Scan barcode
A review by octavia_cade
The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
I think this is the first of these books I've given four stars - it's the best of the lot so far! A strong focus on Maturin, the end to that interminable voyage, more politics than sailing, and finally we get to see little Brigid Maturin. That's a touching storyline, though I do think her recovery comes very quickly. Oh well, I don't care, at least it's not been dragged out.
I think the real improvement here, though, is the pacing. It's not as glutinous as it has been for the past few volumes, and the whole feels like a much quicker read because of it. I think it may also be that there's a lot more focus on people than ships... even when they're sailing up and down West Africa, the focus is on the (often combative) relationships between the ships and their captains, and this is far more interesting to me than reading about any other nautical detail.
I'm going to finish this series, and (with the odd exception) I've enjoyed it, but until I came to this book I hadn't thought I'd ever bother to reread any of them. This one I might.
I think the real improvement here, though, is the pacing. It's not as glutinous as it has been for the past few volumes, and the whole feels like a much quicker read because of it. I think it may also be that there's a lot more focus on people than ships... even when they're sailing up and down West Africa, the focus is on the (often combative) relationships between the ships and their captains, and this is far more interesting to me than reading about any other nautical detail.
I'm going to finish this series, and (with the odd exception) I've enjoyed it, but until I came to this book I hadn't thought I'd ever bother to reread any of them. This one I might.