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Summary: Adventure in the Med
Review: This book was close to my heart, being a sailor myself and a bit of a history buff. The language was a mite flowery at times, but, English at the dawning of the 19th century WAS flowery. It did nothing to distract from the story, which was a lively yarn. The book was historically accurate as far as I could tell, and one of the few stories that mentioned an elm-tree pump. A pretty much unheard of piece of equipment.I reckon I'll have to read the whole series now, as this one was thoroughly enjoyable.
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Summary: Copied from Horatio Hornblower
Review: This book has a very similar story line from the Horatio Hornblower's series (I think it was the book "Hornblower and the Hotspur")I have read all of the C.S. Forester books and when I purchased this book I could not believe how similar the story line is. Instead of Lt Bush you have LT Dillion, Hornblower and Aubry have the same qualities and the both meet the good DR. the same way. I will check out the next book as see if I experience deja vu
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Summary: Too hard to follow
Review: Unless you're a sailor or a mariner this book was too hard to follow. Plus the fact that the author uses a lot of old English language and terminology. At times, I found myself re-reading paragraphs and looking up words to find their meaning. I still haven't seen the movie. I hope that it's easier to understand.
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Summary: An absolutely superb historical novel
Review: I must confess myself to be among the many new readers of the Aubrey/Maturin books brought to the series by the recent Peter Weir film MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD. I enjoyed the movie a great deal, and from watching it could easily imagine that the novels, of which I had heard many good things, would be in all likelihood even more rewarding than the movie. And indeed the first novel, at least, is. I enjoyed it so much, that I am now moving on to the second novel in the series, POST CAPTAIN, and fully intend to read the rest of the series. I'm sure virtually everyone knows this, but I'll repeat it for the few who don't, but the movie bears virtually no relation to the novel MASTER AND COMMANDER (apart from lifting two or three minor events and transplanting it to the other story), but is in fact based on a later novel in the series, THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD.Reading this novel brought to mind the changes that have taken place in our understanding of the historical novel over the past century and a half. In the early nineteenth century, many of the most respected novels were historical, by that meaning that that they were set in an earlier historical epoch. In these novels, a great premium was not placed on historical accuracy. In the middle of the 19th century, however, under the influence of Realism in both painting and literature, the historical novel rapidly went out of fashion. While many of Thackeray's contemporaries considered his THE HISTORY OF HENRY ESMOND, a historical novel set in the reign of Queen Anne, today the novel is only rarely in print. Many readers of George Eliot considered her ROMOLA, set in late 15th century Florence, to be perhaps her finest work, today it is regarded as one of her least achievements. The historical has never really regained the standing it once had, and moreover its nature has altered as well. Today the historical novel is expected to achieve a high degree of historical accuracy. While a historical novel of 1845 might place character first and then plot (or vice versa), and only after that historical accuracy, the contemporary historical novel is rather the reverse. What sets Patrick O'Brian apart from most other historical novelists is his rare ability to blend astonishing historical detail and accuracy with psychologically fascinating characters. The plot of MASTER AND COMMANDER is nothing memorable. It is more a collection of randomly scattered events and incidents. But the sketching of the characters-especially the main characters of Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin, and James Dillon-is unforgettable. O'Brian is a great educator as well, striving not merely to bring in detail for the sake of impressing the reader with his erudition, but trying to explain why things are done in certain ways. By the end of the book, one will have a much stronger impression of what life was like on a ship of the British Navy in the early 19th century. The book also made me want to learn more about sails, kinds of boats, and nautical terms. I have read Melville and Conrad, but their use of nautical terminology pales beside O'Brian's. Although there is not a great deal of plot in the novel, the interaction between the characters is fascinating. The most interesting character in the novel is in many ways Lt. James Dillon, who has to hide not only his former involvement in the fight for Irish independence but his Catholicism as well. My favorite part of the book may have been a long discussion he and Stephen Maturin has, which discloses the common past they both share in the Irish cause, which both of them hides from Capt. Aubrey. I'm sure this aspect of Maturin's past will be an element in future novels. As one with only a single novel under my belt, I confess to a great curiosity as to whether Stephen will ever confess to his friend Aubrey, a vehement anti-Papist, his past. If one is looking for a simple adventure story, this might not be a tale to one's liking. It is heavy on historical detail, rich in psychologically developed characters, but light on plot. But I personally had a great time reading the book, and very much look forward to reading additional installments in the series.
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Summary: If you like rigging, you'll love it
Review: First, it is not the movie. Evidently the movie company chose the title from this, the first book of the series, because it is cooler than the one from which the movie was in fact adapted. That one, evidently, had more plot. But this isn't about plot. What plot there is consists of Jack Aubrey's obtaining his first captaincy, meeting and befriending the man who becomes the ship's physician, and and a battle at sea. And that's about it. The rest is the details. Rigging, sails, cannnballs -- you name it, if it's ona sailing ship, it's detailed here. Exquisitely. And that is the strength of the book. The characters are also well-rendered, and the prose is excellent.
