Notes on Dorothy Dunnett's "Dolly and the Doctor Bird"

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Dolly and the Starry Bird Notes

with thanks to the Chambers Dictionary (1994 edition),
members of the ispit mailing list,
and lots of use of www.Google.com

Note: citations are in the order of appearance. If you want to search for a particular word or phrase, hit control-f and type the item you are searching for. Please note that this page is still a work in progress. All page numbers are cited from the Penguin paperback edition, 1970.

Here are the obituaries from Starry Bird (all references are to the
Vintage paperback of September 1982 (originally pub. in 1973).

I:12 Full fathom five my father lies He fell in off a tender The herrings come up pickled there On gin from father's bender.	XVI:284 God took our Johnson for a star To love and guide us from afar.
I:21 We will not build a cross for you With angels all a-simper Because, my friend, you left us with A bang and not a whimper.	XVI:295 You have crossed the flowing river To the land of evergreen Each day I long to see you But the river runs between.
II:41 We could not say our last farewell Nor even say goodbye For you were gone before And only God knows why.	XVII:303 We talk the old times over We laugh and joke the same But still it hurts a lot inside When someone speaks your name.
III:50 Just as you were, you will always be Treasured forever in memory Death came and gently kissed your brow God has another angel now.	XVII:311 May the winds blow gently On that quiet and peaceful spot Where the one we love lies resting And will never be forgot.
IV: 66 A million times I've needed you, Mum A million times I've cried If love could have saved you Mum, You never would have died.	XVIII:324 A little flower, lent not given To bud on earth and bloom in heaven.
V:86 Your photograph is faded now The rose you picked me, flat and sere Your love-notes faint Your violin still And gone the bliss of yesteryear. We did not dream then, you and I As hand in hand we trod Life's way. That here that warm and loving heart Would lie so chill (-18 C) in death today.	XIX:357 A little tribute, true and tender: Just to show we still remember.
VI:99 Sweet Mem'ry's Chord Was Touched Today They Came and Took Your Teeth Away Your Wig has Gone Your Gas Limb Too The Plastic Joints That Rivet You Your Contact Lenses They Removed And All About You that We Loved	XIX:359 Memories don't fade they just grow deep Of one we loved but could not keep.
IX:142 A smile for all, a heart of gold One of the best the world could hold. Never selfish, always kind, These are the mem'ries he left behind.	XIX:362 What you suffered, you told but few You didn't deserve what you went through. Tired and weary, you made no fuss But tried so hard to stay with us.
IX:156 They dug her grave the other day. It stretched for twenty miles each way She carries gas to Beachy Head And lights up Brighton from her bed And transmits chat from Lewes to Hove My multicore departed Love.	VIII:124 Sadly missed along Life's way But quietly remembered every day.
X:167 Her life was full of kindly deeds A helping hand to all in need A happy smile, a heart of gold The finest lay this world could hold.	XI:183 At night when all is silent And sleep forsakes your eyes Your lonely thoughts dwell on the jail Where your poor Charlie lies.
XIV:244 The parting was so sudden We often wonder why But the saddest part of all, dear You never said goodbye.	XI:194 Silent thoughts and tears unseen, Wishing your absence was only a dream.
XV:267 You loved me mother, when I was small And I won't forget you now I've grown tall.	XI:194 We said farewell that autumn day My heartstrings felt the tug You laid your hair down far away And left your heart in a jug.
XV:273 Memories are like threads of gold, Never tarnish or grow old.
XVI:277 The kindness of his nature The sunshine of his smile Are things I shall remember and treasure all the while.
XVI:280 Like falling leaves the years slip by But memories will never die Time may pass and fade away But thought of you will always stay.

Cast of Characters
INDEX:

Maurice Frazer	Innes Wye	Incidental Characters
Timothy Harrington	Zodiac Trust
James K. Middleman (Jacko)
Ruth Russell

In order of appearance

Ruth Russell

A British astronomer working in Rome running the Frazer Observatory
for 4 months, doing a project for the Zodiac Trust photographing a series of stars through the 50 inch telescope. She trained at Zodiac.
Can't drink while working.
Lives in Velterra.
Same age as Charles, her significant other, three years older than
Sophia, Charles' former girlfriend.
Tall, would have fallen for Johnson Johnson if her were ten years younger and two inches taller.

Maurice Frazer

Most famous actor-mangaer of his day and the prettiest.
Retired to Italy, owns villa in Tibur Hills with two observatories in the garden.
Age 70 or more (he claims 60), has finest white hair like white mink.

Timothy Harrington

Maurice's "hostess" who looks after him.
Tall, pink, pink hands, helpful and Lithuanian.
Finest center of gossip in Europe.

James K. Middleton (Jacko)

Astronomical photographer
Ruth's roommate and "running mate."
Sad eyes, tangled hair, Zapata mustache.

