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Aubrey & Maturin #7
The Surgeon's Mate
Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. Now these evocative stories are being re-issued in paperback by Harper Perennial with stunning new jackets. Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are ordered home by despatch vessel to bring the news of their latest victory to the government. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought in the French intelligence network in the New World, and the attentions of two privateers soon become menacing. The chase that follows through the fogs and shallows of the Grand Banks is as thrilling, as tense and as unexpected in its culmination as anything Patrick O'Brian has written. Then follows a shipwreck and a particularly sinister internment in the notorious Temple Prison in Paris. Once again, the tigerish and fascinating Diana Villiers redresses the balance in this man's world of seamanship and war.
Paperback
First published January 15, 1980
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About the author
Patrick O'Brian
203 books2,364 followersPatrick O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series of historical novels has been described as "a masterpiece" (David Mamet, New York Times), "addictively readable" (Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune), and "the best historical novels ever written" (Richard Snow, New York Times Book Review), which "should have been on those lists of the greatest novels of the 20th century" (George Will).
Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian's twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician (and spy) Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The books are now available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book format.
In addition to the Aubrey-Maturin novels, Patrick O'Brian wrote several books including the novels Testimonies, The Golden Ocean, and The Unknown Shore, as well as biographies of Joseph Banks and Picasso. He translated many works from French into English, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir, the first volume of Jean Lacouture's biography of Charles de Gaulle, and famed fugitive Henri Cherriere's memoir Papillon. O'Brian died in January 2000.
The Aubrey-Maturin Series on Goodreads
Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian's twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician (and spy) Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The books are now available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book format.
In addition to the Aubrey-Maturin novels, Patrick O'Brian wrote several books including the novels Testimonies, The Golden Ocean, and The Unknown Shore, as well as biographies of Joseph Banks and Picasso. He translated many works from French into English, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir, the first volume of Jean Lacouture's biography of Charles de Gaulle, and famed fugitive Henri Cherriere's memoir Papillon. O'Brian died in January 2000.
The Aubrey-Maturin Series on Goodreads
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March 6, 2017
Who is this surgeon's mate that the title alludes to? I confessed that I was baffled for a long time reading this seventh title in the Patrick O'Brian acclaimed series. The surgeon is clearly Stephen Maturin, but he acts mostly as a lone wolf, a necessity of his involvement as a secret agent. His best friend, Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy, is cast in a position of authority rather than as a mate. Maturin takes no assistant to help him in his medical duties aboard ship, and a new character, a lieutenant Jagiello, is used more for comic relief than for drama.
Nevermind, the title will become clear only by the end of the novel (see spoiler). To reach this destination, the reader is treated to what may be one of the most accomplished books in the series. It starts rather innocuously, with Aubrey and Maturin trying to return to England after escaping imprisonment by the Americans in the previous novel. They are accompanied by Diana Villiers, herself fleeing the attentions of her former American beau. The first sign that this is a fully fledged adventure comes in the shape of a killing chase across the breath of the Atlantic by a couple of determinate American privateers.
Matters on shore are far from tranquil also. As good as Jack is on the deck of his war frigate, his business acumen in managing his estate is sorely lacking, to the point of needing rescue from badly worded contracts, hastily signed. Stephen is trying to rekindle his love affair with Diana, but the lady, while favorably disposed, is in the family way as a result of her adventures among foreigners, and refuses to commit.
After a brief scientific interlude in Paris, with Stephen delivering a very erudite, but poorly presented disertation on his naturalist studies, both men are returned to the sea, on a special mission to sabotage Napoleon's efforts in the Baltic by encouraging a Catalan garrison to defect.
I will stop here, as the surprises and twists of fortune, the naval battles and the spy games begin in earnest, and I don't want to spoil anybody's pleasure of discovering for themeselves the fate of their favorite characters. I have previously said all I had to say about the passion for the sea and for the natural world, about the mastery of language and the wicked humour, about the subtle treatment of emotional conflict in the lives of these men who spend most of their lives away on the high seas, courting death repeatedly from hidden reefs, from inclement weather and from enemy broadsides. O'Brian proved his mettle for me from the very first book in the series, and there is no sign of flagging interest or of saturation on my part for the minute details of ship rigging or sail maneuvers. The bromance between Stephen and Jack remains vibrant and balanced, neither taking the other for granted, neither blind to the other's shortcoming or trying to play first fiddle. Each plays his own partiture, and together they make the journey through the perils of the Napoleonic Wars, both at sea and behind closed doors, a formidable experience.
Romance is not forgotten, even if it necessarily takes a step back to allow the boys their war games. Sophia may be more preoccupied with the Aubrey mansion and with raising children, but she shows already that she may be a better administrator than her impulsive husband. The dashing Diana remains my favorite, mostly because she is both unpredictable and self-reliant, a modern woman trying to make it on her own at a time when such liberty was shunned by society. Her relationship with Stephen may be complicated, but nobody can say that it is boring. ( ... it was extraordinary what a stay she had been to him - the pole that held his needle to the north and gave its pointing a significance that it had lacked since her reign came to a sudden halt. )
There are more than enough scary moments in this book, when life hangs by a thread, and only a master storyteller like O'Brian will know how to insert a moment of laughter to relieve the tension. Witness the payback time Jack Aubrey receives for his earlier dalliances with married women , to the role of middle-aged amusement that Jack and Stephen are relegated to when the attentions of all the young ladies they meet are directed at a dashing young Lithuanian attache, ending in a tourist visit to Hamlet's tomb by the fortress of Elsinore - an occasion for Jack to reminisce about his theatrical experiences as a midshipman:
"So there he lies, said Jack, his telescope levelled. "Well, well: we must all come to it. But it was a capital piece, capital. I never laughed so much in my life."
I can't praise the series enough for its full range of human emotions displayed, for its instances of heroism and its attention to detail, for its wonderful use of the English language, and for the call of adventure that makes want to pick up the next novel right now. I try not to be greedy and space them out over the years, to make the pleasure last longer, but I know I will give in sooner rather than later.
- - - - - -
Almost forgot: what about that surgeon's mate?
Nevermind, the title will become clear only by the end of the novel (see spoiler). To reach this destination, the reader is treated to what may be one of the most accomplished books in the series. It starts rather innocuously, with Aubrey and Maturin trying to return to England after escaping imprisonment by the Americans in the previous novel. They are accompanied by Diana Villiers, herself fleeing the attentions of her former American beau. The first sign that this is a fully fledged adventure comes in the shape of a killing chase across the breath of the Atlantic by a couple of determinate American privateers.
Matters on shore are far from tranquil also. As good as Jack is on the deck of his war frigate, his business acumen in managing his estate is sorely lacking, to the point of needing rescue from badly worded contracts, hastily signed. Stephen is trying to rekindle his love affair with Diana, but the lady, while favorably disposed, is in the family way as a result of her adventures among foreigners, and refuses to commit.
After a brief scientific interlude in Paris, with Stephen delivering a very erudite, but poorly presented disertation on his naturalist studies, both men are returned to the sea, on a special mission to sabotage Napoleon's efforts in the Baltic by encouraging a Catalan garrison to defect.
