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Title: Master and Commander (Aubrey-Maturin (Audio)) by PATRICK O'BRIAN, ROBERT HARDY ISBN: 0-375-40522-4 Publisher: Random House Audio Pub. Date: 04 August, 1998 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 3 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.26 (190 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: The start of something wonderful...
Comment: It's hard to believe I only discovered the Aubrey/Maturin novels last fall. Since first reading "Master and Commander", Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin, their shipmates & their families, have come to seem like members of our family to both myself & my husband!
If "Master and Commander" is your introduction to the novels of Patrick O'Brian (as it should be), it may take awhile to become accustomed to the formality of the language. Think Jane Austen at sea, & you'll have some idea of their flavor. Pretty soon tho, the action will grab you & the pages will turn faster than you thought possible! Just make sure to savor the humor that infuses so many of the interactions & observations; you'll be laughing out loud without even realising it!
Just be warned: if you buy this book it will probably only be the beginning for you. There are 20 Aubrey/Maturin novels in all, plus numerous books (the best by Dean King) that will provide maps, nautical & historical definitions, recipes etc. to help you more fully appreciate every aspect of Patrick O'Brian's creation. You'll want them all. You will want to check out some of the excellent web sites that elaborate upon these novels. You'll even find yourself reading biographies & histories of the period! In short, when you buy "Master & Commander" you are starting a whole new hobby! Enjoy!
Rating: 5
Summary: A beautifully well crafted and lyrical tale of human nature.
Comment: I found the O'Brian series in a bookshop on Oxford Street Paddington (Sydney Australia) and was in desperate need of an excellent series to get stuck into. Well I did and I read the lot, I just hope more will be written. Master and Commander did nearly lose me in the first few chapters as I felt it was all conversation and virtually no prose but I stuck with it and was so delightfully rewarded with the story telling, character development, action and suspense that I couldn't put the book down. Now there's something you should know about me, I'm a woman in my 20's and thus a rarity when it comes to being an avid fan of Patrick O'Brian. But I thoroughly enjoyed learning about men and their way of seeing the world. I also thoroughly loved how O'Brian drew the women who came to be so important in later books of the series. So women reading this, go get this book. This series is set on a British man-o-war in wartime with plenty of action and it is primarily about men ! and there are some details that it would be easier to pretend didn't happen; it is also a story that makes you laugh at the wonderful dry wit. The observations of people and friendship aren't to be found elsewhere. I lament the fact that I've now read all O'Brian's seafaring stories and only hope at least two more in the Aubrey series can be written. So if you want a good laugh, well a series of them more like, an insight into life in a different world and into men. But be prepared to read the entire series and finding yourself buying three books ahead at a time so you don't find yourself finishing one at 10pm and running all over the city in search of an open bookshop with the next one on the self! Now I am back to trying to find another excellent author, the only problem is, my requirements are tougher than ever before, but at least I can look forward to breaking my rule about re-reading novels and get stuck back into seafaring life in a couple of years!
Rating: 5
Summary: Get tossed in the Brig!
Comment: 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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Title: Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393307069 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: November, 1990 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393307611 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: May, 1991 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 039330762X Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: May, 1991 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Far Side of the World by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393308626 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 039330812X Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: August, 1991 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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