Was Larry's accident a "lie"?

Use this forum to discuss the April 2019 Book of the month, "Adrift" by Charlie Sheldon
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Ferdinand_Otieno
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Re: Was Larry's accident a "lie"?

Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Delaney35 wrote: 13 Apr 2019, 16:54 Definitely an accident. If he did it on purpose there would have been less painful ways to die I would think. Also, I doubt he would have killed himself he seemed like a man with something to live for
But, he always felt like Louise should have had a better life. This would explain why he 'might' have planned the accident.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

I'd like to think of it as an accident. The others knew he took the most dangerous job. What bothers me is why he did not enlighten Louise about her misconception.
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Miriam Molina wrote: 13 Apr 2019, 20:45 I'd like to think of it as an accident. The others knew he took the most dangerous job. What bothers me is why he did not enlighten Louise about her misconception.
That is exactly my point. Louise thought he was cheating while he was looking for a way to get them money. The only reason he might have had to lie to her was that he found the insurance policy. And he would only keep that secret if he intended to use it.
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Post by chelhack »

When the accident occured I felt that Larry had made an honest mistake which cost him his life. But later when the life insurance policy came into the story and then reflecting back on some of the things he said during the time they were still at sea I believe he did that to save the company.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

The author himself says it was an accident. Larry took the most dangerous job because he was the captain and the most experienced. But the seas were rough.

I don't see how his failure to enlighten Louise about the alleged affair had anything to do with the insurance, even if he had known about the policy.

Also, if he knew about the policy and planned suicide, why would he endanger all twelve of them? He could have refused to go for the Express.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

chelhack wrote: 13 Apr 2019, 22:20 When the accident occured I felt that Larry had made an honest mistake which cost him his life. But later when the life insurance policy came into the story and then reflecting back on some of the things he said during the time they were still at sea I believe he did that to save the company.
Thankyou. My reasoning exactly. :tiphat:
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Miriam Molina wrote: 13 Apr 2019, 22:37 The author himself says it was an accident. Larry took the most dangerous job because he was the captain and the most experienced. But the seas were rough.

I don't see how his failure to enlighten Louise about the alleged affair had anything to do with the insurance, even if he had known about the policy.

Also, if he knew about the policy and planned suicide, why would he endanger all twelve of them? He could have refused to go for the Express.
Butvthe policy was for the captain ijured "during" a tug. He had to get the express, the only chance for him to die on the job so that the policy would be valid. I think the author unintentionally left to much ambiguity in that event, despite his claim.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Suzette mentioned that she found the policy when Warhorse had already set out. Larry never knew about it. There was also no mention about dying during a tug, only about one of the owners getting killed. Or did I miss something?
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Miriam Molina wrote: 13 Apr 2019, 23:11 Suzette mentioned that she found the policy when Warhorse had already set out. Larry never knew about it. There was also no mention about dying during a tug, only about one of the owners getting killed. Or did I miss something?
Larry was helping her look through the documents and that is why he spent so much time with her. He could have easily found it, noted the requirements and knowing the policy might be considered suspect should he dis over it then ha e an accident. The best thing for him to do was to leave it so that Suzette would discover it on her own. And ad luck would have it, the tug on the Express came on the radio before the policy was discovered - which meant that his "accident" would be considered just that if no one thought he knew about it.
Anyway, :techie-studyinggray: that's my reasoning.
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Post by Njdockrat »

I have to believe it was an accident. The “rookie mistake” that Larry made did not have to result in a fatal injury. He could have just as easily been left crippled and facing years or even decades of pain. If he wanted to ensure that he died he could have just waited until they had the ship under tow and then “slipped” and been washed overboard one of the times he went forward to check the tow lines.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Njdockrat wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 16:44 I have to believe it was an accident. The “rookie mistake” that Larry made did not have to result in a fatal injury. He could have just as easily been left crippled and facing years or even decades of pain. If he wanted to ensure that he died he could have just waited until they had the ship under tow and then “slipped” and been washed overboard one of the times he went forward to check the tow lines.
Convincing argument, but the cable should have promised instant death. At least that's my reasoning (and Larry too.)
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Post by kdstrack »

It was an accident. Larry could not control the winds, the waves and the movements of the ship.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

kdstrack wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 21:20 It was an accident. Larry could not control the winds, the waves and the movements of the ship.
100% true, but what he could control was how close he was to the cable and also not diving out of the way, or even attempting to.
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Post by kdstrack »

Ferdinand_otieno wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 21:45
kdstrack wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 21:20 It was an accident. Larry could not control the winds, the waves and the movements of the ship.
100% true, but what he could control was how close he was to the cable and also not diving out of the way, or even attempting to.
Larry was caught by a cable that snapped. The waves are described as "erratic." I don't see how Larry could have known that the cable was going to snap and which way the cable was going to fling when it broke so that he would receive the impact of the broken cable??? There are too many unknowns for him to have planned it. I still think it was just an accident.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

kdstrack wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 22:44
Ferdinand_otieno wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 21:45
kdstrack wrote: 15 Apr 2019, 21:20 It was an accident. Larry could not control the winds, the waves and the movements of the ship.
100% true, but what he could control was how close he was to the cable and also not diving out of the way, or even attempting to.
Larry was caught by a cable that snapped. The waves are described as "erratic." I don't see how Larry could have known that the cable was going to snap and which way the cable was going to fling when it broke so that he would receive the impact of the broken cable??? There are too many unknowns for him to have planned it. I still think it was just an accident.
When I read about the accident, I agreed with you, but after finding out about the insurance policy which he "must" have found (basing on the amount of time he spent going through the documents) and his refusal to tell Louise about it and letting her think he was cheating on her! It started to stink of a conspiracy to commit suicide, it stank to high hell. Considering all of this, wouldn't you agree?
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