I will stop here, as the surprises and twists of fortune, the naval battles and the spy games begin in earnest, and I don't want to spoil anybody's pleasure of discovering for themeselves the fate of their favorite characters. I have previously said all I had to say about the passion for the sea and for the natural world, about the mastery of language and the wicked humour, about the subtle treatment of emotional conflict in the lives of these men who spend most of their lives away on the high seas, courting death repeatedly from hidden reefs, from inclement weather and from enemy broadsides. O'Brian proved his mettle for me from the very first book in the series, and there is no sign of flagging interest or of saturation on my part for the minute details of ship rigging or sail maneuvers. The bromance between Stephen and Jack remains vibrant and balanced, neither taking the other for granted, neither blind to the other's shortcoming or trying to play first fiddle. Each plays his own partiture, and together they make the journey through the perils of the Napoleonic Wars, both at sea and behind closed doors, a formidable experience.
Romance is not forgotten, even if it necessarily takes a step back to allow the boys their war games. Sophia may be more preoccupied with the Aubrey mansion and with raising children, but she shows already that she may be a better administrator than her impulsive husband. The dashing Diana remains my favorite, mostly because she is both unpredictable and self-reliant, a modern woman trying to make it on her own at a time when such liberty was shunned by society. Her relationship with Stephen may be complicated, but nobody can say that it is boring. ( ... it was extraordinary what a stay she had been to him - the pole that held his needle to the north and gave its pointing a significance that it had lacked since her reign came to a sudden halt. )
There are more than enough scary moments in this book, when life hangs by a thread, and only a master storyteller like O'Brian will know how to insert a moment of laughter to relieve the tension. Witness the payback time Jack Aubrey receives for his earlier dalliances with married women , to the role of middle-aged amusement that Jack and Stephen are relegated to when the attentions of all the young ladies they meet are directed at a dashing young Lithuanian attache, ending in a tourist visit to Hamlet's tomb by the fortress of Elsinore - an occasion for Jack to reminisce about his theatrical experiences as a midshipman:
"So there he lies, said Jack, his telescope levelled. "Well, well: we must all come to it. But it was a capital piece, capital. I never laughed so much in my life."
I can't praise the series enough for its full range of human emotions displayed, for its instances of heroism and its attention to detail, for its wonderful use of the English language, and for the call of adventure that makes want to pick up the next novel right now. I try not to be greedy and space them out over the years, to make the pleasure last longer, but I know I will give in sooner rather than later.
- - - - - -
Almost forgot: what about that surgeon's mate?
April 24, 2025
The glorious saga continues!
Ugh. "Saga." The word sounds bloated, melodramatically windswept, ponderous. I don't find Patrick O'Brian's seafaring war epic to be any of those things. It suits me.
Perhaps it will suit you, too. Do you like historical fiction set circa the early 1800s? Do you like good, sometimes elegant writing? How about bursts of action aboard cannon-blasting ships? Contemplation of the human spirit? Observations on nature? Can you endure drawn-out scenes of everyday life that may seem unnecessary, but that often include subtle hints of the unfolding plot? If yes, maybe this is for you.
However, I have to admit, I did come for those sea battles!
And yet, I'm just as happy when the battle's over, the ships have been blown out of the water, and the plot turns upon a domestic scene, such a ballroom dance...
In The Surgeon's Mate a very Austen-esque ball is the stage upon which the story unfolds. Long-away and almost estranged from his wife, Captain Jack Aubrey, a man of large appetites, becomes embroiled in a scandalous liaison. His unlikely, but long-time friend, doctor and sometimes intelligence agent Stephen Maturin has his own affair to juggle.
Love and revenge chase them across the Atlantic. The ongoing war with Napoleon drives them into the Baltic to subvert a dangerous battery and troops allied to the enemy. And that's just the first half. Later there's violent storms, prison and wild escapes, the looming threat of torture...jesus, this is starting to sound like a melodramatic saga!
Beyond all the fun and excitement, one of the real joys of these books for me is witnessing the friendship between Aubrey and Maturin. It's the glue that bonds the series. I found it particularly touching in this book when Jack remained onboard his ship fretting away like a mother hen as Stephen undertook a potentially deadly mission.
While not an unbridled thrill-ride from start to finish, The Surgeon's Mate is a very fun read in which readers will be dosed with a fair share of love and war, sorrow and happiness.
My review of book six, The Fortune of War
My review of book eight, The Ionian Mission
Ugh. "Saga." The word sounds bloated, melodramatically windswept, ponderous. I don't find Patrick O'Brian's seafaring war epic to be any of those things. It suits me.
Perhaps it will suit you, too. Do you like historical fiction set circa the early 1800s? Do you like good, sometimes elegant writing? How about bursts of action aboard cannon-blasting ships? Contemplation of the human spirit? Observations on nature? Can you endure drawn-out scenes of everyday life that may seem unnecessary, but that often include subtle hints of the unfolding plot? If yes, maybe this is for you.
However, I have to admit, I did come for those sea battles!
And yet, I'm just as happy when the battle's over, the ships have been blown out of the water, and the plot turns upon a domestic scene, such a ballroom dance...
In The Surgeon's Mate a very Austen-esque ball is the stage upon which the story unfolds. Long-away and almost estranged from his wife, Captain Jack Aubrey, a man of large appetites, becomes embroiled in a scandalous liaison. His unlikely, but long-time friend, doctor and sometimes intelligence agent Stephen Maturin has his own affair to juggle.
Love and revenge chase them across the Atlantic. The ongoing war with Napoleon drives them into the Baltic to subvert a dangerous battery and troops allied to the enemy. And that's just the first half. Later there's violent storms, prison and wild escapes, the looming threat of torture...jesus, this is starting to sound like a melodramatic saga!
Beyond all the fun and excitement, one of the real joys of these books for me is witnessing the friendship between Aubrey and Maturin. It's the glue that bonds the series. I found it particularly touching in this book when Jack remained onboard his ship fretting away like a mother hen as Stephen undertook a potentially deadly mission.
While not an unbridled thrill-ride from start to finish, The Surgeon's Mate is a very fun read in which readers will be dosed with a fair share of love and war, sorrow and happiness.
My review of book six, The Fortune of War
My review of book eight, The Ionian Mission
January 7, 2020
Da un episodio all'altro lo schema tende a farsi un tantino ripetitivo, il che in teoria dovrebbe suonare come un difetto, e invece nella pratica non è affatto così. Il bravo scrittore punta più su una certa vena di realismo che sul desiderio di impressionare il lettore ad ogni costo; lavora sul doveroso inserimento di qualche nuovo personaggio e sui doverosi sviluppi della trama principale che lega un volume all'altro, ma senza mai strafare, senza nessunissima mirabolante escalation e altri trucchetti simili dai quali sarebbe poi difficile mettersi in salvo senza sfociare nella farsa grottesca.
Quindi, un po' come accade per le imperfezioni sul cuoio invecchiato bene, quello che può sembrare un difetto in verità è un pregio. Ironia sempre ottima perché ottimamente misurata; scrittura e traduzione sempre eccellenti. Ottimo inizio per l'anno nuovo, auguro un buon 2020 di buone letture a tutti.
Quindi, un po' come accade per le imperfezioni sul cuoio invecchiato bene, quello che può sembrare un difetto in verità è un pregio. Ironia sempre ottima perché ottimamente misurata; scrittura e traduzione sempre eccellenti. Ottimo inizio per l'anno nuovo, auguro un buon 2020 di buone letture a tutti.
March 6, 2017
"The pretext: dictatorships were absurdly sensitive to the public opinion they continually outraged; they always had to be in the right, to be morally impeccable; and that was one of the reasons why those who had been much mutilated in their interrogation were rarely allowed to live, whether they had given their information or not."
