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A review by genteelblackhole
Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
4.0
This was my first time reading nautical fiction. I was warned that it's heavy on nautical terminology, and it certainly is. I approached it the way I approach science fiction (one of my go-to genres) — as long as I could follow what happened, I trusted that the technobabble makes sense. For the most part this worked for me, and the naval battles ended up being quite thrilling to read.
I also enjoyed the main characters of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, but many of the supporting characters blended into obscurity for me. But, being the first in an eventual series of 20 books (and another unfinished at the time of Patrick O'Brian's death), perhaps my understanding of the supporting characters and their interpersonal relationships will deepen if and when I read further entries in the series.
I wasn't entirely sure about the pacing of the book. It can move rather slowly at times, which for the most part I didn't mind. It swept me along well enough. But the ending is quite underwhelming. Aubrey is acquitted at the court martial, and it just... ends. No reaction or reflection from the characters involved, just a dazed Aubrey getting his sword back. After such a long reading experience, it ends abruptly. "Oh, that's it then," I thought to myself. Overall I still enjoyed it a lot, and I'm interested in reading at least another one or two books in the series to see if I get more engrossed by it. I just hope the others don't end so abruptly.
I also enjoyed the main characters of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, but many of the supporting characters blended into obscurity for me. But, being the first in an eventual series of 20 books (and another unfinished at the time of Patrick O'Brian's death), perhaps my understanding of the supporting characters and their interpersonal relationships will deepen if and when I read further entries in the series.
I wasn't entirely sure about the pacing of the book. It can move rather slowly at times, which for the most part I didn't mind. It swept me along well enough. But the ending is quite underwhelming. Aubrey is acquitted at the court martial, and it just... ends. No reaction or reflection from the characters involved, just a dazed Aubrey getting his sword back. After such a long reading experience, it ends abruptly. "Oh, that's it then," I thought to myself. Overall I still enjoyed it a lot, and I'm interested in reading at least another one or two books in the series to see if I get more engrossed by it. I just hope the others don't end so abruptly.