make for a curious gathering when the spouses were invited to a ball.”

Quote by Patrick O'Brian

Work

The Surgeon's Mate

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Author

Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian

British novelist known for his historical novel series 'The Aubrey-Maturin Series,' which is set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars and tells the story of the British Royal Navy. O'Brian's writing style is meticulous, with a precise grasp of historical details, and he is highly regarded by readers. more

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“You certainly have a lot of stamina," she said. When had they last spoken? It could have been ten minutes or an hour ago. The masked faces around them blurred together. "While some parents hit their children, mine also punished me with dancing lessons." "Then you must have been a very naughty boy." She glanced around the ball, as if she were looking for something--or someone. "You're gracious with your compliments tonight.”

“When we cannot share our values any longer and our incipient intentions have become blurry, common understanding may turn into irredeemable misunderstanding. If the spirit of common perspectives and commitments has irreversibly been broken, we might patently drift down into suspicion, remorse or regret. As such, shared initiatives ought to be reasoned and well thought-out to avoid ‘understanding’ becoming ‘misunderstanding’ and ‘hope’ breaking down into ‘heartbreak’. ("The unbreakable code " )”