- Patrick O'Brian, The Surgeon's Mate
When I was first introduced to these novels and read the first couple, I couldn't believe how GOOD the were, but was skeptical that they could continue with the same level of near perfection the early novels evoked. Now, seven books in, I'm less amazed at the continuity of output. I figure it is something like building a cathedral. If you have a master-builder, it doesn't matter if the church is 10 feet high or 1000 feet. The scale matters, but a genius will produce genius work.
I am, however, a bit more accustomed to how O'Brian pulls this off without the books seeming to sink into the trap of most serial authors. Setting. If O'Brian only told his novels at sea, there might be some inevitable boredom and repetition, but O'Brian doesn't.
For example in this book, the setting goes something like this:
Halifax (Land) => HMS Diligence (Chased from Halifax to Home) => England (Land) / Paris (Land) => HMS Ariel (Baltic Sea/Bay of Biscay) => Paris (Prison) => HMS Oedipus (English Channel).
This one has a bit more setting changes than most, but O'Brian's change of settings and occasional diversions into spy-craft and/or spouse-craft allows enough shadows and depth into these novels to keep the reader from becoming sea-blind.
- Patrick O'Brian, The Surgeon's Mate
When I was first introduced to these novels and read the first couple, I couldn't believe how GOOD the were, but was skeptical that they could continue with the same level of near perfection the early novels evoked. Now, seven books in, I'm less amazed at the continuity of output. I figure it is something like building a cathedral. If you have a master-builder, it doesn't matter if the church is 10 feet high or 1000 feet. The scale matters, but a genius will produce genius work.
I am, however, a bit more accustomed to how O'Brian pulls this off without the books seeming to sink into the trap of most serial authors. Setting. If O'Brian only told his novels at sea, there might be some inevitable boredom and repetition, but O'Brian doesn't.
For example in this book, the setting goes something like this:
Halifax (Land) => HMS Diligence (Chased from Halifax to Home) => England (Land) / Paris (Land) => HMS Ariel (Baltic Sea/Bay of Biscay) => Paris (Prison) => HMS Oedipus (English Channel).
This one has a bit more setting changes than most, but O'Brian's change of settings and occasional diversions into spy-craft and/or spouse-craft allows enough shadows and depth into these novels to keep the reader from becoming sea-blind.
August 18, 2023
O'Brian was really hitting his stride. Here, Aubrey and Maturin return to England on 'the packet,' where, after extended domestic issues, Maturin recommends Captain Aubrey for a dangerous mission in the Baltic. Aubrey welcomes the chance to return to the sea and they're off and running in breathtaking, fascinating, seaworthy adventures. It is useful to read this series in order; each book picks up EXACTLY where the previous left off. If the books were pasted together into one giant tome, it would be difficult to guess which of the completed adventures marked the end of a previous book and which were only interludes before the next began.
January 20, 2021
My love for the Aubrey/Maturin series is evergreen, I do an annual reread of all twenty and this is where I was on my reread when January rolled around so...
A favorite for foregrounding Diana somewhat. I thing O'Brien's characterization of her is possibly the most inconsistent of any of his major characters...or perhaps that's an intentional reflection of her very mercurial nature. In any case, it's lovely to see the books take their heroes to Boston, the only real North American interlude of the series, and O'Brien's wit, sense of fun, characterization, and naval action always always delights.
A favorite for foregrounding Diana somewhat. I thing O'Brien's characterization of her is possibly the most inconsistent of any of his major characters...or perhaps that's an intentional reflection of her very mercurial nature. In any case, it's lovely to see the books take their heroes to Boston, the only real North American interlude of the series, and O'Brien's wit, sense of fun, characterization, and naval action always always delights.
December 10, 2019
There’s a lot going on in O’Brian’s seventh entry of the Aubrey-Maturin series. We start more or less immediately after the close of the last volume showcasing what several O’Brian fans have opined: that in many ways this series of books is more like one very long novel, with each book comprising a new ‘chapter’ in the continuing adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. This could of course be argued for nearly any continuing series based around the same characters, but it seems peculiarly appropriate to me for this one. We begin with Jack and Stephen’s arrival in Halifax aboard the HMS Shannon after their sucessful battle with the USS Chesapeake and slim escape from the clutches of Diana’s erstwhile lover, and American secret agent, Henry Johnson. Jack’s philandering eye promptly brings him into the clutches of the mercenary socialite Amanda Smith who, after their initial liaison, won’t take no for an answer. Luckily for Jack he is able to escape on the mail packet Diligence, along with Stephen and Diana, in order to bring the news of the Shannon’s victory to a Britain sorely hungry for news of success against the Americans in the new war. The first portion of the novel covers this short interlude in Halifax followed by a sea chase when Diana’s former lover, spurred on by jealousy of Stephen and the knowledge that he was bested by him in the game of espionage, refuses to let them go scott-free and sends a pair of privateers after them in the hopes of killing two birds with one stone.
After the chase we get another interlude, this time in England, as Jack attempts to navigate the consequences of his dalliance with Smith and her unyielding attempts to attach herself to him permanently. Stephen is more than busy on his own account as he hands over the secret documents he stole from Johnson to his superior, exposing much of the American and French intelligence networks, goes into the lion’s den itself by travelling to France in order to present an academic paper to the Institut de France, and deals with Diana’s bombshell that she is .
The final segment is prompted by another intelligence mission given to Stephen as he is asked to intervene and hopefully bring an impregnable fortress held by the French over to the British side by persuading its Catalan soldiers of the duplicity of their nominal overlord Napoleon. Maturin of course requests that Aubrey be given command of the ship detailed with sending him on his way, an opportunity eagerly siezed by Jack who will take any excuse to get out of the country and hopefully evade the clutches of Amanda Smith. The mission itself, while of a decidely delicate political nature, seems to go off without a hitch, but we once again run into complications at sea and our heroes end up with their ship, the Ariel, shipwrecked on the coast of France with Jack and Stephen captured by the enemy. Stephen is very much the centre of events here as he plays a game of cat and mouse with his captors, unsure of how much they know of his real identity and activities, and doing his best to obfuscate his role in international affairs while Jack works on a means of escape from their castle prison. The reader is once again given an intimate view of Maturin’s life as an espionage agent, an element of the stories that seems to be gaining greater prominence as time goes on, with first hand examples of some of the dangers and consequences entailed by such a profession.
The volume ends well for our heroes, and O’Brian even manages to put in a surprise at the last minute, though perhaps not one that is completely unexpected for the long-term reader. I don’t want to spoil it, but suffice to say that one can only hope that the parties involved have made the right decision and don’t end up regretting it…something not altogether certain given the tenor of events in previous volumes. As always the relationship between Jack and Stephen is the main draw, in addition to the other interesting characters that populate the book's pages, foremost of which here is perhaps the young Lithuanian soldier Gedymin Jagiello, a man far too pretty for his own good who seems somewhat nonplussed by his allure to the opposite sex, but whose constant good nature and boyish charm seem able to win anyone to his side. Acting as a translator for Jack and Stephen on their mission to the Baltic, he shares in their captivity and escape becoming quite close with our heroes in the process. All in all this is a fine addition to the series where quite a bit happens, though not perhaps my favourite entry thus far.
