RIP Farley Mowat

[bruto]

Just heard that Farley Mowat died. A grand storyteller for adults and kids alike.

I first ran into his stuff long ago when on an impulse I bought a book called The Grey Seas Under, the story of the Foundation Franklin, a boat converted into an oceangoing rescue tug. You'd hardly expect this to be a gripping and romantic sea adventure, but Mowat made it so.

 

[NoahFence]

A true hero in every sense of the word.

RIP.

 

[fleabeetle]

Just heard that Farley Mowat died. A grand storyteller for adults and kids alike.

He was born in 1921, so one could justly say, "a good innings". I've read many of his books, with fascination. Have come across indications that at times -- whether consciously or otherwise -- he passed misinformation on, in his writings; and he could be passionately partisan, perhaps to the point of unfair bias. IMO, though, he wrote very movingly, and his heart was in the right place. Truly, RIP.

I first ran into his stuff long ago when on an impulse I bought a book called The Grey Seas Under, the story of the Foundation Franklin, a boat converted into an oceangoing rescue tug. You'd hardly expect this to be a gripping and romantic sea adventure, but Mowat made it so.

I read that one, with great pleasure -- but so long ago, that I don't remember much about it. ISTR that in the book, Mowat calls the vessel the Foundation Josephine -- or is memory playing me false? I do recall from that book: the kid in the crew, who came from a strict Scottish Calvinist community in a remote part of Nova Scotia. It seems that rescue-tug crews, for their general manliness and heroism, attracted quite a lot of young female "groupies" in the ports where they put in. The abovementioned lad had been heavily conditioned to the effect that sex outside of marriage was unspeakably wicked; and shrank in terror, from the young ladies who thought him cute, and openly offered him their sexual favours. His crewmates thought that this attitude on his part, was insane -- but they kindly humoured him, and deflected the pestering girls from him.

 

[Resume]

Been up to Windy River where he did his caribou study detailed in Never Cry Wolf. Loved People of the Deer as well.

RIP, friend.

 

[bruto]

He was born in 1921, so one could justly say, "a good innings". I've read many of his books, with fascination. Have come across indications that at times -- whether consciously or otherwise -- he passed misinformation on, in his writings; and he could be passionately partisan, perhaps to the point of unfair bias. IMO, though, he wrote very movingly, and his heart was in the right place. Truly, RIP.



I read that one, with great pleasure -- but so long ago, that I don't remember much about it. ISTR that in the book, Mowat calls the vessel the Foundation Josephine -- or is memory playing me false? I do recall from that book: the kid in the crew, who came from a strict Scottish Calvinist community in a remote part of Nova Scotia. It seems that rescue-tug crews, for their general manliness and heroism, attracted quite a lot of young female "groupies" in the ports where they put in. The abovementioned lad had been heavily conditioned to the effect that sex outside of marriage was unspeakably wicked; and shrank in terror, from the young ladies who thought him cute, and openly offered him their sexual favours. His crewmates thought that this attitude on his part, was insane -- but they kindly humoured him, and deflected the pestering girls from him.

It's been many a year since I read the book as well, and do not remember everything, but I'm pretty sure that the principal ship was the Foundation Franklin, formerly the "Frisky," whose bell is now, by the way, on permanent display in Halifax. Some time in the early 90's we went up there, and visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where it now resides.