Sailing, exploration, naval combat, and the desperation that comes with adventure–what more could a reader ask for?

Today on the blog, I would like to look at a book that has been on my shelf for as long as I can remember; Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian. This book holds some sentimental value for me, oddly enough, as it relates to my youthful reading interests, even though I have never touched a single page. And, as my shelf becomes more crowded, it becomes less and less essential for my reading list.

Regardless, for this post, we are going to summarize the novel briefly and examine its particulars to see if it’s worth reading.

Summary

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the novel centers around naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician Stephen Maturin as they venture on the HMS Sophie to complete convoy duties during the war. They face many challenges both onboard and off, internal and external, that include disciplining the men aboard the ship and naval encounters with other vessels. The themes stretch from friendship to loyalty to the woes of battle and capture.

Book Blurb

From Amazon: “Ardent, gregarious British naval officer Jack Aubrey is elated to be given his first appointment as commander: the fourteen-gun ship HMS Sophie. Meanwhile―after a heated first encounter that nearly comes to a duel―Aubrey and a brilliant but down-on-his-luck physician, Stephen Maturin, strike up an unlikely rapport. On a whim, Aubrey invites Maturin to join his crew as the Sophie’s surgeon. And so begins the legendary friendship that anchors this beloved saga set against the thrilling backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.”

Reviews

On Goodreads, the novel has 58,567 ratings and 4,264 reviews. There are 23,921 five-star reviews and 1,172 one-star reviews.

Five-star reviews pinpoint the language of the text as being “evocative” with “distinct” characterization. Other reviewers state that they were “hooked” as they continued to read the text, and stated that “Patrick O’Brian brought the 19th century naval world to life.”

One-star reviews discussed the slow pacing of the text with one reviewer stating that they had “read several chapters and his boat hadn’t even left the dock.” Additionally, other reviewers stated that the writing was “deadly” and that there were “extensive, chapter long descriptions of boats and boat…parts.”

Impressions

I enjoyed reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, but I must admit that I got lost in some of the language and the descriptions. Stevenson loves his long-winded descriptions, but such was prose of the time. Nevertheless, an adventure (and a sea-faring one at that) always pushes me in engagement. In this way, Master and Commander seems to be a satisfying adventure story and one that runs a little deeper through its characters and themes of friendship.

I can remember writing naval stories when I was a kid, loving the idea of being on the high seas while experiencing danger and triumph in a difficult world. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi had me rapt when I was in middle school because it pulled me from the staleness of Midwest life when I was young. Who needs farm fields and pastoral landscapes when you could have canons exploding overhead and the cries of violence and clashing of swords?

I think I will delve into Master and Commander eventually because it seems right up my alley when it comes to executing great characters and stirring adventure. Maybe it will also bring to life that young reader who fell in love with adventure on the ocean blue so long ago.

Works Cited

O’Brian, Patrick. Master and Commander. W. W. Norton & Company, 1990.