After the chase we get another interlude, this time in England, as Jack attempts to navigate the consequences of his dalliance with Smith and her unyielding attempts to attach herself to him permanently. Stephen is more than busy on his own account as he hands over the secret documents he stole from Johnson to his superior, exposing much of the American and French intelligence networks, goes into the lion’s den itself by travelling to France in order to present an academic paper to the Institut de France, and deals with Diana’s bombshell that she is .
The final segment is prompted by another intelligence mission given to Stephen as he is asked to intervene and hopefully bring an impregnable fortress held by the French over to the British side by persuading its Catalan soldiers of the duplicity of their nominal overlord Napoleon. Maturin of course requests that Aubrey be given command of the ship detailed with sending him on his way, an opportunity eagerly siezed by Jack who will take any excuse to get out of the country and hopefully evade the clutches of Amanda Smith. The mission itself, while of a decidely delicate political nature, seems to go off without a hitch, but we once again run into complications at sea and our heroes end up with their ship, the Ariel, shipwrecked on the coast of France with Jack and Stephen captured by the enemy. Stephen is very much the centre of events here as he plays a game of cat and mouse with his captors, unsure of how much they know of his real identity and activities, and doing his best to obfuscate his role in international affairs while Jack works on a means of escape from their castle prison. The reader is once again given an intimate view of Maturin’s life as an espionage agent, an element of the stories that seems to be gaining greater prominence as time goes on, with first hand examples of some of the dangers and consequences entailed by such a profession.
The volume ends well for our heroes, and O’Brian even manages to put in a surprise at the last minute, though perhaps not one that is completely unexpected for the long-term reader. I don’t want to spoil it, but suffice to say that one can only hope that the parties involved have made the right decision and don’t end up regretting it…something not altogether certain given the tenor of events in previous volumes. As always the relationship between Jack and Stephen is the main draw, in addition to the other interesting characters that populate the book's pages, foremost of which here is perhaps the young Lithuanian soldier Gedymin Jagiello, a man far too pretty for his own good who seems somewhat nonplussed by his allure to the opposite sex, but whose constant good nature and boyish charm seem able to win anyone to his side. Acting as a translator for Jack and Stephen on their mission to the Baltic, he shares in their captivity and escape becoming quite close with our heroes in the process. All in all this is a fine addition to the series where quite a bit happens, though not perhaps my favourite entry thus far.
Read
April 16, 2014This is one of my favorites, which partially brings an arc to a close. These arcs are intersecting, which is one of the brilliant aspects of Patrick O'Brian's roman fleuve. But there is a sense of closure in this one, which (in a reread) marks a milestone.
Structurally, it is remarkable in a number of ways. It feels like three novellas tightly wired together. It begins with Aubrey and Maturin sailing triumphantly into Halifax with the news that the Shannon had defeated the Chesapeake. This ship-to-ship duel, based on the details of the real battle, had closed the previous book. Now we get the glorious sense of triumph on the British side as the news spreads.
This first novella takes place in Halifax, and ends with Stephen and Jack leaving. Before then, Stephen and Diana deal with their difficult situation, Stephen fairly emotionally battered, and Diana gallantly trying to maintain her identity and her own sense of honor in a world of men.
Jack, unfortunately, as all too often happens on land, gets himself into trouble. It seems to eat neatly ended by the end of the book, but . . .
There is a thrilling ship chase from Halifax up north and down toward England. When Jack and Stephen get back to England there is a great deal of turmoil and trouble which not only is going to set up the rest of this book, but is also going to launch the next several books’ arc; this includes a trip to Napoleonic Paris for Stephen and Diana.
Jack and Stephen are sent to the Baltic, where once again a real situation is fictionalized so that our guys can be central to the action. As a result, they end up as prisoners in France.
The writing in this book is so strong, so vivid, and so brilliant, reaching the heights of the sublime to the very delicious humor that O’Brian excels at.
Compare this passage, while Jack and Stephen are sailing up a narrow passage between Denmark and Sweden and being fired upon from the heights of Elsinore. While waiting for cannonballs to smash down all around them, they talk about Shakespeare, and specifically Hamlet's grave.
"So there he lies," said Jack, his telescope leveled. "Well, well: we must all come to it. But it was a capital piece, capital. I never laughed so much in my life."
"A capital piece indeed," said Stephen, "and I doubt I could have done much better myself. But, do you know, I have never in my own mind class did among the comedies. Pray did you read it recently?"
"I never read it at all," said Jack. "That is to say, not right through. No: I did something better than that — I acted in it. . .”
Then there is Stephen’s hapax phenomenon, which Jack has not seen above a few hundred times. But Stephen is amazed:
He pointed cautiously with one finger and Jack looked out to the southwest. At this height they were above the low blanket of fog that covered the sea: clear sky above, no water below; no deck even, but a smooth layer of white mist, sharply cut off from the clean air; and ahead, on the starboard bow and on the starboard beam the surface of the soft, opaque whiteness was pierced by an infinity of masts, all striking up from this unearthly ground into a sky without a cloud, a sky that might have belonged to an entirely different world.
Both Jack and Stephen in this book continue to reveal their complexities. Each has chances to be heroic, Stephen covertly, and Jack not only in ship action but in his practical method of tackling an escape from the infamous Temple prison in Paris.
The book ends with a marriage, with high emotions, and with enough threads dangling to make one desperate for the next.
Structurally, it is remarkable in a number of ways. It feels like three novellas tightly wired together. It begins with Aubrey and Maturin sailing triumphantly into Halifax with the news that the Shannon had defeated the Chesapeake. This ship-to-ship duel, based on the details of the real battle, had closed the previous book. Now we get the glorious sense of triumph on the British side as the news spreads.
This first novella takes place in Halifax, and ends with Stephen and Jack leaving. Before then, Stephen and Diana deal with their difficult situation, Stephen fairly emotionally battered, and Diana gallantly trying to maintain her identity and her own sense of honor in a world of men.
Jack, unfortunately, as all too often happens on land, gets himself into trouble. It seems to eat neatly ended by the end of the book, but . . .
There is a thrilling ship chase from Halifax up north and down toward England. When Jack and Stephen get back to England there is a great deal of turmoil and trouble which not only is going to set up the rest of this book, but is also going to launch the next several books’ arc; this includes a trip to Napoleonic Paris for Stephen and Diana.
Jack and Stephen are sent to the Baltic, where once again a real situation is fictionalized so that our guys can be central to the action. As a result, they end up as prisoners in France.
The writing in this book is so strong, so vivid, and so brilliant, reaching the heights of the sublime to the very delicious humor that O’Brian excels at.
Compare this passage, while Jack and Stephen are sailing up a narrow passage between Denmark and Sweden and being fired upon from the heights of Elsinore. While waiting for cannonballs to smash down all around them, they talk about Shakespeare, and specifically Hamlet's grave.
"So there he lies," said Jack, his telescope leveled. "Well, well: we must all come to it. But it was a capital piece, capital. I never laughed so much in my life."
"A capital piece indeed," said Stephen, "and I doubt I could have done much better myself. But, do you know, I have never in my own mind class did among the comedies. Pray did you read it recently?"
"I never read it at all," said Jack. "That is to say, not right through. No: I did something better than that — I acted in it. . .”
Then there is Stephen’s hapax phenomenon, which Jack has not seen above a few hundred times. But Stephen is amazed:
He pointed cautiously with one finger and Jack looked out to the southwest. At this height they were above the low blanket of fog that covered the sea: clear sky above, no water below; no deck even, but a smooth layer of white mist, sharply cut off from the clean air; and ahead, on the starboard bow and on the starboard beam the surface of the soft, opaque whiteness was pierced by an infinity of masts, all striking up from this unearthly ground into a sky without a cloud, a sky that might have belonged to an entirely different world.
