Rating: 
Summary: Joint Review of All Aubrey-Maturin Books
Review: Some critics have referred to the Aubrey/Maturin books as one long novel united not only by their historical setting but also by the central plot element of the Aubrey/Maturin friendship. Having read these fine books over a period of several years, I decided to evaluate their cumulative integrity by reading them consecutively in order of publication over a period of a few weeks. This turned out to be a rewarding enterprise. For readers unfamiliar with these books, they describe the experiences of a Royal Navy officer and his close friend and traveling companion, a naval surgeon. The experiences cover a broad swath of the Napoleonic Wars and virtually the whole globe.
Rereading all the books confirmed that O'Brian is a superb writer and that his ability to evoke the past is outstanding. O'Brian has numerous gifts as a writer. He is the master of the long, careful description, and the short, telling episode. His ability to construct ingenious but creditable plots is first-rate, probably because he based much of the action of his books on actual events. For example, some of the episodes of Jack Aubrey's career are based on the life of the famous frigate captain, Lord Cochrane. O'Brian excels also in his depiction of characters. His ability to develop psychologically creditable characters through a combination of dialogue, comments by other characters, and description is tremendous. O'Brien's interest in psychology went well beyond normal character development, some books contain excellent case studies of anxiety, depression, and mania.
Reading O'Brien gives vivid view of the early 19th century. The historian Bernard Bailyn, writing of colonial America, stated once that the 18th century world was not only pre-industrial but also pre-humanitarian (paraphrase). This is true as well for the early 19th century depicted by O'Brien. The casual and invariable presence of violence, brutality, and death is a theme running through all the books. The constant threats to life are the product not only of natural forces beyond human control, particularly the weather and disease, but also of relative human indifference to suffering. There is nothing particularly romantic about the world O'Brien describes but it also a certain grim grandeur. O'Brien also shows the somewhat transitional nature of the early 19th century. The British Navy and its vessals were the apogee of what could be achieved by pre-industrial technology. This is true both of the technology itself and the social organization needed to produce and use the massive sailing vessals. Aubrey's navy is an organization reflecting its society; an order based on deference, rigid hierarchy, primitive notions of honor, favoritism, and very, very corrupt. At the same time, it was one of the largest and most effective bureaucracies in human history to that time. The nature of service exacted great penalities for failure in a particularly environment, and great success was rewarded greatly. In some ways, it was a ruthless meritocracy whose structure and success anticipates the great expansion of government power and capacity seen in the rest of the 19th century.
O'Brian is also the great writer about male friendship. There are important female characters in these books but since most of the action takes place at sea, male characters predominate. The friendship between Aubrey and Maturin is the central armature of the books and is a brilliant creation. The position of women in these books is ambiguous. There are sympathetic characters, notably Aubrey's long suffering wife. Other women figures, notably Maturin's wife, leave a less positive impression. On board ship, women tend to have a disruptive, even malign influence.
How did O'Brian manage to sustain his achievement over 20 books? Beyond his technical abilities as a writer and the instrinsic interest of the subject, O'Brien made a series of very intelligent choices. He has not one but two major protagonists. The contrasting but equally interesting figures of Aubrey and Maturin allowed O'Brien to a particularly rich opportunity to expose different facets of character development and to vary plots carefully. This is quite difficult and I'm not aware of any other writer who has been able to accomplish such sustained development of two major protagonists for such a prolonged period. O'Brian's use of his historical setting is very creative. The scenes and events in the books literally span the whole globe as Aubrey and Maturin encounter numerous cultures and societies. The naval setting allowed him also to introduce numerous new and interesting characters. O'Brian was able to make his stories attractive to many audiences. Several of these stories can be enjoyed as psychological novels, as adventure stories, as suspense novels, and even one as a legal thriller. O'Brian was also a very funny writer, successful at both broad, low humor, and sophisticated wit. Finally, O'Brian made efforts to link some of the books together. While a number are complete in themselves, others form components of extended, multi-book narratives. Desolation Island, Fortune of War, and The Surgeon's Mate are one such grouping. Treason's Harbor, The Far Side of the World, and The Reverse of the Medal are another. The Letter of Marque and the ensuing 4 books, centered around a circumnavigation, are another.
Though the average quality of the books is remarkably high, some are better than others. I suspect that different readers will have different favorites. I personally prefer some of the books with greater psychological elements. The first book, Master and Commander, is one of my favorites. The last 2 or 3, while good, are not as strong as earlier books. I suspect O'Brian's stream of invention was beginning to diminish. All can be read profitably as stand alone works though there is definitely something to be gained by reading in consecutive order.
Rating:
Summary: A superlative example of a masterful series of books.
