The Golden Ocean
by Patrick O'Brian
published
October 1996
(first published 1972)
by W. W. Norton & Company
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binding
Paperback, 288 pages
isbn
0393315371
(isbn13: 9780393315370)
description
O'Brian's first sea-going novel, The Golden Ocean is a precurser to the acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series in its excitement and rich humor, its...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 121)
Read in July, 2000
I'd made stabs at reading several of O'Brien's books before, but somehow I never got very far along the 'learning curve' needed for nautical terminology and the background on his main characters. I had more success with this audiobook, though, as O'Brien's prose really lends itself to being read out loud (which I've long felt is one of the hallmarks of a great writer).
This historical held based on British Commodore George Anson's four-year circumnavigation of the globe held my attention. ...more
This historical held based on British Commodore George Anson's four-year circumnavigation of the globe held my attention. ...more
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Read in July, 2008
This book is the June selection from the Sunriver Book Store's Carol's surprise book club. Patrick O'Brian is famous for his series that was part of the movie Master and Commander, however, this book is not part of the series and was written earlier than that.
I really enjoyed reading about life on a British warship that sailed around the world. Terrible weather, Spanish gold, sinking ships...lots of adventure. Definitely worth the time.
I really enjoyed reading about life on a British warship that sailed around the world. Terrible weather, Spanish gold, sinking ships...lots of adventure. Definitely worth the time.
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Read in February, 2007
In this book, you can start to see where O'Brian is going as a storyteller, and some of the elements of the Aubrey-Maturin novels are here — the high-seas adventure, the chasing of prizes, etc. But the characters just aren't as strong. Granted, O'Brian had a lot more books to develop the characters of the Aubrey-Maturin series, but still — I felt far more immediately drawn in to the story in Master and Commander than I did here.
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Read in January, 2008
I'm a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian and his long series of nautical books. This nuatical story is an early one, before he develped the 2 main characters that are so beloved in the later series. That said, this book falls short in comparison. It does not even seem as well written to boot. It is of some interest and relevance to me as a devoted fan but I would not recommend it to a first-timer; read the Aubrey/Maturin series first!
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
O'Brian fans, fans of historical fiction
I liked the story, but felt that it lacked the polish of O'Brian's later novels. If this would have been my first introduction to O'Brian, I'd probably have loved it, but after reading so many of his other books, it's definitely not in the same realm of quality. Sentences a little unclear, a few editing issues, but still good.
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Read in July, 2007
A ripping yarn. Much of the nautical terminology goes straight over my head, but you can get the gist of what's going on. I love the writing style.
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