Here's a summary of the themes discussed in the Hacker News thread about Samuel Pepys's diary, focusing on different aspects of the diary's appeal, its historical context, and the complexities of Pepys's character.
Value and Accessibility of Pepys's Diary
Several users highlight the diary's importance as a historical and social document and appreciate its accessibility.
- The diary offers a unique and valuable social and historical perspective on 17th-century Britain. As ilamont observes, "Such an important diary from a social and historical perspective. When reading about other topics relating to 17th-century Britain (such as the Fire of 1666 and the development of the British Navy) it is frequently cited."
- The daily posting of entries with commentary enhances accessibility. readthenotes1 notes, "Posts one diary entry a day, along with commentary from people explaining or asking what stuff means. It's a pretty cool idea..."
- Modern social media platforms have also contributed to its accessibility. rsynnott mentions its availability as a Bluesky feed: "Also available as a Bluesky feed: https://bsky.app/profile/samuelpepys.bsky.social (and I think on Mastodon too; Twitterâs api changes killed the Twitter one AIUI). Works surprisingly well as a social media feed."
Pepys's Shorthand
The unique shorthand used by Pepys in his diary also receives attention.
- ilamont highlights the use of Tachygraphy itself as a noteworthy aspect of the diary: "I don't know if the paywalled article mentions the shorthand he used to write it, but that's a fascinating topic on its own. It was called Tachygraphy, and was used from the mid 1600s through the early 1800s by Pepys, Thomas Jefferson, and Isaac Newton among others."
- cfraenkel quibbles about an assertion that Pepys learned it for naval note-taking, arguing its use predates his appointment to the Navy Board: "Not really? 'I imagine Pepys used Sheltonâs Shorthand because he had to take copious notes of Navy Board meetings and take official government minutes.' Since the diary (and so his shorthand use) pre-dates his appointment to the Navy Board, this conclusion is a bit of a reach...."
Pepys's Morality and Treatment of Women
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Pepys's problematic behavior, particularly his treatment of women.
- sherr raises concerns about Pepys's "extremely bad behaviour towards women," arguing "Today he would be called a 'sexual predator' and he was almost certainly also a rapist." They cite a YouTube video by Guy de la BÊdoyère as a source for this perspective.
- A debate ensues regarding the appropriateness of highlighting Pepys's negative traits. stronglikedan dismisses it as unnecessary, while speerer counters that "IMO it adds a lot: the article is about cuts from the diary, the result being that the picture is distorted."
- Veen argues that Pepys's behavior was "unremarkable for a man of his time and class," while verisimi questions the validity of generalizing about the attitudes of people from centuries ago.
- rsynnott disputes the claim that Pepys's behavior was normal for his time and class: "The average man in the 17th century did not, when bored on Sunday, attempt to molest multiple random women in church. Even for his time Pepys was, well, a bit much, and he knew it, and felt guilty about it occasionally in the diary." And continues, "you should not fall into the trap of thinking 'well, that's just how it was back then'; Pepys was abnormally badly behaved on a number of axes even for the time."
- Veen clarifies, noting that Pepys was not the average man. Rather "He was a successful and increasingly powerful man on the edges of Restoration court and aristocratic culture, in which such behaviour was the norm."
- drabbiticus provides external sources that detail Pepys' treatment of women, including an incident that is difficult to interpret as anything but rape. From https://www.neh.gov/article/honest-fault > In an incident that is difficult to interpret as anything but rape, Pepys recounts entering the home of a shipâs carpenterâa man very much under his control, since Pepys was a naval officialâand noting that, after a struggle, âfinally I had my will of her.â His only recorded regret is âa mighty painâ in his finger, which he injured during the apparent assault.
- tialaramex draws parallels to contemporary issues of sexual predation, arguing that Pepys's diary reflects enduring power imbalances: "works like this diary serve the same purpose as SF shorts, they're holding up a mirror to our world... 'I'm a powerful man so I decided to have sex with a less powerful woman and she couldn't stop me' is one of the top stories in the news site I was just looking at."
The Value of Reading Unabridged Pepys
Several users emphasize the importance of reading the unabridged version of the diary to gain a full understanding of Pepys's character and experiences, and for a truly uncensored history.
- hodgesrm contends that reading the "unabridged Pepys for any length of time end up feeling very ambivalent about him as a person" because it includes "some of the deepest introspection of a human life--both the good and the bad--in the history of literature."
- rsynnott states, "Have you read the unabridged version? (Versions published before the 80s were heavily censored). He, ah, gets up to a lot more than that."
Comparison to Montaigne
The discussion briefly explores the comparison between Pepys's diary and Montaigne's essays.
- billfruit asks, "How does it compare to Montaigne?" noting that "Montaigne also wrote much about random every day things, about food, rest, sleep, etc. Statecraft was also a common theme in his essays."
- hodgesrm differentiates the two, stating Montaigne's Essays are primarily philosophical reflections, while Pepys recorded a vast range of topics from affairs of state to the consistency of his stools (and everything in between).