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[ClarissaMach]

I'd like to have some help in understanding the meaning of the two words in bold in the sentence below. I looked for the meaning of "dourly" at the dictionary, but even after this I couldn't figure out its meaning in the context of the sentence. And "stable", in the dictionary, is only described as being an adjective, but it doesn't seem to work as an adjective in the sentence:


The best book for a destination depends on the destination and you, as well as on the book itself. For instance, the Caribbean Islands Handbook from the dourly named Trade and Travel Publications had also accompanied me around the Caribbean. This comes from the same stable as the South American Handbook, now in its 70th edition, and widely held to be the greatest guide book of all time.


Thanks in advance!

[CP]

"Dour" means sullen, gloomy, harsh. He's saying that Trade and Travel Publications is dourly named; its name is rather gloomy or dull.

"Stable" means, among other things, the place where you keep horses. By extension, one's stable is one's collection of horses, or the people on one's football team. The author is saying that the Caribbean Islands Handbook comes from the same place as the South American Handbook, "the greatest guide book of all time," implying that perhaps the Caribbean book is also pretty good.

Hope that helps.
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[ClarissaMach]

Thanks a lot! Twice in a day! You're my hero