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Summary: Get tossed in the Brig!
Review: This review is for those who watched the "master and Commander" movie and are now contemplating reading the series.The caveats are that it is a long series of books (20) and that the pace is much slower than Hollywood's. That said, if you have any interest in the times (The Napoleonic Wars) and the topic (sailing, naval warfare), you will certainly want to set sail with Patrick O'Brien. In "master and Commander," you will find almost no overlap with the eponymous film, except that the principal characters are Captain Aubrey and Dr. Maturin, and much revolves around their relationship. Indeed, personalities and relationships are one of the strong suits of these books, which have rich and evolving character development. Start here, read through a few, and by the time you are several books in, half the Royal Navy will be old friends, or adversaries. Likewise, don't be put off by the details of sailing; the topgallants, the weather gauge, and the bo'sun will all be well-understood in time. O'Brien lets plot, character development, and technical explanation unfold over time. Be patient. After all, you wil be reading a ripping sailing yarn with exciting battles and exotic places in the interim. O'Brien opens a lost world to us, with wonderful research into history, natural phenomena, speech patterns, and more. Set sail with him now and you will never regret having joined the crew.
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Summary: Horatio Hornblower is a better character
Review: This book was excellent, though I find C.S.Forester's Horatio Hornblower series better with regard to character development of the main character - or perhaps Hornblower is just more likeable. Jack Aubrey comes across flat as an oafish brute (though a brilliant seaman), Hornblower is the thinking man's captain. Would be interested to see what other reviewers think of the two series' comparative merits. I'm sure the rest of the Aubrey series will be excellent, but I certainly don't think it outranks the Hornblower series as the 'best nautical adventure fiction' as many have claimed.
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Summary: mind-blowingly good
Review: Sparked by a belated viewing of the movie, I've also come late to the novels--which is unfortunate, because after reading through this first installment, I was blown away. Jack Aubrey's world at first seems foreign and strange: all the nautical terms, the sails, the masts. As well it probably should to a twenty-first-century landlubber like me. But by the end of the book, the world seems familiar, even if the sails and masts don't exactly fall into place in the mind yet (I've still got plenty of novels in which to pick that up). Aubrey and Maturin are amazingly crafted characters, whom O'Brian sketches brilliantly--even while leaving some areas mysterious for later revelations. O'Brian's writing sparkles. To wit: "the grey stench of a crapulous dawn" or "the indefinable frontier between personal animosity and anonymous warfare." The stern shipboard discipline, the confinement of the ship, the camraderie among the crew, the uncertainty of combat, the exploits of shoreleave--it's all here. My heart leapt during the first engagement, when the crew spied cannon flashes across the open sea, followed by the boom of the firing. This is simply a thrill to read. I look forward to more drama and excitement in the rest of the series.
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Summary: Do yourself a favor..also buy "A Sea of Words" by Dean King
Review: I saw the movie and loved it. Then purchased "Master and Commander" and settled in for a nice read. I had heard of the "Sea of Words" book and seen it in the stores but was resistant to purchasing anything unecessary. In this case it was a mistake.
After about 100 pages, I stopped reading the book until I actually had the Sea of Words in hand (Christmas). I realized that skipping over terms and phrases which I didn't completely understand was becoming too frustrating; one of the joys of reading the book is the 'forgotten' words and history.
I think its safe to assume that anyone even considering the book will probably purchase it regardless of any review; my only recommendation is that if you have the money, just go ahead and get the "Sea of Words" book at the same time; that way its there for reference right from the start.
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Summary: Great Fun
Review: If you can read English and have your heart where it should be, there's no reason why you shouldn't like this book. In fact, you will probably love it, and the whole series that follows too. Smooth sailing all the way - unputdownable. Good story, wonderful characters and true "feel" for the times and places. O'Brian's use of language is pure joy and often very funny, like when he makes some of his characters talk in their own special way. Go on, read them all.
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Summary: A bit of work, but it's worth it
Review: This book is the first of the Aubrey-Maturin series and is the logical place to start if you're hoping to jump into their world. The plot is not, however, the plot of the movie by the same name. The movie draws bits and pieces from several books, mostly later in the series.
Master and Commander (heck, the whole series) is not light reading. O'Brien challenges you with realistic nautical terminology and speech patterns and word choices of the time. The terminology may throw you a bit at first. Just the names of the sails takes thought initially. Little by little, though, you get the names of the masts and the sails (whose names are linked to their location) come right along. It's like learning a new language. Without realizing it one day, you're reading along following a rollicking scene without once pausing to figure out a word. A lot of the colloquialisms can actually be worked out from context.
Ok, that said, Master and Commander (and the subsequent books) are WONDERFUL stories. The characters are vivid and feel real. O'Brien's writing is rich - you can almost smell the salt and tar. Aubrey isn't a one dimensional hero, this guy makes mistakes. He's confident and capable when at the helm, but on land it's a whole other ball game.
Invest a bit of time and get into this series. It's worth the effort.
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Summary: Delightful Reading
Review: I recieved this book on Friday afternoon and finished it on Sunday morning. Patrick O'Brian's writing is superb. His characters and there relationships held me spellbound. Especially the secret of Dr. Mauratin and Lt. Dillon. Well rounded and exciting reading. I read Captain Blood and Lord Johnny when I was a boy and thought nothing could ever capture my imagination like that again, I was wrong. I cannot wait to finish Post Captain the next book in the series.
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Summary: Amazingly written, a must-read for everyone!
Review: Outstanding plot, excellent characters, and a historical accuracy make this first Aubrey/Maturin novel (not to mention the other 19) a favorite in my collection. A true MUST-READ for anyone!
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Summary: A Master Writer
Review: I was lent this book by a friend and struggled to get into it. `Not my type of book I thought' but I persevered and by the end of book two, Post Captain I was well and truly hooked. The period writing is stunning in it's realism, the characters with all their human traits and failings are so real you feel that he is writing about people that actually extisted. I used to eagerly await each book and was really diappointed when I finally came to the last page of the last book. I plan on buying my own set of the Aubrey-Maturin books and to start reading them all over again. If you struggle with the first book - do yourself a favour and stick with it.
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Summary: Engrossing but difficult
Review: Master & Commander, the first in Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin series, on which the movie loosley based, is an excellenet book. It is, however, not the easiest reading and not the kind most people will breeze through. In order to maintain authenticity, O'Brien tried to follow the actual speech of the day, which means that he uses a lot of vocabulary not used in modern English. Add in all the nautical terms, and it can be daunting, even for a well-read person (O'Brien tries to alleviate this problem partially by having a nautically-ignorant doctor ask a series of questions the answers to which explain some of the terms relating to parts of the ship).
The popularity of these books is due to O'Brien's rare talent for writing the way he does. When you read through narratives discussing the thoughts, actions or conversations of the main characters, you really feel you are there with them, on the ship (or wherever), in their early 19th century. And because there are relatively few fiction works dealing with the subject matter, O'Brien's writing is quite singular.
So this is not an easy read, but I suggest you try it.
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