Master and Commander (Book 1)

by Patrick O'Brian

Master and Commander (Book 1)

published	November 29th 1994 by W W Norton & Co Ltd
first published	2003
binding	Hardcover
isbn	0393037010 (isbn13: 9780393037012)
ebook
pages	411
description	The opening salvo of the Aubrey-Maturin epic, in which the surgeon introduces himself to the captain by driving an elbow into his ribs during a chamb...more [close] The opening salvo of the Aubrey-Maturin epic, in which the surgeon introduces himself to the captain by driving an elbow into his ribs during a chamber-music recital. Fortunately for millions of readers, the two quickly make up. Then they commence one of the great literary voyages of our century, set against an immaculately-detailed backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. This is the place to start--and in all likelihood, you won't be able to stop. [close]
date added	05-18-07 edit book

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1390)

theduckthief

theduckthief rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

09/04/08

Read in August, 2008

"The broadsides rapped out one after another, crimson-scarlet tongues stagging into the smoke; the powder-boys flitted across the deck, down through the dreadnought screens past the sentry to the magazine and back with cartridge; the gun-crews heaved and grunted; the matches glowed; the rhythm hardly changed." - page 195

This book, the first in the Aubrey-Maturin series takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. Royal Navy officer Lieutenant Jack Aubrey is an anxious, crass and ...more

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Sam

Sam rated it:

08/30/07

Read in January, 2002

recommends it for: everyone

Master and Commander, the first book of the Aubrey-Maturin series is one of my favorite books ever.

The entire series is a great read for anyone who likes the history of England, or of science, or of naval warfare. It also includes lots of great characters and plot twists. I would not however recommend the whole series to everyone. A certain proclivity toward all-out adventure stories is needed to fully enjoy all twenty-ish volumes.

Master and Commander is different in this respect. It ...more Master and Commander, the first book of the Aubrey-Maturin series is one of my favorite books ever.

The entire series is a great read for anyone who likes the history of England, or of science, or of naval warfare. It also includes lots of great characters and plot twists. I would not however recommend the whole series to everyone. A certain proclivity toward all-out adventure stories is needed to fully enjoy all twenty-ish volumes.

Master and Commander is different in this respect. It is a more self-contained story than the rest, and is really quite a bit better in some ways. The extremely lifelike interaction between Jack, Stephen, the officers and the crew in this volume, aboard the little Sophie, is better rendered here than in later volumes, where, on bigger ships, Jack is more distant from the foc's'le tars. Most of the crew of the Sophie become real characters, without any of the Star Trek "doomed red-shirt" syndrome that occaisionally pops up in the later volumes. The character of James Dillon, present only in this book, is one of my favorite in the whole series, and the tensions between him, Jack and Stephen form a riveting plot arc that ties together the episodic accounts of individual sea battles and misadventurers in port.

All of the major characters come across with life and personality. The author does not seem to go out of his way to make them "multifaceted" or "complex" but they don't suffer from it. Jack especially, is quite predictable, but it isn't the sort of predictablity that one would usually point out when critiquing fiction. Jack is predictable in the way of a very old friend.

The plotline is interesting for its rises and falls of tension. This book does not follow a conventional Freitag Triangle sort of approach. The tension mounts and releases an a heartbeat oscillation of success and failure, whether the Sophie is at sea and her Captain is attending garden parties. The plot itself is very much like a ship at sea, cast about a little by the weather, but still following a well-defined course. The effect is a reading experience that seems extremely real.

This book could be a great read even for people who don't like sea-stories, don't like war stories, or aren't interested in the time-period of the Napoleanic Wars. Independent of the setting it is a really well-written story about human nature. Of course, if you do like sea battles and still drink to the consternation of Old Boney, you're pretty much guaranteed to love this book.

And if you finish this volume, and are left wondering what might happen if Jack got married, or what is to become of Stephen's opium problem, or what might occur if Jack's bad business sense and Stephen's secret identity put them both in conflict with highly placed figures in the British Government, well, then Patrick O'Brian has something like nineteen and a half other books that you should probably take a look at....less

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Joe

Joe rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/13/08

"Never mind maneuvers - go straight at 'em!" This describes the main character's temperament perfectly. But when combined with his alter-ego's more calculating nature, the POV is entirely human and utterly compelling in it's contradictions, flaws and dramatic leverage.

This book had everything in it that I love in great books.

The sentence structure and wordplay were so dexterous and pleasing that I chuckled at its art and cleverness. I learned later that Mr. "O'Brian"...more "Never mind maneuvers - go straight at 'em!" This describes the main character's temperament perfectly. But when combined with his alter-ego's more calculating nature, the POV is entirely human and utterly compelling in it's contradictions, flaws and dramatic leverage.

This book had everything in it that I love in great books.

