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Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 6, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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The audiobooks can carry you along with the narrator's tone doing a lot to provide context. Some people claim that they didn't get everything out of the books on their first 'read' but were pretty well versed by the end of the series. They then understood more on a re-read. Also some concepts aren't explained until later books where O'Brien often uses Maturin as a scrub land lubber stand in for the reader to have a sailor explain all things naval.

That might sound daunting, but if you can make it through Master and Commander things get easier (and more enjoyable).

I need to confess I still don't understand where all the sails are placed and for what purpose, but in general I understand that too much sail can tear the rigging (carrying away like a kite with a snapped line, even including ropes, beams and 'top men' ) or even crack a mast.