Review: The Aubrey/Maturin cycle is not only one of the most exciting historical adventure series written in this century, but is also a work of deep psychological characterization, recondite literary symbolism, scrupulous historical accuracy, and surprising humor. In short, these books are fine literature and "The Surgeon's Mate" is arguably one of the three best out of the entire series of eighteen written so far. O'Brian's recreation of the cornucopia of humanity in the Napoleonic era is most impressive; but O'Brian's greatest talent, among a myriad of great talents, is to bring a subtle, ironic humor to the Yin/Yang relationship of the two heroes - inducing laughter out of tragedy, and sadness out of triumph. Look for the triple meaning behind the words of the title, "The Surgeon's Mate".
Rating:
Summary: Can I give it 6 stars?
Review: The Surgeon's Mate picks up where The Fortune of War left off. In the previous installment our boys had escaped from Boston just in time to participate in the epic battle between the Chesapeake and the Shannon. Victorious they arrive in Halifax and more trouble begins. Aubrey's lack of land sense and Maturin's unrequited love for Diana continue to cause them problems. In fact they are the underlying tensions that follow them through each episode in the novel. Along the way we are treated to O'Brian's philosophical discussions between his two quirky heroes and among their assorted friends and associates. Like the others in the series The Surgeon's Mate is a gem.Unlike earlier novels the action in The Surgeon's Mate is non-stop. O'Brian, always excellent in his characterization and use of language, has considerably improved the pacing from the earliest series entries. The reader is treated to the heroes travelling from Halifax to England to the Baltic to Paris and back to England in a rousing tour-de-force. Does O'Brian lose anything with the faster pace of The Surgeon's Mate? Absolutely not, he still has the strengths of the earlier books. One aspect of the series that has made it great is the ability of O'Brian to set some of the thorny discussions of our times in the context of the early 19th century. In The Surgeon's Mate, the abortion issue creates a marvelous balanced tension. O'Brian's presentation is even handed, airing both sides of the debate but ultimately not choosing sides. O'Brian has moderated some of the great debates of the last 30 years in his Aubrey Maturin series while providing great naval action along the way. Perhaps it's time to put O'Brian's novels in a special category- six stars.
Rating:
Summary: Can I give it 6 stars?
Review: The Surgeon's Mate picks up where The Fortune of War left off. In the previous installment our boys had escaped from Boston just in time to participate in the epic battle between the Chesapeake and the Shannon. Victorious they arrive in Halifax and more trouble begins. Aubrey's lack of land sense and Maturin's unrequited love for Diana continue to cause them problems. In fact they are the underlying tensions that follow them through each episode in the novel. Along the way we are treated to O'Brian's philosophical discussions between his two quirky heroes and among their assorted friends and associates. Like the others in the series The Surgeon's Mate is a gem. Unlike earlier novels the action in The Surgeon's Mate is non-stop. O'Brian, always excellent in his characterization and use of language, has considerably improved the pacing from the earliest series entries. The reader is treated to the heroes travelling from Halifax to England to the Baltic to Paris and back to England in a rousing tour-de-force. Does O'Brian lose anything with the faster pace of The Surgeon's Mate? Absolutely not, he still has the strengths of the earlier books. One aspect of the series that has made it great is the ability of O'Brian to set some of the thorny discussions of our times in the context of the early 19th century. In The Surgeon's Mate, the abortion issue creates a marvelous balanced tension. O'Brian's presentation is even handed, airing both sides of the debate but ultimately not choosing sides. O'Brian has moderated some of the great debates of the last 30 years in his Aubrey Maturin series while providing great naval action along the way. Perhaps it's time to put O'Brian's novels in a special category- six stars.
Rating:
Summary: Two for One
Review: This is the seventh in O'Brian's 20-volume series. It follows the now well-established formula, as Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin sail smoothly from one book to the next. This book is really two tales, two unconnected sea voyages, split by an interlude in England that feels more like an intermission. Picking up where the previous volume left off, the two find themselves in Canada where Aubrey's behavior may surprise you. The first voyage brings them home for the first time in many months (and three volumes). The heart of the story is the second voyage that takes them to the Baltic for the first time (both for them and for readers) on an intelligence mission. As the voyage ends, they find themselves in France and Maturin at his most interesting in extricating them from a dilemma and in reconnecting with Diana Villiers. O'Brian is simply a great writer. This series is not for everyone, for the prose is spare and sophisticated, the plotting both delicate enough to sustain readers for many volumes on end, yet bold enough to satisfy fans of adventure tales. The nautical terms are easily mastered, this is not a book for sailors, but for readers who enjoy good adventure stories.
Rating:
Summary: Two for One
Review: This is the seventh in O'Brian's 20-volume series. It follows the now well-established formula, as Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin sail smoothly from one book to the next. This book is really two tales, two unconnected sea voyages, split by an interlude in England that feels more like an intermission. Picking up where the previous volume left off, the two find themselves in Canada where Aubrey's behavior may surprise you. The first voyage brings them home for the first time in many months (and three volumes). The heart of the story is the second voyage that takes them to the Baltic for the first time (both for them and for readers) on an intelligence mission. As the voyage ends, they find themselves in France and Maturin at his most interesting in extricating them from a dilemma and in reconnecting with Diana Villiers. O'Brian is simply a great writer. This series is not for everyone, for the prose is spare and sophisticated, the plotting both delicate enough to sustain readers for many volumes on end, yet bold enough to satisfy fans of adventure tales. The nautical terms are easily mastered, this is not a book for sailors, but for readers who enjoy good adventure stories.
