To the Ends of the Earth

To the Ends of the Earth is a sea trilogy by William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies. In 2005 a Miniseries adaption was produced starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

""The lightning that struck the top of the mizzenmast ran down, and melted the conductor into white hot drips. The mast split and flinders shot every way into the mist. The deckhead burst open and the electrical fluid destroyed me. It surrounded the girl who stood before me with a white line of light.""
 * The Alcoholic: Mr Brocklebank.
 * Amusing Injuries: Whenever Talbot reconcusses his head.
 * Anguished Declaration of Love: "I am Mohamet."
 * Antiquated Linguistics
 * Butt Monkey: Colley
 * Burial At Sea
 * Bury Your Gays
 * The Captain
 * Captain Oblivious: Oh, Edmund.
 * Consummate Professional
 * Conveniently an Orphan: Miss Chumley. Not-so-conveniently, she has guardians.
 * Covers Always Lie: The DVD cover would have you believe Sam Neill is the star, while in fact he plays a very minor character.
 * Dead Man Writing
 * Deliberately Distressed Damsel: Talbot seems to think Zenobia is playing one when
 * Diary
 * Dramatic Irony:
 * Driven to Suicide
 * The Drunken Sailor: All of them.
 * Elephant in the Living Room: Do not speak of the wave in the bottom of the ship.
 * Epistolary Novel
 * French Jerk: Talbot considers Benet to be this.
 * Foreshadowing: It's remarkable how many details Talbot includes that he doesn't seem to realize the significance of.
 * Gayngst:
 * Happiness in Slavery: Wheeler.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: is a passenger on Moriarty's ship.
 * Hot Librarian: Miss Graham to Mr Talbot
 * Innocent Inaccurate
 * It Will Never Catch On: The captains' reactions when Talbot envisions a seafaring steamship.
 * Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Captain Anderson
 * Love At First Sight:


 * Lost at Sea
 * Lust Object: Miss Brocklebank
 * Manly Tears: Talbot has lots of feelings.
 * Oblivious to His Own Description: Near the end of the first book, Talbot overhears people discussing someone with a "Gothic" worldview, but who is nonetheless fairly likeable and not completely stupid. He assumes they are talking about Summers, though it is far more likely they are referring to him.
 * Ocean Madness
 * Preacher Man: Colley.
 * Purple Prose: Benet's poetry.
 * Rule of Three: Talbot climbs through three levels and meets three "monsters" before making his way to the magazine room in the bowels of the ship.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: In Talbot's opinion, the money lender's "life insurance" is breaking some kind of rule, even though he remains oblivious to his own significant class and wealth privileges.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran: Wheeler
 * Sinking Ship Scenario
 * A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Colley
 * Unreliable Narrator: Talbot
 * Upper Class Twit: Talbot, of course.
 * Wall-Bang Her
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: Talbot and Colley.
 * Wooden Ships and Iron Men