Both Jack and Stephen in this book continue to reveal their complexities. Each has chances to be heroic, Stephen covertly, and Jack not only in ship action but in his practical method of tackling an escape from the infamous Temple prison in Paris.
The book ends with a marriage, with high emotions, and with enough threads dangling to make one desperate for the next.
July 9, 2017
Another old favourite, book 7 for this series!
Picks up straight away from the previous yarn, fresh from their success against the American Man-O-War... Huzzah! Lucky Jack & Dr Maturin abound Halifax & join in with the general gaiety of the time before making way for a dash for Blighty which involves a sea chase, what ensues thereafter is a spot of home troubles, some intelligence work, a new commission, a dalliance with Diane Villiers for the Doctor..... In truth it’s all quite formulaic across each tale but it detracts nought as I do rather enjoy them... The sea chases are indeed epic with the tension ramped up by the hour. The chemistry between Aubrey & Maturin is wonderful & at the forefront of each novel, great characters.
A clear 4 stars again & perhaps I think the trick is to leave a timely interval between each one so as to saviour each adventure.
Picks up straight away from the previous yarn, fresh from their success against the American Man-O-War... Huzzah! Lucky Jack & Dr Maturin abound Halifax & join in with the general gaiety of the time before making way for a dash for Blighty which involves a sea chase, what ensues thereafter is a spot of home troubles, some intelligence work, a new commission, a dalliance with Diane Villiers for the Doctor..... In truth it’s all quite formulaic across each tale but it detracts nought as I do rather enjoy them... The sea chases are indeed epic with the tension ramped up by the hour. The chemistry between Aubrey & Maturin is wonderful & at the forefront of each novel, great characters.
A clear 4 stars again & perhaps I think the trick is to leave a timely interval between each one so as to saviour each adventure.
December 18, 2021
Read this book in 2008, and its the 7th brilliant volume of the amazing "Aubrey/Maturin" series.
Ordered home by dispatch vessel to bring news about their latest victory to the government, when they are assailed by the French on all sides.
The reason is that Maturin is a marked man by the French for his work as a spy and the devastating losses his actions has brought to the French intelligence network in the New World.
Chased by the French through the waves, fogs and the shallows of the Grand Banks, this chase is as tense and desparate as it can get, and in a most determined sailing action they somehow know to remain out of the clutches of these French sails.
What is to come is a fantastic created sea adventure for Aubrey and Maturin, and one that is brought to us by the author in his own authentic and lyrical fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is another accomplished addition to this amazing series, and that's why I like to call episode: "An Astounding Aubrey-Maturin Sea Adventure"!
Ordered home by dispatch vessel to bring news about their latest victory to the government, when they are assailed by the French on all sides.
The reason is that Maturin is a marked man by the French for his work as a spy and the devastating losses his actions has brought to the French intelligence network in the New World.
Chased by the French through the waves, fogs and the shallows of the Grand Banks, this chase is as tense and desparate as it can get, and in a most determined sailing action they somehow know to remain out of the clutches of these French sails.
What is to come is a fantastic created sea adventure for Aubrey and Maturin, and one that is brought to us by the author in his own authentic and lyrical fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is another accomplished addition to this amazing series, and that's why I like to call episode: "An Astounding Aubrey-Maturin Sea Adventure"!
October 4, 2011
Jack is deeply dismayed when a ill-judged fling in Nova Scotia threatens to come back to England and reveal his perfidy. He's thrilled to be ordered back to sea, this time to transport his friend Stephen to co-opt a Catalan base to England's side. Meanwhile, Stephen has just returned from a trip to Paris, where he presented a scholarly paper (very badly, though it was well received) and found a place for Diana to stay for her confinement. The mission is a success, the base is taken--and then on the way home, flush with success, they are captured by the French. They suspect Stephen is a spy, and so while Jack scrapes away at their prison walls searching for escape, Stephen spends day after day trying to seem as innocent as possible to his captors, all the while keeping a capsule of poison precariously held in his cheek.
This book contains a number of subversions of a reader's expectations. Jack is scared of a woman coming back to England with his bastard--and instead . Stephen and Diana battle over her pregnancy--. Jack scrapes away at his French prison walls, and much of the book is given over to the complications of shifting the stone--
This is also the book where finally, FINALLY, after six books of tension and torment,
Overall, another fantastic installment of a great series. I can't wait to read the next!
This book contains a number of subversions of a reader's expectations. Jack is scared of a woman coming back to England with his bastard--and instead . Stephen and Diana battle over her pregnancy--. Jack scrapes away at his French prison walls, and much of the book is given over to the complications of shifting the stone--
This is also the book where finally, FINALLY, after six books of tension and torment,
Overall, another fantastic installment of a great series. I can't wait to read the next!
February 10, 2022
I love Dr. Stephen Maturin. Deeply. He may be one of my favourite recurring characters in all of literature, so I may be a little biased when if comes to my estimation of The Surgeon's Mate, but I do think it is one of O'Brian's best.
If I am wrong to rate it so highly that's okay because The Surgeon's Mate is still an exemplar of the Aubrey/Maturin Series' two great strengths.
1. Victory in Defeat: Whether we're talking about the Naval War against Napoleon, the Intelligence War against the French, or the personal lives of our protagonists, Aubrey/Maturin is rich with defeats for Lucky Jack and Dr. Maturin that are either accompanied by silver linings or are actually small victories in disguise. There are two standout cases in The Surgeon's Mate.
The first is the thrilling loss of HMS Ariel in Douarnenez Bay. If this were a lesser piece of writing or a Hollywood blockbuster the ship would never be lost, and the nearly impossible piece of sailing that Captain Jack Aubrey attempts to save his ship would be a complete success. Under O'Brian's steady hand, however, The Surgeon's Mate is realistic and there is really nothing Lucky Jack can do to save his ship. But he can avoid total disaster, and it is this victory in the face of disaster that ends up being vastly more satisfying than any ridiculous impossibility could ever be. More importantly, these moments are the rule rather than the exception, and they elevate the Aubrey/Maturin series above all other Naval novels I have read.
2. The Ocean Isn't All That: While O'Brian's books are often afloat, voyages and battles are not the source of all or even most of the stories' drama. In the case of The Surgeon's Mate, most of the drama surrounds Dr. Maturin --his machinations against the French, his love for and protection of Diana Villiers, his deliverance of the stronghold at Grimsholm Island into the hands of the British forces, his rivalry with American Henry Johnson -- and nearly all of it occurs on land. More importantly, though, all of these conflicts enrich the character of Stephen Maturin (as similar conflicts enrich Jack Aubrey when the focus is on him) far beyond the what we'd expect to see from lesser historical novels.
As for why I esteem The Surgeon's Mate so much ... well, it's all in the title. The "Surgeon's Mate" is not some underling of Dr. Stephen Maturin living and working in the musty bowels of a ship; it is, instead, multiple things: a game, a person, a victory, an escape, and a surprising achievement by our intrepid Doctor.
Finally, there is one last thing to love. Midshipman William Babbington, who we met as a boy in Master and Commander, is now captaining a ship of his own, and it is his authority and his voice that secure Maturin's final mate. For devoted readers, Babbington is part of the Aubry/Maturin family, and seeing him all grown up and standing beside his former captain on his own quarter deck is a beautiful moment to behold.
