Book Log 2/2010 - Patrick O'Brian: Master and Commander

[jacey]

Patrick O'Brian: Master and Commander

II must re-read some Hornblower. It's a long time since I waded my way through the whole collection, but I recall loving them. I was expecting to equally enjoy the O'Brian books and deeply disappointed when I didn't.

I know lots of people think Patrick O'Brian can do no wrong, but I just didn't like Aubrey and Maturin enough to overcome the boredom factor of a string of episodes with no overarching plot. I appreciate this is the first in a long line of highly recommended books and I'm sure things develop, but I won't be searching any of the others out.

Having said that, I appreciate that the research that's gone into recreating this world of Nelson's Navy is stellar. The detail is impeccable and the book is probably very realistic in terms of what a new captain in his first command might encounter if he was bold enough and hungry enough.

Unfortunately, for me, the episodic plot is limp and I found I was reading it only for the worldbuilding. I warmed to the Sophie (Aubrey's ship) more than to the human characters. I was determined to get to the end but it took me almost a month. From all the recommendations I've had over the years I know I'm in a minority.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

For reference, he is (unexpectedly) Patrick O'Brian, not O'Brien.

Also, you are of course quite right: all the books tend towards the episodic, and his early plotting is particularly limp. (There is an episode in which Maturin dresses Aubrey in a bearskin and leads him through France on a chain, fooling everybody they meet. I cannot read this without swallowing a bucketful of salt.)

For me, that has simply never mattered. I love both characters and the mise en scene enough to forgive any and all narrative stumblings.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Aargh. Will edit the spelling. Thanks.

So... why do you love the characters. What am I missing?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

In part, fallibility (Aubrey especially: a big blustering Englishman with flaws veined all through him, and the charm to carry them well. Maturin is more of a self-portrait, the insewn and critical observer), but that's the writer in me; the reader responds to their intelligence, their determination, their conversation - this especially! - and the whole rich stew of their personalities. At heart, they're just people I like to spend time with: which is why I reread the whole series every now and then.

[del-c.livejournal.com]

That's an awful pity, but I suppose we can't all like the same things (mathematically, I suppose there's no reason we couldn't, it's just that it would be like spontaneously reducing entropy: astronomically unlikely to happen in real life)

[charlieallery.livejournal.com]

It's my understanding that while there are those who enjoy both (and I do) there are quite a few readers who enjoy one so much that they cannot get on at all with the other. Much as has been my problem with Terry Pratchett. I get so far and think that I'm making a lot of work out of trying to enjoy a book when I know I could just go and pick up a Tom Holt and be hooked. Likewise, it can be difficult to get into something if you're constantly being dragged out of the reality because you'd rather it did things a different way.

For me, if I had to choose, I'd pick Hornblower every time. The man is 100% pure angst and his view of his world pushes my hot buttons every time. Aubrey and Maturin are nice chaps, and I can see that a lot of their appeal is that they are decent and very human and fallable chaps. But, to be honest, I don't read fiction to read about people just like me, I read to have a short time with the people I dream about, or would aspire to be, given half a chance, even if they are unrealistic idealists.

I read O'Brian to enjoy the settings, but Forrester to get that little glow inside that carries me through the day. :)

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

The settings are certainly superb. When I saw the movie I thought the same thing. Glorious cinematography but where's the plot?

[ferlonda.livejournal.com]

I feel much the same. I loved Hornblower and thought I'd like Patrick O'Brian but... no. Overall, my feeling was, "Eh," with a side of, "What?"

[ferlonda.livejournal.com]

PS The movie, however, was pretty darn good.