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matthewlang's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
christinel's review against another edition
4.0
The vocabulary is so authentic as to be obscure, and I have to furrow my brow to figure out what is actully going on in the naval battles. However, the world is so different than mine and not something I've otherwise read about, I really enjoy spending time there. And O'Brian writes character development beautifully. This one has some interesting thoughts on leadership and command.
kklompien's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy this series. Maturin and Aubrey are my old friends by now and I am glad that I can come back to them again and again. I am so glad that O'Brian stuck with them as long as he did..
velocitygirl14's review against another edition
5.0
I love the feel and the circumstances of these books. I am a bigger fan of Maturin, but I enjoy reading about Aubrey and his exploits, particularly when he is in the midst of the fighting. I love Maturin and how skilled he is at spy work and manipulation, particularly with how he arranges things to go well for Aubrey. Loved it and moving onto the next one!
christinecc's review
3.0
Another adventure with Aubrey & Maturin, now older and twice as frustrated with life! But they go on a road trip/naval mission and all is well (except for the battles and the naval bureaucracy politics).
Aubrey's got money troubles again. He's disappointed that he has two daughters instead of a son (oh Aubrey... why??). I appreciate that O'Brian writes flawed characters. There are bumps, and while I'm not thrilled with Aubrey's more than casual sexism, I love that the author has Maturin take the opposite perspective and dig into what makes Aubrey tick. It's fine to have a sexist character, but it's much better to show a range of opinions and understand where they each come from. Aubrey's career is stalled, he misses the job that gave him purpose and satisfaction (so he's feeling super insecure and frustrated in an unfamiliar domestic environment), and now he has the added pressure of having daughters to provide for instead of a son for whom he could soon provide professional training and a budding career. And now that his wife's lost all her money, he knows there isn't a safety net. Part of Aubrey definitely values boys over girls, but at least O'Brian roots that sentiment in societal and socio-economic reasons.
Meanwhile Maturin is DEEPLY depressed and dosing himself with opium to combat his mounting "disgust" with humanity and every aspect of life, he says so casually. Maturin needs help and therapy is what I'm trying to say. It's very upsetting. Please fix this soon, O'Brian.
Recommended if you've made it this far and you've become attached to these characters (but honestly, a lot of this book was difficult to follow because of the many, many naval strategy descriptions and the slow pace).
Aubrey's got money troubles again. He's disappointed that he has two daughters instead of a son (oh Aubrey... why??). I appreciate that O'Brian writes flawed characters. There are bumps, and while I'm not thrilled with Aubrey's more than casual sexism, I love that the author has Maturin take the opposite perspective and dig into what makes Aubrey tick. It's fine to have a sexist character, but it's much better to show a range of opinions and understand where they each come from. Aubrey's career is stalled, he misses the job that gave him purpose and satisfaction (so he's feeling super insecure and frustrated in an unfamiliar domestic environment), and now he has the added pressure of having daughters to provide for instead of a son for whom he could soon provide professional training and a budding career. And now that his wife's lost all her money, he knows there isn't a safety net. Part of Aubrey definitely values boys over girls, but at least O'Brian roots that sentiment in societal and socio-economic reasons.
Meanwhile Maturin is DEEPLY depressed and dosing himself with opium to combat his mounting "disgust" with humanity and every aspect of life, he says so casually. Maturin needs help and therapy is what I'm trying to say. It's very upsetting. Please fix this soon, O'Brian.
Recommended if you've made it this far and you've become attached to these characters (but honestly, a lot of this book was difficult to follow because of the many, many naval strategy descriptions and the slow pace).
silverstarswept's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Jack and Stephen spend a lot of this book apart (Jack wrestling with his first time commanding not just one ship but a whole fleet of them, and Stephen really showing what he can do as a secret agent while also beginning to show slightly worrying symptoms of depression and addiction), while Sophie remains at home and Diana is absent completely, and I do feel that there's a bit of a lack of warmth at times in this one. However, I can't really bring myself to mind, because all the naval strategy and battles were literally <em>that enthralling.</em> Clonfert and McAdam just made me really, really sad (Clonfert is at times relatable and at times infuriating and McAdam is brash and rude but not <em>bad</em>) and their potential similarities to Jack and to Stephen in particular were dark.
darwin8u's review
5.0
"You cannot blame the bull because the frog burst: the bull has no comprehension of the affair"
- Patrick O'Brian, The Mauritius Command
This is my fourth Aubrey/Maturin novel (obviously) and I have yet to read one that I wasn't completely in love with. There is just too much to love about O'Brian's writing: his knowledge, his wit, his humor, his details, his affection for all his characters, his various digressions. Some of my favorites in this book:
- Dr. Maturin's discussion with Mr. Farquhar and Mr. Prote on the poetics of law
- Dr. Maturin and William McAdam's discussions about medicine and mermaids (Manatees and dugongs)
- Commodore Aubrey and Dr. Maturin's discussions about his temporary assignment as Commodore.
- Food
- Dr. Maturin the Naturalist's pursuit of eggs, drawings of aardvarks, etc.
- Dr. Maturin's thoughts on Aubrey's character, surveyed against Captain Corbett, Lord Clonfert, Captain Pym, etc.
- Dr. Maturin's addiction to Laudanum compared with McAdam's issue with alcohol.
- Commodore Aubrey's explanations of figures of speech in the Navy (e.g. the devil)
- the general horror of war, even triumph, shown by Dr. Maturin
Many of the best lines and best observations are made by Dr. Maturin, which is by design. It isn't that Captain/Commodore Aubrey is without wit, intelligence, or even genius, but he is a man of action. The brilliance of the design of these books is with these two you get the action and the observer. It isn't that simple and often O'Brian will reverse the roles or combine the two for perspective, but it still is a useful structure for a long narrative.
This novel came out in 1977 and I'm still convinced that there was some deeply secret relationship between Patrick O'Brian and Gene Roddenberry. It might be the universe delivering a weird twin, but there is something similar in the way these stories seem to fit the mood and temperature of Star Trek. I even get a Captain Kirk vibe from Jack Aubrey and a Leonard "Bones" McCoy vibe from Stephen Maturin (with a bit of Spock thrown in as well). Since the first M&C book came out in 1969 and Star Trek first came out in 1966, it is a hard sell to say that one really influenced the other, but both were being created over the same time. Anyway, I love thinking there is some secret back and forth between these two pioneers of 20th-Century maritime fiction.
- Patrick O'Brian, The Mauritius Command
This is my fourth Aubrey/Maturin novel (obviously) and I have yet to read one that I wasn't completely in love with. There is just too much to love about O'Brian's writing: his knowledge, his wit, his humor, his details, his affection for all his characters, his various digressions. Some of my favorites in this book:
- Dr. Maturin's discussion with Mr. Farquhar and Mr. Prote on the poetics of law
- Dr. Maturin and William McAdam's discussions about medicine and mermaids (Manatees and dugongs)
- Commodore Aubrey and Dr. Maturin's discussions about his temporary assignment as Commodore.
- Food
- Dr. Maturin the Naturalist's pursuit of eggs, drawings of aardvarks, etc.
- Dr. Maturin's thoughts on Aubrey's character, surveyed against Captain Corbett, Lord Clonfert, Captain Pym, etc.
- Dr. Maturin's addiction to Laudanum compared with McAdam's issue with alcohol.
- Commodore Aubrey's explanations of figures of speech in the Navy (e.g. the devil)
- the general horror of war, even triumph, shown by Dr. Maturin
Many of the best lines and best observations are made by Dr. Maturin, which is by design. It isn't that Captain/Commodore Aubrey is without wit, intelligence, or even genius, but he is a man of action. The brilliance of the design of these books is with these two you get the action and the observer. It isn't that simple and often O'Brian will reverse the roles or combine the two for perspective, but it still is a useful structure for a long narrative.
This novel came out in 1977 and I'm still convinced that there was some deeply secret relationship between Patrick O'Brian and Gene Roddenberry. It might be the universe delivering a weird twin, but there is something similar in the way these stories seem to fit the mood and temperature of Star Trek. I even get a Captain Kirk vibe from Jack Aubrey and a Leonard "Bones" McCoy vibe from Stephen Maturin (with a bit of Spock thrown in as well). Since the first M&C book came out in 1969 and Star Trek first came out in 1966, it is a hard sell to say that one really influenced the other, but both were being created over the same time. Anyway, I love thinking there is some secret back and forth between these two pioneers of 20th-Century maritime fiction.
phxkevin's review
4.0
The books in this series keep getting better; I’m not sure how it’s possible
Trigger warnings: It's a book about war, so expect violence.
lnatal's review
3.0
Next On:
Next Sunday, 15:00 on BBC Radio 4
Patrick O'Brian's naval epic set in 1809, dramatised in three parts by Roger Danes. Starring David Robb as Captain Jack Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Doctor Stephen Maturin.
Following his adventures in HMS Surprise, Jack Aubrey has been kicking his heels at home when his old friend, Stephen Maturin, comes knocking at his door with welcome news. Jack is promoted to Commodore, and is to lead a squadron of English ships, charged with taking the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Réunion from the French.
In the course of the novel Jack must succeed against superior odds at sea and on land. Yet, in his new role as Commodore, Jack will need subtlety and subterfuge to win over the crews and subordinate captains of his own fleet.
Based on a naval campaign in 1809-10 when Britain and France were bitterly engaged in protecting their trade routes around the southern tip of Africa.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zzpl5
Next Sunday, 15:00 on BBC Radio 4
Patrick O'Brian's naval epic set in 1809, dramatised in three parts by Roger Danes. Starring David Robb as Captain Jack Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Doctor Stephen Maturin.
Following his adventures in HMS Surprise, Jack Aubrey has been kicking his heels at home when his old friend, Stephen Maturin, comes knocking at his door with welcome news. Jack is promoted to Commodore, and is to lead a squadron of English ships, charged with taking the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Réunion from the French.
In the course of the novel Jack must succeed against superior odds at sea and on land. Yet, in his new role as Commodore, Jack will need subtlety and subterfuge to win over the crews and subordinate captains of his own fleet.
Based on a naval campaign in 1809-10 when Britain and France were bitterly engaged in protecting their trade routes around the southern tip of Africa.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zzpl5