BASTARD & PHILANDERER

It's often been hinted that Patrick O'Brian was something of a bounder. And so it would appear from Ben Fenton's none too flattering article in yesterday's Telegraph:

Patrick O'Brian, the historical novelist, who abandoned his first wife and two children to a life of poverty, later portrayed her as drunken, illiterate and immoral so that he could win custody of his son, according to newly-discovered archive papers.

Many thanks to Bernard.M for the link.

Comments

[boynton]

Oh dear. Tempted to say I won't be rushing out to read Mr O'B now, and might add him to the (imaginary) blacklist. Trouble is, such a list would be quite extensive. Even Dickens might qualify after recent doco exposed his bad domestic behaviour. Perhaps few writers would survive an examination of their darker side?

[Tony.T]

I was going to make some pithy comments about the tawdry private lives of other writers but I realised it was a given.

[boynton]

better tawdry than paltry I guess.

[Tony.T]

Or poultry...

http://www.avianpublications.com/items/fowl/itemC07.htm

Quack. Ribbip.

[boynton]

well I’m glad it was “new duck” ;)
Some of those titles look compelling, like "A guide to better hatchery". Then again I suspect TT would prefer "Sexing all fowl, Baby chicks, Game birds and Caged birds" (for searches research of course).

sorry about the off-topic diversion.
Back to authorial tawdriness now.

[David Tiley]

Here's a weird one which I just HAVE to work up properly -

Patrick O'Brian changed his name and his life. He was approached by the publishers of the by then late C.S.Forester, who wrote Hornblower, to see if he could turn his mind to a nautical them, him being good at detail.

He did, with the result we all know about. Here's the creepy bit. No-one knew it at the time, but C.S. Forester also changed his name to evade his past.. oooeeeeee..

[Tony.T]

"oooeeeeee", indeed David. Nice work. Is there anyone who has started writing naval fiction since O'Brian died in 2000?