Mention About Books Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2)
| Title | : | Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2) |
| Author | : | Patrick O'Brian |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 527 pages |
| Published | : | August 17th 1990 by W. W. Norton Company (first published 1972) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Adventure |
Patrick O'Brian
Paperback | Pages: 527 pages Rating: 4.29 | 16958 Users | 904 Reviews
Description To Books Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2)
Post Captain makes me wonder if Patrick O'Brian originally intended Master and Commander as a one off (and if you know the answer please don't tell me. I like not knowing). Master and Commander is a great book, and our introduction to Captain Jack Aubrey and Doctor Stephen Maturin is a great hook, but it can stand alone as a simple Naval adventure without any need for additional information about the men and women confined by its pages. This could, of course, simply be a result of its place as the first book in the series -- a series which stretches just over twenty books -- but there is little if any building for the future in Master and Commander, making it more in conception like O'Brian's The Catalans than his Aubrey-Maturin series. But all of that "future building," all of that stuff needed to sustain a tale over twenty books, is present in Post Captain. Many, though not all, of the characters that will become important to Jack and Stephen make their first appearance here: Mrs. Williams and her daughter, Sophia (Sophie (view spoiler)[when she becomes Jack's wife (hide spoiler)]), their cousin Diana Villiers and Sir Joseph Blaine. The relationships with these people will continue to define Aubrey and Maturin until the end of their adventures, and it will define their friendship with one another. We see the return of such stalwarts as Preserved Killick, William Babbington, Heneage Dundas, Barret Bonden, Joe Plaice, and Thomas Pullings -- and their stories are lovingly broadened and deepened, as though O'Brian is now committed to them for a long voyage. There is also the solidification of Aubrey's friendship with Maturin; they suffer the first and most dangerous test of their love for one another -- a test that brings them even closer to a fatal duel than their first meeting at the Governor's mansion in Port Mahon. We are introduced to Jack's ill luck with money, his penchant for saving drowning shipmates, his inveterate randiness, his father's big mouth (which causes no end of trouble for Jack) and his skill as a Captain and seaman; we are introduced to Stephen's work as an intelligence agent, his deadliness with a sword and pistol, his ideals, his hand in Jack's success, and his tendency to obsess over the unattainable. And all of these deliver plenty of foreshadowing of the challenges our heroes will face during their further adventures at sea and on land. Moreover, O'Brian delivers his first statement that the remaining Aubrey-Maturin books will be more than they first appeared; they will also be testosterone driven Regency romances -- Boy's Own Austen, if you will. Much has been made of O'Brian's debt to Jane Austen, and that debt is obvious in Post Captain. At least half of this book takes place on land(view spoiler)[, and most of that time is spent with Aubrey and Maturin chasing the women who will be their wives (hide spoiler)]. While not all of the Aubrey-Maturin novels spend so much time on land, the concerns of their private lives, whether through epistles or genuine time spent in England, will never lose their importance. All of this suggests to me that Post Captain was the moment when O'Brian really knew this series was special. This was the moment it became his life's work. And it may very well be the best book in the series (although I've no doubt I'll say that again about another chapter). How amazing must it have been to be O'Brian the day he wrote the last page of Post Captain, scribbling that toast to Sophia? I wish that had been me.
Present Books Conducive To Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2)
| Original Title: | Post Captain |
| ISBN: | 0393307069 (ISBN13: 9780393307061) |
| Edition Language: | English URL https://wwnorton.com/books/post-captain/ |
| Series: | Aubrey & Maturin #2 |
| Characters: | Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin, Diana Villiers |
Rating About Books Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2)
Ratings: 4.29 From 16958 Users | 904 ReviewsCritique About Books Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2)
Patrick O'Brian, you have exposed yourself.Exposed yourself as a Jane Austen wannabe, that is. One who is a bit sniffily about the fact that Jane (quite unfairly, I'm sure!) did not give us the thoughts of the male half of the regency romance equation.The first 200 pages of this novel do really read like a historical romance. Albeit one with a very masculine touch- there's just as much swearing and angst and tinkering with the natural world in odd ways as ever there was before, but now its allThe second installment of the Aubrey-Maturin chronicles is long, and has the unpredictable, organic rhythm one comes to expect of the books: the small and large concerns chasing each other, defeat crowding upon victory, action on small, daily joys.This volume brings us deeper into the landed life of the two protagonists, and explores new highs and lows in their friendship. It also brings us new ships to love and hate, blazing action, and the difference between the wizened heads of male and
This was better than the first book for me. Jack and Stephen were not the annoying characters I found them in the first book and the story could be quite humourous in places.I enjoyed the love story element but was very happy to have them back at sea by the end of the book.
A very enjoyable entry in the series, as we get to see Jack and Stephen fall in love, struggle with money, go on an adventure or two, and the real use of a dancing bear. Lots of little nautical details and don't let the esoteric terms through you off -- it's worth the effort. Five stars overall and very much recommended. For the longer review please go here:http://www.epinions.com/review/Post_C...
I would give it ten stars if I could! I can't even get my mind around how much story was in this book, but it was wonderful. There is so much going on from one section to the next. Something always happening. There are no dull moments. Always new things to learn about. So much humor in the dialogue - much of it tongue-in-cheek. Laugh out loud funny at times. Then there are scenes where things are so sad. There is a love story for one and the opposite for another. Jack - having to evade creditors
4 StarsInitially while reading this book and thinking about what I might say in my review, I didnt think I would find anything positive to say. Now, having completed the journey, although there is far too much going on in this novel, and from what I can see here on GR, the longest volume of the series, it is quite a good book.The first four chapters made me really uneasy. The land based captain Jack Aubrey was not as strong and so sure of himself as the Master and Commander we came to know from
Another fantastic yarn!!
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