Which they are some of the best books ever written!
|
There is so much to praise in these wonderful books that it's probably best to start with assurances to the contrary of what might be potential readers' less favourable impressions and expectations. So, if you care about great literature but were hesitating about these - don't, I urge you.
First, you emphatically don't have to be some military history or naval warfare fan to appreciate O'Brian. (Like me, though, you may end up an admirer of Nelson or a visitor to Victory, purely on the strength of these great books.)
Second: have no fears of impenetrable maritime jargon - once again, everything is understandable and engaging purely from context and rhythm (although, once more, you may actually find yourself wanting to hone your facility to distinguish a topgallant from a studdingsail as your acquaintance with Jack Aubrey deepens). The brilliant device of having Maturin (one of literature's sharpest, most caustic characters) "ignorant" of his friend Jack's oceanic terms gives us all an enjoyable - and often hilarious - entry to the vocabulary.
Third (and most significant): have no qualms about the "antique" element. Yes, O'Brian seems, at times, to be writing with the benefit of a time-machine, so authentic are his terms of reference. But the underlying sensibility here is human, intimate and deeply affectionate; indeed, Jack's and Stephen's relationship over time constitutes one of the best love stories ever written. It all comes across as fresh, immediate and modern.
Also, I can't emphasise sufficiently how much humour there is here; and please rest assured that this is not the genteel "Don't y'know" school of polite chuckles but the "Full Blackadder" when it comes to sarcasm, slapstick and a Comedy of Manners that cheerfully blends Swift and Spike Milligan. Stephen's witty ribbing of Jack and others is nicely counterbalanced by his own pratfalls and duckings; Jack's sense of his own (hopeless) hilarity is a beautifully sustained study in loveable self-delusion.
Against that runs the constant theme of incredible (and realistic) violence. Again, the astounding bravery and hideous bloodletting both adds to the realistic, contemporary texture and counterbalances, in its own way, the glorious comedy of these tales. Jack the "flat" who can never get a witticism out on time is a man who can, when necessary, bring down several opponents at once; whilst Stephen, the tetchy, cutting cove with his head in some Latin or his scalpel in a specimen, can do sudden, fatal violence when cornered - and, only moments later, undercut Jack or some other blusterer with a few incisive remarks. Dazzling.
O'Brian's way with action, as with his dialogue, is vivid, cinematic, oscillating between suggestion and the explicit. He also does fast-cutting worthy of the Bourne films. Here's just a little bit from HMS Surprise, when Jack sets out to rescue Stephen from torture:
The bubbling shriek rose again, huge, beyond human measure, intolerable. Inside the room the strikingly handsome youth had turned and now he was looking up with a triumphant smile at the other officers. His coat and his collar were open, and he had something in his hand.
Jack drew his sword, opened the long window; their faces turned, indignant, then shocked, amazed. Three long strides, and balancing, with a furious grip on his hilt, he cut forehand at the boy and backhand at the man next to him. Instantly the room was filled - bellowing noise, rushing movement, blows, the thud of bodies, a shout from the last officer, chair and table crashing down, the black civilian with two seamen on top of him, a smothered scream. The soldier shooting out of the door, an animal cry beyond it; and silence. The demented, inhuman face of the man on the rack, running with sweat.
The riches do not end there, of course. Maturin's natural philosophy alone is worth the admission; especially when it irritates Jack and gets in the way of the prize-cruising. There is a fabulous bit in HMS Surprise when Stephen brings aboard a creature ("comforting it in Portuguese" as he carries it) that Jack assumes to be one of the "vampires" he has forbidden Stephen to collect. It turns out to be a sloth; which all the sailors love and adopt - but which also has a phobia of Jack's face. Jack eventually persuades the sloth to come to him by offering it alcohol, much to Maturin's chagrin when he discovers the animal drunk ("Jack, you have debauched my sloth!"). The tales also feature badgers, horses, dogs, tortoises - a menagerie worthy of T H White, indeed.
Finally, these books are, of course, unspeakably romantic. The exotic landscapes and characters, the espionage, the food, the bawdiness, the danger: enough for anyone's escapist appetite. But a special mention must go to the use of music; not just the duets that Stephen and Jack so charmingly share, often at night in the great cabin; but also the choruses in which the whole ship often unties (notably, in Treason's Harbour, a chorus of "Ladies of Spain" joined with gusto by a colourful native character - who is hideously taken by sharks a few chapters later: well, I said O'Brian was cinematic).
There is so much to say about these glorious books; but it's all far better said by the author himself in the books themselves. Once again, I urge you to read them. You might want to try, say, HMS Surprise, as a good self-contained way in, to see if you like it. But, honestly; I can't imagine anyone not wanting to go through the whole sequence; as I've now done; twice. The thing is, the whole sequence of the novels is even greater than the sum of its parts. O'Brian really is that good. Individually, all of the Aubrey/Maturin stories work as great novels. Any one of at least four - and probably more - of them (certainly, Master and Commander, HMS Surprise, The Ionian Mission and Treason's Harbour) could stand amongst literature's finest. (My own Top Three Desert Island Booklist would put an "equals" sign after Earthly Powers, The Sword in the Stone and HMS Surprise.)
|
|
|
Slow Start of Series, Brilliant Set of Books
|
|
Simple really, am on book 14. Brilliant set of books, buy them and read them.