The sentence structure and wordplay were so dexterous and pleasing that I chuckled at its art and cleverness. I learned later that Mr. "O'Brian" (his nom de plume, a fact revealed after his death) was a big fan of Jane Austen, so I read "Pride and Prejudice" and immediately saw this most unlikely and remarkable connection between two authors of different gender, subject matter and time periods.

I loved the simplicity and propulsive "though line" of the plot.

I especially loved the characters, not just the incredibly real Captain Jack Aubrey and his "particular friend" Dr. Stephen Maturin, but also every single background character that seemed so well-formed and unforgettable, even years after I read it the first time.

I loved the thrilling action sequences: danger at sea; wartime strategy and tactics; bloody fights; bravery; patriotism; boys growing into men; and the heavy weight of leadership.

I loved the book's emphasis on the importance of optimism, spontanaeity and self-confidence in a fight, tempered by the valuable qualities ("shining parts") of a most loyal and trustworthy friend: strategy, scrupulousness, discretion and even a singular bloody-mindedness when needed.

I also loved the dialog that seemed so true to its time, although the author wrote it hundreds of years after that refined, courteous, remarkably expressive manner of speech evaporated into the shadows of time.

And of course, I loved the thrilling sense of adventure that made me lose track of my surroundings and instantly whisked me away to these characters' world whenever I opened the book.

It is one of the best books I ever read, and I've read it three times so far. All 23 of Mr. O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series are great reads, but I would start with this one if you want to get hooked.
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Leighton

Leighton rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

04/25/07

Read in January, 2005

recommends it for: Fans of C.S. Forester or Jane Austen

I'm putting this volume on my list to represent the entire twenty-volume series, which I've almost finished now. If you saw the Peter Weir movie, my impression was that the period detail was nice and Russell Crowe was well-cast but the rest of the film really didn't convey what is wonderful about Patrick O'Brian's mind.

These are naval adventure stories, set mostly aboard a British man-of-war during the Napoleonic conflicts. In those respects they are like C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblow...more

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1 comments

LordBeardsley

LordBeardsley rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

03/21/08

bookshelves: read2008

Read in March, 2008

recommended to LordBeardsley by: Gilly
recommends it for: people really into...ships

Before I met Gilly, my only understanding of Master and Commander prior to our meeting had been when the film came out. My friend Emily saw it and said it's actual name should be Russell Crowe Likes Butt Sex. Then, I was introduced to the cultish fandom based around the chronicles of Patrick O'Brian, a wizened old geezer who penned nearly twenty books about the same characters, probably never envisioning the scores of slash that would bubble up forty years later via livejournal com...more

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Eden

Eden rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/07/08

bookshelves: fiction, mature

Read in February, 2008

recommended to Eden by: My father

The book starts with introducing the two main characters of the book and series, painting an in-depth look at a wonderful and distant piece of the past. Little is overlooked, and the descriptions are equally breathtaking and intimidating. The characters are all depicted with care, so rounded and developed they are almost real, the way they think and talk as authentic as I understand. I needed both a nautical dictionary and an Oxford dictionary to make sense of some sections, but that is not a ma...more

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taylor

taylor rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/04/08

Read in July, 2008

Incredible... I dont know how to explain how absolutely satisfying Patrick O'Brian's writing is. Though the language could never be described as easily approachable, O'Brien rewards the patient reader with a captivating insight into the life of a British naval officer.

I must admit that this is one of the few books that I saw the movie first and I found the movie to be fairly mediocre. I hate to disagree with my beloved uncle but I am completely on the other side of his opinion. The book suc...more

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3 comments

Alvin

Alvin rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

06/26/08

bookshelves: adventure, ebook, historical

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: Naval afficianados

I'm not going to go over what everybody else has said about this book - naval realisim, dialogue, etc.

BTW - If you have seen the movie, it really doesn't reflect the book. It's some action scenes out of the first 3 books, and really not much else. Impressive scenery, but that's ALL it is. The books are much meatier than the movie.

I'm going to jump straight to the criticism - the book is rough. The story is good, but you must work to read the book, and this is not a good thing. By work, I...more

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Chris

Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

11/03/07

Read in June, 2003

The first book in a series of twenty that follows British naval Captain Jack Aubrey, and his particular friend and spy Stephen Maturin, through their adventures before, during, and after the Napoleonic wars, roughly 1800 to 1820. Rather than add all twenty to my list, I'm posting my thoughts on the whole series here.

This is simply the best story I've ever read. The twenty books essentially form one long novel that covers the careers of these two great friends from beginning to near-end. It's...more

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Joshua

Joshua rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/28/08

bookshelves: quote-literature-unquote

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: Any one who thought Pirates of the Caribbean was grossly inacurrate

Master and Commander is the first novel in Patrick O'Brian's magnum-opus 21-volume Aubrey-Maturin series. This being the first volume, it concerns itself with the first meeting between naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the brilliant physician, Stephen Maturin. This is the beginning of their long-standing friendship that will encompass much of the series.

