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A review by ricksilva
Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jack Aubrey, a young officer in the British Navy, gets his first command, the sloop Sophie. Sophie is not exactly the most prestigious of vessels, but Aubrey is determined to get the crew into fighting trim and get down to the business of raiding French supply lines in the Mediterranean for the sake of cashing in on prize money awarded for enemy vessels captured.
Aubrey convinces his new friend, physician and aspiring naturalist Stephen Maturin to sign on as ship's doctor, and they set sail along with a troubled young lieutenant carrying the emotional baggage of his involvement in the Irish uprising.
The life-at-sea details in the story are great. The characters are quirky and severely flawed, but brave and competent when it counts. There's a definite Kirk-and-Spock vibe to the two main characters, especially as Jack Aubrey's tastes for affairs with the wives of higher ranking officers keeps getting him into trouble ashore. Maturin, meanwhile, provides the reader with an outsider's view of naval routines and traditions.
The battle scenes are excellent, but the plot loses a bit of steam at the end, as circumstances force Aubrey to sit out a major battle, and a bit of courtroom drama doesn't quite live up to the level of climax that the author seemed to be intending.
Aubrey convinces his new friend, physician and aspiring naturalist Stephen Maturin to sign on as ship's doctor, and they set sail along with a troubled young lieutenant carrying the emotional baggage of his involvement in the Irish uprising.
The life-at-sea details in the story are great. The characters are quirky and severely flawed, but brave and competent when it counts. There's a definite Kirk-and-Spock vibe to the two main characters, especially as Jack Aubrey's tastes for affairs with the wives of higher ranking officers keeps getting him into trouble ashore. Maturin, meanwhile, provides the reader with an outsider's view of naval routines and traditions.
The battle scenes are excellent, but the plot loses a bit of steam at the end, as circumstances force Aubrey to sit out a major battle, and a bit of courtroom drama doesn't quite live up to the level of climax that the author seemed to be intending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia