A review by tasadion
The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O'Brian

3.0

“Like Jane Austen, O'Brian is really happiest working on two or three inches of ivory and turning to art the daily lives of three or four families in a locality—except that this village happens to be a wooden ship of war at the apogee of a great Navy's world sea-power in the days of sail, and famous for the skill and discipline of its officers and men.” - from the afterward by John Bayley. I would observe that this is emphasised when the novel leaves the water, and spends (for me) too long in the mountains of South America, but then finally (and rewardingly) sets sail for home...