Rating: 
Summary: A bit more character than adventure
Review: Number two in the Aubrey-Maturin series. No sophomore slump here; O'Brian's a master with this historical sea novel. That's not to say that O'Brian's method isn't strange. I'm not sure, but I believe that he is consciously imitating a novelistic style used in the 19th century. Of course there's the letters, which accurately depict the style of that time's correspondence, but the stylistic differences are in the descriptive text, things like strange jumps in time and character. Maybe it's a British mode of expression, for two writers who do similar "jumps" that come to my mind are Gwyneth Jones and Mary Gentle. O'Brian's speed is also slightly off--he rushes through great battle scenes that one expects to be the climatic portions of the book, then leisurely strolls through descriptions of teas and late night discussions by the fire. Coul it be that I'm yearning for more "adventure" and less "character"?It is the character studies of Aubrey and Maturin that fuel the book. What happens to Jack Aubrey is important, yes, but it is how he reacts to it and how Stephen Maturin reacts to his reaction, etc., that makes these books so appealing. If I seem to yearn for more adventure, perhaps it is simply that while I enjoy what O'Brian is showing me with his characters, that I still long for the thrill of a well-told battle or escape from the enclosing walls of a conspiracy. For as much as a character novel this is, it is the historical verissimilitude and the intrigue of the day that interests a modern reader. In short, they complement each other, and in this volume I felt a little extra weight over in the character side of the scale.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical fiction that makes the past spring to life.
Review: Once you've read this book (and the numerous others in the series), you'll know what it's like to see action at sea during the Napoleonic Wars; you'll smell the powder, taste the plum duff and soused hog's face, hear the creaking of timbers and the booming of the great guns; feel the not- always-gentle roll of the deck beneath your feet; and see the enemy sail on the horizon. With O'Brian, you are immediately, thrillingly present, in the uncomfortably cramped world of men at sea. The level of accurate historical detail is astonishing; the prose is mesmerizing; and O'Brian always writes with humor and genuine love for his characters. Well, most of them.
Rating:
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'.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Great Novels of the Last 25 Years
Review: Patrick O'Brian's works have been compared to those of both Jane Austen and Homer. To those who haven't read the series, this might seem like a strange juxtoposition. But anyone who has read Post Captain understands this. O'Brian's novels are a marvel, mixing the story of life at sea with the goings on in 1800 Britain. Throughout the series, we see most of the world and experience the life of many characters. And all the while O'Brian develops two of the most vivid and well done characters in fiction: Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. Although the series itself starts out in Master and Commander, it really takes off in Post Captain. I've talked to several readers who's reaction to the first book was that it was good but they weren't ready to rush out that night and buy the next half dozen. After Post Captain, they're hooked, and procede to devour the entire series.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read.
Review: Post Captain is a book teeming with life. You don't have to know anything about foremast, frigates, or a sailor's life to appreciate the sheer vitality and realness of the book's characters. There is Captain Aubrey, longing for marriage but unable to afford it. A Captain Aubrey who is almost sterotypically unsuited for marriage -- he is such a little boy on shore and yet a man who is absolutely convinced that the married state would be "paradise." And there is Stephen, Aubrey alter-ego and best friend who is hopelessly in love with a woman who can only hurt him and worse. A Stephen who is a boy at sea but a cunning and often ruthless English agent on land. There are the men who make up the Gunroom, that incredible self-sustaining world of the ship at sea. And, finally, there are the politics, the battles, the ships themselves and the men's relationship with those ships. For although the ships may not be alive (and at times it is difficult to assert that the ships are indeed inanimate beings) the relationships between the men and the ships are very much alive. All this life is somehow contained between two book covers. And it is this life that will keep the reader not only glued to the book until the final word but will make him/her come back to Post Captain again and again. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Indebted Captains as Aubrey reaches stride
Review: Post Captain is the second in the Aubrey/Maturin series and perhaps the first written with the knowledge that it was part of a series. O'Brian's first novel in the series was published shortly after C.S. Forester's death and the publication of Pope's and Kent's first novels in their series of wooden ships and iron men. O'Brian found a different niche within the genre and one that ultimately led to his recognition as a serious author of historical novels. If one has read Pope or Kent and even Forester, then the reader might have some difficulty getting into O'Brian's novels. If one accepts that O'Brian is a longer read and that the emphasis is more on character and historicity than violent action then one can enjoy this novel thoroughly. I read the first book in the series, Master and Commander, and was disappointed. I enjoyed Post Captain more. Perhaps that was due to knowing what to expect and perhaps it is because Post Captain is better than its predecessor. However, it is not your typical naval action adventure. In fact, the first few chapters sounded a bit like Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's perspective. The fact is that O'Brian writes well enough to pull it off. Post Captain does pick up when war is declared and Aubrey goes back to sea. One area of conflict that I found strangely missing in Master and Commander was that between Aubrey and Maturin. I had expected that Maturin would be critical of Aubrey taking the ship into actions that caused wounds Maturin would have to treat. There is a serious conflict between the two in Post Captain although it's not over Aubrey's naval actions. Since the series has 18 more novels one knows that the conflict will be resolved. The main problem that Aubrey faces in the novel is not the French navy but his own indebtedness and the inability to obtain a suitable command. Paradoxically, Aubrey is safe from creditors while at sea. The problems that a person faced while in debt in 1800 are explained well and the reader has great empathy with Aubrey. The naval activities in Post Captain seem similar to those in Hornblower and the Hotspur to the point that the climactic action appears to correspond to the same point in history. While O'Brian did not appear to value the Hornblower novels greatly it is obvious that he owes Forester a debt of gratitude for creating the genre. Without Forester it is doubtful that O'Brian would have been able to develop his own unique niche and this excellent novel would not have been published.
Rating:
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.
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: 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: Incredible sea going adventure!
Review: This historical novel set in the early 19th century has the rake Lucky Jack Aubrey down on his luck - in debt and without a ship. The story is a masterfully told. It is of how Jack avoids debtor's prison, gains command, and regains his Lucky Jack moniker by the end of the story. I highly recommend this novel. Although there are times where some greater knowledge of sailing these warships would be of use to more fully understand the tale and the inherent drama. O'Brien does an excellent job of providing enough details that you fully understand the historical backdrop.
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