If I am wrong to rate it so highly that's okay because The Surgeon's Mate is still an exemplar of the Aubrey/Maturin Series' two great strengths.
1. Victory in Defeat: Whether we're talking about the Naval War against Napoleon, the Intelligence War against the French, or the personal lives of our protagonists, Aubrey/Maturin is rich with defeats for Lucky Jack and Dr. Maturin that are either accompanied by silver linings or are actually small victories in disguise. There are two standout cases in The Surgeon's Mate.
The first is the thrilling loss of HMS Ariel in Douarnenez Bay. If this were a lesser piece of writing or a Hollywood blockbuster the ship would never be lost, and the nearly impossible piece of sailing that Captain Jack Aubrey attempts to save his ship would be a complete success. Under O'Brian's steady hand, however, The Surgeon's Mate is realistic and there is really nothing Lucky Jack can do to save his ship. But he can avoid total disaster, and it is this victory in the face of disaster that ends up being vastly more satisfying than any ridiculous impossibility could ever be. More importantly, these moments are the rule rather than the exception, and they elevate the Aubrey/Maturin series above all other Naval novels I have read.
2. The Ocean Isn't All That: While O'Brian's books are often afloat, voyages and battles are not the source of all or even most of the stories' drama. In the case of The Surgeon's Mate, most of the drama surrounds Dr. Maturin --his machinations against the French, his love for and protection of Diana Villiers, his deliverance of the stronghold at Grimsholm Island into the hands of the British forces, his rivalry with American Henry Johnson -- and nearly all of it occurs on land. More importantly, though, all of these conflicts enrich the character of Stephen Maturin (as similar conflicts enrich Jack Aubrey when the focus is on him) far beyond the what we'd expect to see from lesser historical novels.
As for why I esteem The Surgeon's Mate so much ... well, it's all in the title. The "Surgeon's Mate" is not some underling of Dr. Stephen Maturin living and working in the musty bowels of a ship; it is, instead, multiple things: a game, a person, a victory, an escape, and a surprising achievement by our intrepid Doctor.
Finally, there is one last thing to love. Midshipman William Babbington, who we met as a boy in Master and Commander, is now captaining a ship of his own, and it is his authority and his voice that secure Maturin's final mate. For devoted readers, Babbington is part of the Aubry/Maturin family, and seeing him all grown up and standing beside his former captain on his own quarter deck is a beautiful moment to behold.
September 15, 2024
The Surgeon’s Mate is the seventh novel in Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin series. This novel opens with Aubrey, Maturin and Diana Villiers (Maturin's on off love) arriving in Halifax, Canada, following the Royal Navy’s victory over the American ship USS Chesapeake (a real event in the War of 1812). From Canada, they make their way home across the Atlantic to await further instructions and it isn't long before they are given their next mission. This time they are to travel to Grimsholm, a heavily fortified island in the Baltic, to persuade the Catalan army there to side with Britain and her allies against Napoleon.
Aubrey is initially grateful to have an excuse to escape from his various entanglements in England. Not only is he being cheated financially by a man he thought he could trust, he has also received a letter containing some unpleasant news from a woman he had met in Halifax. The Baltic mission provides a welcome distraction for them both and that part of the mission is completed successfully. However, after a series of mishaps soon afterwards they find themselves taken prisoner yet again.
Every time I review one of these books I say to myself that I’m not going to leave such a long gap before picking up the next one, however, other books get in the way and before I know a year or two have passed by yet again. Thankfully, as soon as I started to read, the events of previous book usually came back to me.
In this book Maturin’s work, both as a doctor, natural philosopher and as a spy, take centre stage and are always interesting. But I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as I had the previous one. In fact, I felt that a lot of time was spent simply tying up loose ends from previous books and this one was merely a stop-gap before the next big adventure began. But that being said there is still a lot to admire and it was still an enjoyable piece of escapism. I just need to move on to book eight much more quickly!
Aubrey is initially grateful to have an excuse to escape from his various entanglements in England. Not only is he being cheated financially by a man he thought he could trust, he has also received a letter containing some unpleasant news from a woman he had met in Halifax. The Baltic mission provides a welcome distraction for them both and that part of the mission is completed successfully. However, after a series of mishaps soon afterwards they find themselves taken prisoner yet again.
Every time I review one of these books I say to myself that I’m not going to leave such a long gap before picking up the next one, however, other books get in the way and before I know a year or two have passed by yet again. Thankfully, as soon as I started to read, the events of previous book usually came back to me.
In this book Maturin’s work, both as a doctor, natural philosopher and as a spy, take centre stage and are always interesting. But I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as I had the previous one. In fact, I felt that a lot of time was spent simply tying up loose ends from previous books and this one was merely a stop-gap before the next big adventure began. But that being said there is still a lot to admire and it was still an enjoyable piece of escapism. I just need to move on to book eight much more quickly!
August 15, 2020
A estas alturas ya estoy preparado para la mezcla de comedia costumbrista y novela de aventuras de los libros de O'brian, por lo que no me aburrí tanto con la primera parte del libro y las desventuras emocionales de Jack Aubrey. Si volví a disfrutar de mitad en adelante cuando nuestros amigos nuevamente se embarcan en aventuras.
Veamos que trae la próxima entrega.
Veamos que trae la próxima entrega.
September 24, 2019
[Random Read. 29, Ask the Wife.]
Continuing right off from the sixth entry in the series, this book finds Aubrey and Maturin sailing home to a hero's welcome, then rushing off to the Baltic on an intelligence mission to convince some Catalan troops (who happen to be led by Maturin's godfather) to defect to the British side. Jack is glad to have a ship under his command again, not least because it gives him an escape from his poor investments at home and from the society lady who claims to be bearing his child and threatens a visit. For Stephen's part, having installed Diana Villiers, his enigmatic lover and ostensible fiancée, safely pregnant (by the American intelligence officer she ran away with) in Paris, he can turn all his attention to his spy work. However, after their ship runs aground in a squall, he and Jack are taken to a French prison, where the local military officers seem to know who Stephen is. Escape is paramount, but time is of the essence.
What is left to be said about this superb, erudite, amusing, enthralling series, seven books in? I used up all my comparisons and superlatives in the reviews for the fifth and sixth books. The malapropisms, the mangling of Latin by Jack and Stephen's dimly understood sea jargon, the allusions and elisions, all the elements that make these books high literature as well as grand adventure are here. Researched to the point of obsession, there is not a word out of place in this book, from the expressions to the food to the clothes to the manners. The natural history is as finely detailed as the seafaring language, yet despite the deep scholarship on display, this remains a page-turning, suspenseful thriller.
Continuing right off from the sixth entry in the series, this book finds Aubrey and Maturin sailing home to a hero's welcome, then rushing off to the Baltic on an intelligence mission to convince some Catalan troops (who happen to be led by Maturin's godfather) to defect to the British side. Jack is glad to have a ship under his command again, not least because it gives him an escape from his poor investments at home and from the society lady who claims to be bearing his child and threatens a visit. For Stephen's part, having installed Diana Villiers, his enigmatic lover and ostensible fiancée, safely pregnant (by the American intelligence officer she ran away with) in Paris, he can turn all his attention to his spy work. However, after their ship runs aground in a squall, he and Jack are taken to a French prison, where the local military officers seem to know who Stephen is. Escape is paramount, but time is of the essence.