What I like most about this book is that through the eyes of Stephen who is a beginner in all things nautical, the author explains the...more

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Rob

Rob rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

08/23/07

bookshelves: historicalfiction

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: Lovers of naval adventures and historical fiction.

This is the first book of the Aubrey/Maturin series, and it starts with Dr. Stephen Maturin elbowing naval First Lieutenant Jack Aubrey at a musical concert in Minorca around 1800 to inform him to stop his infernal tapping. The series is about the adventures of these two extremely different men, and is incredibly addictive.

I have to say that I had a bit of a tough time getting going in this book, as the language is fluffy and the book not, at first, very action-packed. That said, the chara...more

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Felicity

Felicity rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/27/08

bookshelves: borrowed-book, fiction, historical-fiction, novel, reread

Read in December, 2004

recommended to Felicity by: Ryan

Last time I wrote a review of Master and Commander, it ran, well, long. It's hard not to lavish the love one has for the whole series upon its first splendid installment. I'll do my best to be brief.

Patrick O'Brian writes strong, varied and evocative prose. His characters are distinctive, human and easy to love. These books teem with the unexpected, ...more

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Jane

Jane rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/19/07

I watched the movie first, and then picked up the books. The first hundred pages was pretty tough, but I persevered and at the end of this book, I obviously thought it was worthwhile to read the 2nd book (can't remember what, but the naval battle scenes and O'Brian's wonderful sense of humour might have been it.) The 2nd book was even harder to go through because it was probably the thickest book in the series and the first 1/3 was spend on land. For me, it started to get really good in the 4th ...more

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Veronika

Veronika rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

08/30/08

bookshelves: adventure, historical-fiction

Read in June, 2008

This book was making its way to being one of my favorites ever.... It had imagery and dialogue, high-seas battles and two incredible characters that you would follow to the end and back.

And then the incredibly strong language began. I could handle the "hell" and "d---"...that's sea-life, unfortunately. But then came the "J.C."'s and, where I put it down, the "f-word". :P I just couldn't in good conscience read it anymore. I can't sit and stumble throu...more

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Kathy

Kathy rated it:

06/24/08

bookshelves: fiction

This is my all-time favorite series. All are rich in historical detail, from the minutia of life in the British Royal Navy to the politics of the time (during the Napoleonic wars). O'Brian makes that history come alive through the eyes of his strong central characters and the quality of the writing, including a healthy dose of dry wittiness. Many people say that Master and Commander starts off slowly, but 50 pages or so into it they start to get hooked and end up reading the entire series (20...more

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Jacob

Jacob rated it:

07/10/07

Read in July, 2006

My friend Charlie is a land surveyor in Connecticut. He sent me an email one day asking for contemporary book recommendations. Though I am sadly deficient in this arena, I sent him back a list of twenty books, assuming he'd buy two. I spoke to him a few months later and he admitted he hadn't even read through the list. And why? "I'm gonna read Master & Commander again!" He has read this 17-part Patrick O'Brian series that revolves around the dashing, bumbling, soldierly, hot-...more

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Renae

Renae rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

07/30/08

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: historical fiction lovers or sea lovers

Actually, I listened to this audio book. I loved the movie FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, based upon the book in this series of 19 books by Patrick O'Brien, so I decided to listen to the first book. The author's knowledge of tall ships and of the turn of the 18th century to the 19th is astounding. I enjoy the two main characters - Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin - so much. Two more opposite indviduals are hard to find, and yet their friendship and admiration of each other makes for an interesting analys...more

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Brigid

Brigid rated it:

06/28/07

bookshelves: favorites

This series is one of my favorite books - in the sense that it can be viewed as one long novel - of all time. I re-read these, starting sometimes from the beginning, sometimes from somewhere else and then circling back, about once a year. I tend not to read past book 15 or 16, since the later ones aren't as good.

O'Brian has perfectly recreated the British navy of the early 19th century, down to the most astonishing details. His books provide a perfect complement to Jane Austen, who lived and...more

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Arne

Arne rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

03/25/08

Read in January, 2004

This is the first book of my favorite book series of all time. It's 20 books long, but I read the whole thing twice. People who love these books are like a cult. I found out about them through a Lewis Lapham column in Harper's. He talked about how he was sitting on an airplane and saw the person sitting next to him had just started reading the first book, and just said "You are so lucky. I wish I could be starting the series again for the first time." The story of a sea captain in the ...more

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Velcro

Velcro rated it:

(review of isbn 0393307050)

05/22/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: mangy sea-dogs

One star for incorporating technical vernacular in a believable plot, and one star for adapting original sources (official correspondence, diaries, captains' logs) into the narrative.

No stars for jumping from place to place with just a line break - stage directions really help, Patrick! Just let us know, "Once they'd reached the island," or "Two days later,"...makes such a difference (unless you're going for some hanky-panky shite...)

No stars for two-dimensional sec...more

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avg rating (all editions): 4.14 (1390 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 4.28 (148 ratings)
number of reviews: 231

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