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Summary: See where the magic begins
Review: Something about teams beckons us and bids us join them. Watching the connection and camaraderie instills in us a wish to become part of something like that. Like Batman and Robin, Green Hornet and Cato, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Lucky Jack Aubrey and Doctor Maturin will become inseparable in our minds. This is the first book of a series and now a movie. We join the HMS Sophie as she continues to harass enemy shipping and trading as well as burn outposts throughout the Mediterranean. This is the first meeting of the team as Maturin signs on as the ship's physician. Not only do the captain, Jack Aubrey, and Maturin become a great team, but we watch the crew of the Sophie all build a bond that makes each member indiscernible from the others. Going through the day-to-day life on the sea and joining in the battles with them, the author does a good job with pacing. The reader easily feels that he or she is part of the action. I highly recommend this book with the caveat that it is addictive. You will find yourself looking for the other books of the series.
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Summary: one of the joys that make life worth living
Review: I simply cannot comprehend how people can open the first of this wonderful roman fleuve and not be simply captivated by the enormity and brilliance of O'Brian's achievement. I have (or had) no knowledge whatsoever of the Nelsonian navy, and yet this portrayal, or should I say recreation, of that lost age is so amazingly assured that one really can feel at home on the quaterdeck of HMS Surprise. O'Brian makes no apologies for using an elevated standard of English when educated people are conversing (some reviewers here believe that he should have done) nor for using technical naval jargon (how else would sailors speak? Anyway, one quickly grasps the essential details of sails, booms and topgallant masts.) For people who can get over a sense of disorientation that they share with Maturin as they first set foot aboard, they will find a standard of literature that really has no right to have been written in the 20th Century. It is too difficult to sing the praises of these novels, except to say that they are a sheer delight for anyone of a thinking disposition. These works really do stand comparison with great literature of the bygone age, and will enchant and delight for decades to come. I apologise if I seem a little vitriolic in my defence of O'Brian, but when one becomes attached to a writer in the way that devotees of Aubrey and Maturin become to O'Brian, then any criticism is an anathema. These books are not for everyone, but then neither is the music of Beethoven and Mozart, and would anyone question their worth because of it? Suffice to say, if you are someone who can cope with literature, then in these works, one will find humour, joy and excitement, and a lifetimes's worth of satisfaction. Much like the works of the aforementioned composers, these novels will never leave my side, and I envy those who still have the delight of discovering them for the first time.
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Summary: Master and commander - listen to it first!
Review: I have listened to all of the tales of Jack Aubrey and company. However, I have never read them. They are a difficult read but a delight to listen to on tape or CD. My favorites are the unabridged books read by Patrick Tull. They take about 15 hours each and are perfect for listening to on a commute of 1/2 hour or more. I used to dread the drive, now I look forward to it. If you tried reading one and got lost or confused, try listening to one instead. Also, make sure you start with Master and Commander, the first volume. It lays the foundation for the other 12 volumes.
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Summary: Good reasons to like it, but it's not for everyone
Review: There are good solid reasons why many readers rave about "Master and Commander." The battle scenes are exciting, a couple of the characters are intriguing, the historical background is interesting, and the voyage around the Mediterranean is sort of fun. That said, the novel isn't for everyone. I found myself too bogged down by the quirky period dialogue and arcane nautical terms to derive much enjoyment out of this book. To boot, the plot seems pretty thin (although things thicken up a bit towards the end). I think it would be best to judge "Master and Commander" after reading several books in the series. But after reading the first, I don't feel compelled to plow through any more.
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Summary: Uncompromising authenticity
Review: This series' greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. It is uncompromising in language and detail regarding its setting. This makes the book enthralling for those who wish to be transported to another time and place but very challenging for those unfamiliar with nautical language. Nor is it only those who cannot distinguish between tacking and wearing who will be challenged because the authenticity extends not only to the language of the sea but also to the language of the sea as it was 200 years ago. And it is authentic as to language and custom of the enormous bureaucracy that was the 19th century Royal Navy. And one of the main characters is a doctor so you better be familar with the language and customs of the medicine of 200 years ago. And the two main characters share a love for the music of 200 years ago so if you are to understand you better know an aire from a cadenza. The doctor is a naturalist by avocation (referred to as a "philospher") and it would help if one were familar with Linneaus' work in botany and the other natural sciences as they were understood 200 years ago. And then there are the social conventions and political disputes of early 19th century England which inform the characters' actions. Finally, no attempt has been made to transform the opinions of the characters into opinions acceptable to our politically correct society. For example, homosexuality (referred to as "pederastry") is included in a realistic and unapproving way. If there is any compromise for the 20th (or 21st) century reader, it consists of only two elements. First, the doctor begins as a lubber and thus something of a foil which allows O'Brien to have a midshipman instruct him (and us) on certain matters nautical. Second, I suspect that spelling is more standardized here than it was 200 years ago. Nevertheless the beauty of the language of yesteryear rings clear across the centuries. (As I write this we are being subjected to televised political debates that are occasionally good for a chuckle but the language of which provides stark and unfavorable comparison to the King's English as it was spoken when the 17th century turned into the 18th.)
In summary, this is a challenging book that allows you to adventure in a foreign place and time with all of its warts and blemishes but that requires either an extraordinary amount of knowledge of the era or frequent reference to authority if you are to bask in its luxury. (I bought A Sea of Words by Dean King, a book specifically designed as a reference for O'Brien readers, to help me through some of the rough spots.) If you like to be spoon fed, this is not the book for you and you should immediately watch Pirates of the Caribbean. If you like to learn something as well as adventure, even with the burden of resorting to references, this is the book for you.
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