What is left to be said about this superb, erudite, amusing, enthralling series, seven books in? I used up all my comparisons and superlatives in the reviews for the fifth and sixth books. The malapropisms, the mangling of Latin by Jack and Stephen's dimly understood sea jargon, the allusions and elisions, all the elements that make these books high literature as well as grand adventure are here. Researched to the point of obsession, there is not a word out of place in this book, from the expressions to the food to the clothes to the manners. The natural history is as finely detailed as the seafaring language, yet despite the deep scholarship on display, this remains a page-turning, suspenseful thriller.
November 17, 2011
I really enjoyed this entry in the Jack Aubrey canon. Actually, I think it is one of my favorites, right up there with the first in the series.
The characters of Jack and Stephen continue to amaze and delight me in so many ways. I enjoy their dynamic together and how they deal with the situations they find themselves in.
The best part about these stories are the sea adventures and this one did not disappoint in that category.
However, as much as I commend the author on his wonderful storytelling, I still find he does not write women well. I cannot take a shine to Diana Villiers, though she showed unselfishness in this outing. I can't help but get the impression that whatever suits her comes first and never mind about poor Stephen. I just don't like the character.
But the pull of Jack and Stephen are too great, so I will continue on with the series!
The characters of Jack and Stephen continue to amaze and delight me in so many ways. I enjoy their dynamic together and how they deal with the situations they find themselves in.
The best part about these stories are the sea adventures and this one did not disappoint in that category.
However, as much as I commend the author on his wonderful storytelling, I still find he does not write women well. I cannot take a shine to Diana Villiers, though she showed unselfishness in this outing. I can't help but get the impression that whatever suits her comes first and never mind about poor Stephen. I just don't like the character.
But the pull of Jack and Stephen are too great, so I will continue on with the series!
November 3, 2014
it was very difficult to choose a star rating for this installment of the aubrey/maturin series. on the one hand, i can't stand diana and she was all over this in every worst way. on the other hand, once we got rid of her, there were some genuinely interesting moments ~ particularly an escape plot from a fortress which provided some solidly hilarious exchanges (reminding me why this series is fun!).
in the end i had to give it only two stars because it's about 150 pages too long and Lt. Pullings isn't in it, alas.
overall this feels very much like a transitional book that ties up threads that have been feeling sorta endless for the last couple of books (particularly with regard to the aforementioned and much-detested diana).
in the end i had to give it only two stars because it's about 150 pages too long and Lt. Pullings isn't in it, alas.
overall this feels very much like a transitional book that ties up threads that have been feeling sorta endless for the last couple of books (particularly with regard to the aforementioned and much-detested diana).
December 23, 2014
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Benedict Cumberbatch reads the seventh historical novel in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series.
In the early summer of 1812, Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr Stephen Maturin arrive in Canada on HMS Shannon after escaping their American captors.
Produced and abridged by Lisa Osborne.
Benedict Cumberbatch reads the seventh historical novel in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series.
In the early summer of 1812, Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr Stephen Maturin arrive in Canada on HMS Shannon after escaping their American captors.
Produced and abridged by Lisa Osborne.
October 20, 2017
Another exceptional instalment in the series... Nothing more to say!
May 12, 2020
Lovesick leads have never interested me. The Baltic action is truncated. The Catalan subplot aborted. And the imprisonment in France is resolved far to ex machina for enjoyment.
October 30, 2017
Patrick O'Brian back to his very best in this seventh Aubrey-Maturin novel.
Such a good writer of English, as well-as a master story-teller, and a good expression of characters and their development through time.
The GR blurb mentions only a little of the incidents and adventures, from the Atlantic to the Baltic, to inland France, and back to the home fleet where there are a couple of key developments:
'Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are ordered home by dispatch vessel to bring the news of their latest victory to the government. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought in the French intelligence network in the New World, and the attention of two privateers soon becomes menacing. The chase that follows through the fogs and shallows of the Grand Banks is as tense, and as unexpected in its culmination, as anything Patrick O'Brian has written.'
Such a good writer of English, as well-as a master story-teller, and a good expression of characters and their development through time.
The GR blurb mentions only a little of the incidents and adventures, from the Atlantic to the Baltic, to inland France, and back to the home fleet where there are a couple of key developments:
'Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are ordered home by dispatch vessel to bring the news of their latest victory to the government. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought in the French intelligence network in the New World, and the attention of two privateers soon becomes menacing. The chase that follows through the fogs and shallows of the Grand Banks is as tense, and as unexpected in its culmination, as anything Patrick O'Brian has written.'
August 9, 2025
The Surgeon's Mate takes Aubrey and Maturin out of the far south and into the north, which is no less dangerous. On shore in Halifax and celebrating the triumph of the HMS Shannon over the USS Chesapeake, the first hazard is to Aubrey's honor, as he falls in with a fast local woman, one Amanda Smith, who just loves her naval heroes.
A dispatch boat takes them out of romantic danger and into physical danger, as they are chased through the North Atlantic by American privateers hired by a vengeful Johnson, coming off only when the enemy strikes an iceberg and sinks. There's barely enough time to patch up Aubrey's affairs in Britain and for Maturin to duck over to Paris to give a a lecture on birds, when the two or ordered off on a diplomatic mission to secure a vital fortress island in the Baltic sea. The fortress is held by a Catalan regiment, fortunately commanded by Maturin's godfather, but the last ship to approach was destroyed before it could send an envoy in under flag of truce. Aubrey contrives to capture a swift Danish privateer with his new sloop, the HMS Ariel, when it runs aground on banks.
All goes well on the mission, but while conveying the Catalans back to Catalonia, the ship's chronometer is destroyed, and after a sharp action to delay a French ship of the line, a lost Ariel wanders into a fatal bay in Brittany and is wrecked. The two of them are captured and taken to Paris, where they make a fortunate escape from prison just as Johnson arrives to doom Maturin as a spy.
This book is by definition a comedy, since it ends with a wedding, and many plot points hinge on romance, and especially the desirability of a young Lithuanian officer who accompanies our protagonists. There is some pleasing symmetry in the plot, and O'Brien's skill at the earthiness of the early 19th century, food and carriage rides and upset stomachs, is tuned to a particularly sharp point. Yet conversely, our protagonists succeed or are damned by circumstances far outside their control, tossed on the winds of fate even more thoroughly than when sailing on the unlucky HMS Java.
A dispatch boat takes them out of romantic danger and into physical danger, as they are chased through the North Atlantic by American privateers hired by a vengeful Johnson, coming off only when the enemy strikes an iceberg and sinks. There's barely enough time to patch up Aubrey's affairs in Britain and for Maturin to duck over to Paris to give a a lecture on birds, when the two or ordered off on a diplomatic mission to secure a vital fortress island in the Baltic sea. The fortress is held by a Catalan regiment, fortunately commanded by Maturin's godfather, but the last ship to approach was destroyed before it could send an envoy in under flag of truce. Aubrey contrives to capture a swift Danish privateer with his new sloop, the HMS Ariel, when it runs aground on banks.
All goes well on the mission, but while conveying the Catalans back to Catalonia, the ship's chronometer is destroyed, and after a sharp action to delay a French ship of the line, a lost Ariel wanders into a fatal bay in Brittany and is wrecked. The two of them are captured and taken to Paris, where they make a fortunate escape from prison just as Johnson arrives to doom Maturin as a spy.
