stitch_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kackjennedy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
andydavidsmith76's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lmsk's review against another edition
4.0
A spy novel first and a naval adventure second. Highlights including the diving bell, Mrs Fielding, and the whist-playing Maturin.
aaronmjnoy's review against another edition
4.0
This is another one setting up a lot of intrigue but less action-packed than some of the earlier novels. It was one of the funniest ones in the series though.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
5.0
While this book has plenty of naval escapades and battles, what really is fun here is the intrigues with Maturin at the forefront. Cloak and daggers oh my!
trowellingbadger's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
siria's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really trying to pace myself when going through this series, because with every part of it I read, I am more and more conscious that I only have a finite number of books remaining to be read. I'm not even quite half way through the series, but I'm still trying to draw it out as much as I can, so that I will have more of this world to savour and explore.
Treason's Harbour is one of the quieter of O' Brian's works so far. The pace is slower, and it feels much more like a part of an extended series, not a stand-alone work, than the previous novels of his that I've read. The prose is still a joy to read, elegant and free-flowing, and capable of displaying O' Brian's erudition and knowledge of the period without ever letting them overwhelm the story.
The skill and the subtlety and the love with which he draws his characters is still more than apparent, though. I've rarely read characters who seem more real to me than Jack and Stephen. I've wittered on before at length about my love for Stephen because of how closely I can relate to him as he's one of the few characters I've ever read in fiction who have a comparable background to me (mixed English and Irish culturally) and who share my speech-patterns; and this story certainly did nothing to shake that. His quietly ruthless intelligence, his single-minded fixations on his academic pursuits, his loyalty to Jack and the friendship they have - I can't offhand think of many books which inspire such a fierce joy in me as I read them.
Treason's Harbour is one of the quieter of O' Brian's works so far. The pace is slower, and it feels much more like a part of an extended series, not a stand-alone work, than the previous novels of his that I've read. The prose is still a joy to read, elegant and free-flowing, and capable of displaying O' Brian's erudition and knowledge of the period without ever letting them overwhelm the story.
The skill and the subtlety and the love with which he draws his characters is still more than apparent, though. I've rarely read characters who seem more real to me than Jack and Stephen. I've wittered on before at length about my love for Stephen because of how closely I can relate to him as he's one of the few characters I've ever read in fiction who have a comparable background to me (mixed English and Irish culturally) and who share my speech-patterns; and this story certainly did nothing to shake that. His quietly ruthless intelligence, his single-minded fixations on his academic pursuits, his loyalty to Jack and the friendship they have - I can't offhand think of many books which inspire such a fierce joy in me as I read them.
doodlebuginarug's review
adventurous
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0