Innes Wye

Works at the Folly (Mouse Hall) Observatory with the Incubator.
American from Wyoming and Wakefield.
Running an electronic experiment for the Zodiac Trust.
Lives in Velterra.
Doesn't drink.

Zodiac Trust

A private foundation "richly funded by fish paste" that is the "Santa Claus of worldwide astronomy."

Charles Digham (Lord Digham)

Ruth's Significant Other
Son of a Marquis and Lady Teddington
Self-employed photographer of things "visibly groovy"
Composes and collects obituary doggerel and sells obituary verses for mourning cards
Drives an Alfa Romeo

Sassy Packer

Charles' friend and flatmate who owns a gambling club

Diana Minicucci

Charles' friend and model
Daughter of Bernadette Mayflower of Hollywood who had 8 starring vehicles with Rock Hudson and Prince Minicucci, the industrialist
"Rich and pretty and fearfully likeable"

Johnson Johnson

A man of regular habits with the fastest vertical liftoff in Italy
Ruth had seldom seen a man less remarkable
Glittering bifocal glasses
Lemurlike innocence
Driving a Fiat 500
A well-off and dangerous nut
Claims to have an uncle in Margate who knits his vests
A small woolly man
The bifocals glittered under a lot of black hair
Black eyebrows
Looked like Paul Muni in a very old feature movie
Board of Trade Master's Certificate

Professor Lilian Hathaway

Director of Zodiac Trust
Pebble glasses, fluffy grey hair, sugar pink scalp
Smokes Corona Corona cigars
Experimental genius
Lean and sloped like an unpadded clothes hanger

Mr. Paladrini (Marco Susini)

Irish-American children's storyteller
Earnest middle-aged man with glasses like ploughshares
Balloon seller at zoo

Incidental Characters

Two men with collars and ties at the Villa Borghese (security men) - One steals Charles' camera and gets shot in the head, the other ties up Jacko and smashes Charles' camera
Dimitri, Giorgio and Pietro - Minicucci's Minions
The little man who liked to sing to Sappho's engines
Conrad, The extra physics man hired by the Zodiac Trust

Lenny Milligan

Cockney
Short, powerful man with large ears
Johnson's crew, barman, cook

Dolly

Johnson's boat with television, stereo, record player, radio, fridge, full-scale bar

Bob and Eddie

Astronomers in the Zodiac Trust training post in Naples

Sophia Lindrop

Charles' former fiancee
Astronomer from Finnish observatory on Capri
Size 34C bosom
Sharp little blonde, long yellow hair
Educated at Roedean and Zermatt and 3 foreign universities, including Hamburg
3 years younger than Charles and Ruth

Prince Minicucci

Handsome, short, grey-haired Italian in impeccable Saville Row suiting

S-C Judith

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Home	Footnotes on the Dunnett Novels	Errors in the Dunnett Novels	The 100 Best Books		Dunnett Songbook	E-mail
The Game of Kings	Queen's Play	The Disorderly Knights	The Ringed Castle	Checkmate	The House of Niccolo	The 1990 Dorothy Dunnett Gathering
Dolly and the Singing Bird	Dolly and the Cookie Bird	Dolly and the Doctor Bird	Dolly and the Starry Bird	Dolly and the Nanny Bird	Dolly and the Bird of Paradise	Moroccan Traffic

Chapter 1	Chapter 5	Chapter 9	Chapter 13	Chapter 17	Cast of Characters
Chapter 2	Chapter 6	Chapter 10	Chapter 14	Chapter 18
Chapter 3	Chapter 7	Chapter 11	Chapter 15		The Obituaries
Chapter 4	Chapter 8	Chapter 12	Chapter 16

Chapter 1, pp. 7 - 14

Chapter 2, pp. 15 - 27

Chapter 3, pp. 28 - 41

Chapter 4, pp. 42 - 61

Chapter 5, pp. 62 - 75

Chapter 6, pp. 76 - 90

Chapter 7, pp. 91 - 108

Chapter 8, pp. 109 - 131

Chapter 9, pp. 132 - 142

Chapter 10, pp 143 - 155

Chapter 11, pp. 156 - 171

Chapter 12, pp. 172 - 191

Home	Footnotes on the Dunnett Novels	Errors in the Dunnett Novels	The 100 Best Books		Dunnett Songbook	E-mail
The Game of Kings	Queen's Play	The Disorderly Knights	The Ringed Castle	Checkmate	The House of Niccolo	The 1990 Dorothy Dunnett Gathering
Dolly and the Singing Bird	Dolly and the Cookie Bird	Dolly and the Doctor Bird	Dolly and the Starry Bird	Dolly and the Nanny Bird	Dolly and the Bird of Paradise	Moroccan Traffic