This book is by definition a comedy, since it ends with a wedding, and many plot points hinge on romance, and especially the desirability of a young Lithuanian officer who accompanies our protagonists. There is some pleasing symmetry in the plot, and O'Brien's skill at the earthiness of the early 19th century, food and carriage rides and upset stomachs, is tuned to a particularly sharp point. Yet conversely, our protagonists succeed or are damned by circumstances far outside their control, tossed on the winds of fate even more thoroughly than when sailing on the unlucky HMS Java.
May 4, 2024
An irregular one, especially at the start. Aubrey on land is actually cringeworthy and unpleasant to read about, though at sea he's still awesome. Maturin's spying is the best part, as has been for the last few tomes.
Who da hell is the surgeon's mate? What did I miss??? "Mate" as in "couple"? Kind of an unpleasant way of saying that, if it's the case.
Who da hell is the surgeon's mate? What did I miss??? "Mate" as in "couple"? Kind of an unpleasant way of saying that, if it's the case.
April 21, 2009
You may remember from Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian that Jack is without command after having sunk the Waakzaanheid, a Dutch 74. At home in England he finds he has been cheated by a scoundrel and Stephen is busily taking on a new espionage assignment that also gets Jack a ship, the Ariel. Jack hopes for a colonelcy, a device used to financially reward post-captains. When his wife Sophie protests that perhaps taking a colonelcy in the army with no duties attached might be considered corrupt Jack utters the loveable, “ in others is anathema to me. But you would scarcely credit the depths of turpitude I should descend to myself for a thousand a year, and a colonel’s pay is rather better than that."
Unfortunately, because of a lieutenant’s hasty confusion of larboard with starboard during a tense moment Jack and Stephen are taken prisoner, Stephen is recognised as a spy, and things look dicey. To be continued, of course. If you haven’t tried one of the Aubrey/Maturin you are really missing some delightful reading. I recommend reading them in order.
Unfortunately, because of a lieutenant’s hasty confusion of larboard with starboard during a tense moment Jack and Stephen are taken prisoner, Stephen is recognised as a spy, and things look dicey. To be continued, of course. If you haven’t tried one of the Aubrey/Maturin you are really missing some delightful reading. I recommend reading them in order.
June 1, 2023
O'Brian wrote this in an quite upbeat mood; and as such the book is full of inanely funny passages. Below is one one my favorite – the honey-buzzards dialogue between Stephen and the Swedish Commandant who offered the birds as a gift.
'I put them there myself,' said the Commandant with pride, 'I put them there with my own hands, choosing each one. Fine plump birds, though I should not say it.'
'Did you shoot them sir?'
'Oh no.' said the Commandant, quite shocked. 'You must never shoot a honey-buzzard: it ruins the flavor. No: we strangle them.'
'Do they not resent this?'
'I think not,' said the Commandant. 'It happens at night. [...] We choose the best, pluck them down, and so strangle them. It has been done for ever; all the best salted buzzards come from Falsterbo; and no doubt they are used to it.'
'Do eagles also appear sir?' asked Stephen.
'Oh, yes, oh indeed!'
'Do you salt them too?'
'Oh, no" said the Commandant, amused. 'A salted eagle would be a very whimsical dish. They are always pickled, you know; otherwise they would eat intolerably dry.'
'I put them there myself,' said the Commandant with pride, 'I put them there with my own hands, choosing each one. Fine plump birds, though I should not say it.'
'Did you shoot them sir?'
'Oh no.' said the Commandant, quite shocked. 'You must never shoot a honey-buzzard: it ruins the flavor. No: we strangle them.'
'Do they not resent this?'
'I think not,' said the Commandant. 'It happens at night. [...] We choose the best, pluck them down, and so strangle them. It has been done for ever; all the best salted buzzards come from Falsterbo; and no doubt they are used to it.'
'Do eagles also appear sir?' asked Stephen.
'Oh, yes, oh indeed!'
'Do you salt them too?'
'Oh, no" said the Commandant, amused. 'A salted eagle would be a very whimsical dish. They are always pickled, you know; otherwise they would eat intolerably dry.'
July 25, 2024
Superb. A fantastic return to form after The Fortune of War, which I didn't love. This one does a really good job balancing the perspectives of Jack and Stephen; we get enough of both of their affairs, on land and at sea, that the book doesn't seem to favour either particularly. Excellently paced and one of the greatest varieties in vistas we've had so far. Really liked the journey home and the chapters in the Baltic. Some pretty funny new characters like Jagiello.
I'm only giving this four stars in comparison with the rest of the series. I'm realising at this point it's almost hopeless rating O'Brian's books conventionally, in the context of my whole library, because they'd probably all have 5 stars. This isn't my favourite of the series and I don't think it hits the highs of Post Captain, HMS Surprise or Desolation Island, but it's very good - and a promising direction for the next one.
I'm only giving this four stars in comparison with the rest of the series. I'm realising at this point it's almost hopeless rating O'Brian's books conventionally, in the context of my whole library, because they'd probably all have 5 stars. This isn't my favourite of the series and I don't think it hits the highs of Post Captain, HMS Surprise or Desolation Island, but it's very good - and a promising direction for the next one.
August 31, 2011
Great installment. It's really at this point that I feel the Aubrey-Maturin series is less of a sequence of separate novels and more like overlarge chapters in one very large story. The events of the previous book led directly into this one. Maturin and Diana cross paths with the nefarious Johnson again, Jack has an ill-advised tryst with a loud mouthed society butterfly, and is humorously baffled by the boyish good looks of Lithuanian Swiss Army soldier Gedymin Jagiello and the incessant passes by the opposite sex he engenders (even while extolling the virtues of a burlier, harier, more competent crewmate). Not as much action in this outing per say, but an enjoyable character study all around.
May 3, 2024
Possibly my favourite of the series so far. So much more seemed to happen in this one than previous volumes to the point where it's almost like four separate but linked adventures. Finally we seem to tie up all the loose ends of the previous two books giving us quite an impressive trilogy of espionage within the context of the naval battles.
There's not huge amounts that can be said without spoilers but at each part I had expectations that were confounded. We get a lot going on here and most of it isn't even 'action' in the normal sense of these books, tactics and planning come to the fore and with the possible exception of the very middle, it all runs with an incredible pace.
There's not huge amounts that can be said without spoilers but at each part I had expectations that were confounded. We get a lot going on here and most of it isn't even 'action' in the normal sense of these books, tactics and planning come to the fore and with the possible exception of the very middle, it all runs with an incredible pace.
February 28, 2016
To date, five out of the seven have been Napoleonic spy stories, not Napoleonic naval stories. There is some enjoyment in the former, to be sure. But to compare O'Brian's heroes to Hornblower, Ramage, Parkinson, or even Kent/Reeman--well, I just don't understand. Aubrey loses more ships in these seven books then those other lead characters lose in each's entire series.
I may read more of the dozens of O'Brian books. But only after wrapping my head around the very different mission of O'Brian's mission, and only for lack of a better choice.
I may read more of the dozens of O'Brian books. But only after wrapping my head around the very different mission of O'Brian's mission, and only for lack of a better choice.
April 2, 2017
So very good! Even when the characters frustrate me so much I want to kick them in their imaginary shins, it's a sign of the excellent writing. I also appreciate that even though fate (a.k.a. the hand of the author) swoops in to save the characters often, they are always actively working to solve their own problems before that happens.
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