Post Captain [UNABRIDGED]

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Summary: "O'Brian is astonishingly good." -The Times of London
Review: 2. ~Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend, ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, face even greater adventure, intrigue and peril inthe second of O'Brian's famed series of novels set during the Napoleonic wars. Now, with a brief pause in the fighting, Jack and Stephen rent a house in the country, where their friendship meets its first serious test. ~O'Brian has found the perfect sequel to a perfect first novel: familiarity does not breed contempt, but enables the reader to travel comfortably and perceptively with his companions through a world the author clearly loves but does not render untrue. ~(If you have read the first of this marvelous 17-part series, Master and Commander, you require no convincing of the rewards for continuing. Likewise, you should not be deprived of discovering on your own the particular storylines; therefore I shall not disclose them, but in subsequent reviews only remark in the most general and faithful terms my adoration for these books. They are quite unlike anything I have ever read.)

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Summary: Ahoy, Mate!
Review: Jack Aubrey, and his sidekick doctor Maturin return for the sequel (book 2), in the delightful Aubrey and Maturin series. In this episode, Aubrey is on the run from debt collection agents and Doctor Maturin receives an interesting commission of his own from the government. Also, jealousy rears its ugly head, as the two comrades fight for the attentions of Sophia, (a cruel hearted vixen who has entranced both Maturin and Aubrey).

I really enjoyed this second novel in this exciting nautical series. The book was extremely well narrated, and I found myself staying up late, just to listen to more of it!! I particularly like Jack Aubrey's character he seems so guileless. I like Maturin, but at times he can be rather cold and self-indulgent. I eagerly await listening to more of this exciting series.

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Summary: Fantastic follow-up to 'Master'
Review: Patrick O'Brian's Post Captain is an intoxicating adventure story that includes some genuine twists, an incredibly authentic feel, and truly multifaceted characters. It is also about 180 degrees from Master and Commander in terms of its story. The novel centers, of course, on Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin, friends and naval officers in Napoleonic-era England. Lucky Jack, though, is not quite so lucky in this novel, as the prize money he earned for taking the Cacafuego in the previous novel is stolen by a venal prize-agent, leaving Jack in debt and avoiding his creditors and debtors' prison. He escapes to France, where war soon breaks out again, and Aubrey must escape internment. Finally, he gets back to England to put his affairs in order but has his promotion refused. As a consolation, though, he gets a command: the HMS Polychrest, known (nonaffectionately) as the Carpenter's Mistake, and crewed by a dangerously undisciplined crew. Meanwhile, Maturin tries to woo the Lady Diana Villiers, whose half-sister is infatuated with Jack.

This novel is, surprisingly, light on the long descriptions and definitions of sea travel that O'Brian seems so fond of, and centers more on the people. Only about half of the novel takes place on the high seas, and the other half takes place in various locales on England and Europe, the descriptions of nineteenth-century society are vivid and engrossing. The relationships come through here: Jack and Stephen, of course, are the center. Their relationship takes a number of turns in this installment, including a near duel! Fortunately they sort it out. Jack's dealings with his crew, his society friends, and Maturin's treatment of officers in the Portsmouth hospital are revealing indeed.

My only complaint is that the book can be difficult to follow. The scenery can change and hours can elapse without warning, an event can happen and only be mentioned in a throwaway comment that might be overlooked. With so much happening it can be difficult to know what exactly is going on. That said, the book is an otherwise fascinating and thrilling narrative, certainly worth a look if you enjoyed 'Master'.

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Summary: The Best of All Twenty Aubrey Books
Review: Read this book very carefully, especially if you are committed to reading all 20 volumes. IMHO, it is the best book of the series. In book one ("Master and Commander"), I assumed that Maturin was a minor character who would not appear again. I thought he was a gay geek, and that his mysterious, solitary, on-shore expedition was of a carnal nature; little did I realize the true nature of either Maturin or the trip.

This second book focuses on developing the Maturin character as a spy; a sophisticated man of wealth, background, and education; a lifelong drug addict; and a nerdy womanizer - sort of an 19th century cross between James Bond and Bill Gates.

Chapter 4 is the most bizarre chapter in the entire series. I am still going on the assumption that the escape-across-France-in-a-bear-costume was really just another opium vision of Maturin's.

The books that follow this one vary greatly in quality of plot; some are excellent, some seem to be virtually plotless narratives, but all are worth reading. Still, book 2 stands head and shoulders above all the rest.