Rating:
Summary: From Brazil to Boston to the Baltic!
Review: This volume is the third in a mini-trilogy within the larger Aubrey-Maturin series, and it's rather more given to personal and political rather than purely naval affairs. Again, it opens where the previous volume closed, with the victory of Shannon over the Chesapeake and the arrival of both at Halifax. While they're being feted by local society for the victory, Jack, in a peke over his lack of mail from home, gets carried away in an indiscretion with a local fortune-hunter, which haunts him for the rest of the book. Diana Villiers, meanwhile, has a parallel problem as a result of her liaison with Johnson in the previous volume. The three finally leave Canada for England on the packet carrying the great news, but are hotly pursued by a couple of American privateers apparently in Johnson's employ; he wants both his papers and his woman back. When they reach England, Steven's own intelligence coup leads to his being sent on a mission to the Baltic, where he must convince a Catalan contingent to desert the Napoleonic cause, and this whole episode is one of the most interesting I've read yet. In the latter stages of the mission, however, Jack and Steven find themselves in the clutches of the French, and then in prison in Paris, and Steven's talents are called for again. This one is more a spy adventure than a sea story, but it's very enjoyable for all that. (It took me an embarrassingly long time to catch on to the title, though.)
Rating:
Summary: Solid genre work
Review: When I purchased a few more of the Aubrey-Maturin series, the clerks behind the counter tried to recall upon which cable network the series was being televised. Their memories did not serve them well, because they had the Aubrey-Maturin series mixed up with the A & E channel's Horatio Hornblower series. The mistake was understandable,though, because O'Brian's series clearly shows the author's awareness that he is plowing a field that a series of naval novels has already furrowed. Yet, the Aubrey/Maturin novels do not seem like "knock-offs" of the Horatio Hornblowers; instead, they are quite interesting in their own right. Aubrey, the sea captain, and Maturin, his ship's surgeon and an intelligence agent, are both interesting, larger than life, and yet human, characters. The technique of telling real-life sea battles and portraying real historical personages as minor characters is as old as naval historical fiction, but O'Brian does it so well it never seems forced or pedantic. The recurring themes of the novel--the consummate sea captain who is all asea on land, the consummate intelligence agent who is anything but intelligent in matters of the heart, do not seem too clicheed,though the author and the reader use them as touchstones, decorative fill-in between the exciting naval stuff. The Surgeon's Mate manages to make both its naval scenes and its "other story" quite interesting, which is not always as true as the other O'Brian books, in which the naval battles are so fascinating, one longs to be done with the romantic and personal troubles of the protagonists and move on to another sea engagement. The social commentary--people of the very early 19th C. were human like us, but the social structure was quite different--is, as always in this series, effective because it is not a centerpiece. We see over and over in these books how cultured and yet how barbaric the practice of this time could be. This is a really good read. This is a really good series. If you haven't given Maturin and Aubrey a go, you should!
Rating:
Summary: Solid genre work
Review: When I purchased a few more of the Aubrey-Maturin series, the clerks behind the counter tried to recall upon which cable network the series was being televised. Their memories did not serve them well, because they had the Aubrey-Maturin series mixed up with the A & E channel's Horatio Hornblower series. The mistake was understandable,though, because O'Brian's series clearly shows the author's awareness that he is plowing a field that a series of naval novels has already furrowed. Yet, the Aubrey/Maturin novels do not seem like "knock-offs" of the Horatio Hornblowers; instead, they are quite interesting in their own right. Aubrey, the sea captain, and Maturin, his ship's surgeon and an intelligence agent, are both interesting, larger than life, and yet human, characters. The technique of telling real-life sea battles and portraying real historical personages as minor characters is as old as naval historical fiction, but O'Brian does it so well it never seems forced or pedantic. The recurring themes of the novel--the consummate sea captain who is all asea on land, the consummate intelligence agent who is anything but intelligent in matters of the heart, do not seem too clicheed,though the author and the reader use them as touchstones, decorative fill-in between the exciting naval stuff. The Surgeon's Mate manages to make both its naval scenes and its "other story" quite interesting, which is not always as true as the other O'Brian books, in which the naval battles are so fascinating, one longs to be done with the romantic and personal troubles of the protagonists and move on to another sea engagement. The social commentary--people of the very early 19th C. were human like us, but the social structure was quite different--is, as always in this series, effective because it is not a centerpiece. We see over and over in these books how cultured and yet how barbaric the practice of this time could be. This is a really good read. This is a really good series. If you haven't given Maturin and Aubrey a go, you should!
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