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Patrick O'Brian: Master and Commander
Dec. 13th, 2007 01:03 pmAfter I had enjoyed Forester's Hornblower books so much again on the second reading, it was a natural choice to try the Patrick O'Brian books on more or less the same subject. Now I have read the first one.
It is quite different from Hornblower, which is no big surprise. I have no doubt that O'Brian knew Hornblower, but obviously he did not want to just follow Forester in his footsteps. Given his equally obvious literary capacity, he also did not have to.
His protagonists Aubrey and Maturin are quite different from Hornblower, and so is the whole tone of the book. The Hornblower books paint a somewhat idealistic picture of the Royal Navy in the napoleonic era. Aubrey and Maturin are much more flesh and blood, Jack Aubrey even more than Stephen Maturin, at least in this book. (I have not read any of the following yet.)
Aubrey sometimes sweats and is dirty and unshaven, not only after a day-long combat action, but also from simple neglect. Aubrey is really human. He is hung over, petty, vain, and jealous in places, where Hornblower has only the noblest of motives and self-doubt.
People dying in action is a bloody, messy, and awful affair in this book, not heroic -- although sometimes arbitrary and senseless, too -- as with Hornblower, where the really, really painful duty of notifying the relatives does not even occur.
Having a second protagonist is a very useful device to transport opinions and thoughts without resorting to the inner voice of the hero. And as Maturin is ignorant of all matters nautical in the beginning, one of the midshipmen can introduce him and the reader to the most necessary terms of sailing in the beginning. This is a nice and very useful idea.
Although only 15 years younger, O'Brian is clearly a later generation than Forester. Glory and honor of the Empire and the Royal Navy step back for the benefit of a more modern and realistic picture of the naval warfare of the era. Quite different from Hornblower, and not quite as immediately gripping, this book is also great fun to read, mainly due to the more life-like portrayal of the persons. This fun may, I suspect, increase with reading more of the 20(!) volumes.
It is quite different from Hornblower, which is no big surprise. I have no doubt that O'Brian knew Hornblower, but obviously he did not want to just follow Forester in his footsteps. Given his equally obvious literary capacity, he also did not have to.
His protagonists Aubrey and Maturin are quite different from Hornblower, and so is the whole tone of the book. The Hornblower books paint a somewhat idealistic picture of the Royal Navy in the napoleonic era. Aubrey and Maturin are much more flesh and blood, Jack Aubrey even more than Stephen Maturin, at least in this book. (I have not read any of the following yet.)
Aubrey sometimes sweats and is dirty and unshaven, not only after a day-long combat action, but also from simple neglect. Aubrey is really human. He is hung over, petty, vain, and jealous in places, where Hornblower has only the noblest of motives and self-doubt.
People dying in action is a bloody, messy, and awful affair in this book, not heroic -- although sometimes arbitrary and senseless, too -- as with Hornblower, where the really, really painful duty of notifying the relatives does not even occur.
Having a second protagonist is a very useful device to transport opinions and thoughts without resorting to the inner voice of the hero. And as Maturin is ignorant of all matters nautical in the beginning, one of the midshipmen can introduce him and the reader to the most necessary terms of sailing in the beginning. This is a nice and very useful idea.
Although only 15 years younger, O'Brian is clearly a later generation than Forester. Glory and honor of the Empire and the Royal Navy step back for the benefit of a more modern and realistic picture of the naval warfare of the era. Quite different from Hornblower, and not quite as immediately gripping, this book is also great fun to read, mainly due to the more life-like portrayal of the persons. This fun may, I suspect, increase with reading more of the 20(!) volumes.