The African Queen
Posted: November 28th, 2022, 11:50 am
I have recently read this short novel by C S Forester having watched the film at least twice.The book is a worthwhile read with, as usual, a few variations in plot from the film. The book is rather more earthy than the film and, to my taste, not as good. However, this is often the case depending on what happens first ie. reading the book or seeing the film. Broadly, the book describes the passage in a steam driven launch along an African river. In process the couple on the launch manage to keep an old steam engine going, achieve various repairs on the engine and propulsion system and use original thinking to design and fabricate a torpedo. All this with extremely limited materials and do, what in practice, would be virtually impossible. The author described the man as a skilled mechanic and yet still managed to convey the impression that a man capable of this much innovation and skill is thick.A common attitude, perhaps, in 1930's England and maybe today towards those without a PPE at Oxford?