|
|
|
the best historical novel series
|
|
This is a historical novel for the intellectual reader, superbly written, engaging, and at times exciting. Patrick O'Brien writes in a period correct fashion, and whilst this is a shock for the first page, it quickly becomes its most endearing attribute. The series wont be for everyone, but if you want an eloquent read this is one to have. Post-Captain (the next in the series) is equally as good.
|
|
Not great, but the start of greatness
|
This novel has a mixed bag of revues on here, and I can see why. After all the hype over O'Brian you finally read this novel, persevere with it till the end and think 'well, it was all right, but it wasn't that good. What's all the hype about'? Then you read the next novel and think exactly the same. Then you read the third novel and halfway through O'Brian finally kicks into gear (a phrase I very much doubt he would approve of!) and suddenly you realise what all the fuss was about.
I think much of this reaction is caused by Stephen Maturin - the landlubbing character specifically designed to be our way into the world of the Royal Navy - spending the first novel conflicted with regards to his loyalty between Jack Aubrey and his second in command, and then (in the second novel) reverting to outright hatred of Aubrey (thanks to their rivalry over a woman). It's only in the third novel, when these issues are resolved once and for all and their friendship firmly cemented that the novels finally come alive, and you realise that you are in the company of a truly great novelist (and I don't use the term 'great' lightly).
Trust me. Endure the first two novels of the Aubrey/Maturin series and then stand back and wallow in the glow of a genius at work. Two average novels out of a series of twenty, seventeen and a half of which are truly the work of an astounding novelist is a small price to pay, isn't it?
|
|
|
Worth the effort
|
From reading the previous reviews it is apparent that this novel polarises opinions like few others, i.e. you'll either love it or hate it. People who hate it find the language archaic, "eighteenth century nautical terms scattered like confetti", the characters wooden and hard to sympathise with, and struggle to engage with the novelist. Many readers, perhaps enticed by the Russell Crowe film, will find themselves buying this book and then struggling to get beyond the first chapter. It is not easy reading, not like Sharpe, or Hornblower that you can race through, especially at the outset. However, if you like a book with a bit of substance behind it, are prepared to do a little bit of work to understand what is going on, and will give the characters room to breathe, you may just find yourself rewarded beyond expectations as a treasurehouse opens up before you.
This is the first of a series of twenty novels and you really do need to read them in sequence, (1. Master and Commander, 2. Post Captain, 3. HMS Surprise etc.),as the author tends to tell you something once and then expects you to remember it. If you start with The Far Side of the World, number ten, because of the film, you will be hopelessly adrift; nothing the characters do or say will make any sense, and the plot is very different from the film so you will not recognise what you are reading.
Start with this one then, book one and don't just skim it for the adventure story. Climb the rigging with the lubberly Dr Stephen Maturin and listen as he has explained to him the masts, yards and sails of the Sophie. After only a few pages you know the difference between the foremast and the mizzen, the stays, tops and ratlines. You will benefit from getting some maps; Minorca and the Spanish coast east of Gibraltar (look them up as soon as the place names come out of the text). You want to get a feel for the shape of the coast, harbours and ports. Don't spend any money, just five minutes with the Google map facility and print them off, nicely magnified so you get all the capes and points. Now you can feel the tension as the Sophie ducks under the enemy guns, steals a prize and races for safety with a half dozen frigates in hot pursuit; all the naval engagements make a whole lot more sense; you might even mark the positions of the vessels and follow their movements; Patrick O'Brian gives you enough description to clearly visualise every detail and this is where he scores most of his points and wins his lifelong devotees. The author had vast resources of knowledge about naval engagements of the period and most of the action is painstakingly recreated from real events, as reported by those who took part in them. This is far more than historical fiction, it is the bringing back to vivid life of a period of our relatively recent history.
Next if you find the story intriguing but the nautical terms frustrating (you are not alone in this), you might consider purchasing a reference book: The World of Jack Aubrey by David Miller (I paid £5.99), a shortish, hard-backed book for the twenty-first century reader, full of diagrams and explanations and with a glossary of technical terms. The mysteries of the stunsail, the use of the log, the bells of the watch and the use of the glass will all become clear, along with good descriptions of the various vessels that feature, from lateens to bum-boats, sloops and brigs, the points of the compass and the different fighting styles of the British and French men o' war (British preferred solid shot aimed at the hull that sent explosions of splinters through the enemy crew, wheras the French preferred chain and grape shot to disable and capture.
A further book is a worthwhile purchase, Admiral W.H. Smyth's The Sailor's Word-Book (Conway £9.99). This fat period tome comprises over 14,000 nautical and naval terms, every technical word used by Patrick O'Brian is in there, described in crisp clarity, the Admiral spent the seven years of his retirement from 1858 - 1865 working on this mine of information and the Aubrey/Maturin enthusiast will have this reference close by at all times.
To bring the experience fully to life I would also recommend a day out to the Portsmouth historic harbour; a couple of hours inhaling the air aboard the H.M.S. Victory touching the cables and absorbing the perspectives will be well spent.
If you find yourself shouting, "Vast that anchor", to your wife in the Sainsbury's car park, and your kids buy you a parrot for Christmas then it's possible that you might be allowing your enthusiasm to carry you a little too far, but until then, enjoy the journey.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada