Patrick O'Brian...

[diddidit]

Anyone else read P O'B's books?

Meaty fare!

did

[American]

Never read one, but I've considered starting, since I used to be into that stuff a little bit. Are they addictive?

Does he ever illustrate his books? I absolutely hate reading fiction, generally, but if there are cool pictures, it's sometimes OK.

[Azathoth]

My significant other read a couple on the advice of a couple friends who are big fans of his work, but she much prefers C.S. Forester's Hornblower books. The friends feel the opposite, causing some strain in our friendship.;)

[Morwen]

I've read them all. To this day it's hard for me to explain why I love them so much, but I do. I've rarely been so pulled into a story. I absolutely adore the characters, the dialogue, and the bits of jargon I could understand (after three re-readings of the series now I understand some more bits). When I leave the US the 20 Patrick O'Brian novels will have a preferent place in the book boxes I'll send home.

[diddidit]

Originally posted by American
Never read one, but I've considered starting, since I used to be into that stuff a little bit. Are they addictive?

Does he ever illustrate his books? I absolutely hate reading fiction, generally, but if there are cool pictures, it's sometimes OK.

Nope, no pictures but the ones in your head and a nice line drawing of a square-rigger near the front page with the various sails labelled.

Addictive, but hard work - late 18th/early 19th century nautical speech, and generally a style of writing I would describe as "old." They aren't books you can idly read.

did

[SteveW]

I have tried a number of times to get interested in them but sadly, they just aren't Hornblower. I guess thats unfair but I loved Hornblower when I was a kid and just don't get the rush from O'Brian's books as I did from Forester.

[diddidit]

Originally posted by SteveW
I have tried a number of times to get interested in them but sadly, they just aren't Hornblower. I guess thats unfair but I loved Hornblower when I was a kid and just don't get the rush from O'Brian's books as I did from Forester.

I shall seek those out, then - I've only seen the A+E episodes.

did

[American]

Originally posted by diddidit


Nope, no pictures but the ones in your head and a nice line drawing of a square-rigger near the front page with the various sails labelled.

Addictive, but hard work - late 18th/early 19th century nautical speech, and generally a style of writing I would describe as "old." They aren't books you can idly read.


I'll likely read them when I retire, or maybe if I marry a really dull woman.

[Morwen]

I've read a couple of the Hornblower books, and I liked them a lot. Horatio is a great character. And Mr. Bush.

Still I prefer O'Brian. Probably because I found them first, but in any case the examples of dry wit, sardonic humor and very, very ironic characterizations that can be found in the O'Brian books make them the best to me.

I saw the A&E Hornblower episodes, and I liked them enormously, especially the first batch, which I found better and funnier than "The Mutiny". I'm dreading the Aubrey/Maturin movie. They're going to spoil it all, I just know it. It's going to be terrible, terrible...

[Lord Muck oGentry]

I read the Hornblower series 35-40 years ago, and reread some of it recently to compare it with O'Brian's stuff.
O'Brian is yer man!

[Morwen]

Well said, Lord Muck!

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Which my form of address is "Muck", not "Lord Muck"---but you knew that, of course!

[Jabberwock]

I've enjoyed both series. I find the O'Brian books a lot more meatier than the Hornblower books, but I find that the Hornblower books often move a lot quicker. I think it's a lot like the difference between the first two Star Trek series. The Original Star Trek series is a lot like the Hornblower books and the Next Generation is a lot like the O'Brian books. :D

[Morwen]

Originally posted by Lord Muck oGentry
Which my form of address is "Muck", not "Lord Muck"---but you knew that, of course!
I do apologize. My manners failed me.

:insert bowing smiley here:

[Boo]

I also preferred Hornblower to O'Brian. Reading O'Brian was like re-reading "Before the Mast".

For those of you that enjoy Hornblower and O'Brian there is a great sci-fi series by David Weber that takes it's premise from Forester's series. The main character is Honor Harrington and IMHO compares favorably to Hornblower.


Boo

[Giz]

I think the difference is that:

Patrick O'Brien novels concentrate ship and it's crew, the life during the voyage, the unpredictable sea etc. It's often more about getting there than it is about arriving.

Forester's Hornblower novels are (high quality) action/adventure thrillers where the sea is permitted to form a backdrop to the action - when dramatically appropriate! Off hand I can't remember Hornblower ever having a plan voided by a chance squall or spar giving way which is just par for the course for Aubrey.

[roger]

I found O'Brian to be absolutely addicting, and, unlike some of the other posters, I never found it to be slow going/hard reading. The humor is subtle, but wonderful. I love the endless interactions between the captain and the doctor, the absolute mistrust the crew has in regards to the doctor's incompetence in the sea. I found myself rooting for the captain as his fortunes rose and fell. I absolutely adored the characters. The story lines were also always very interesting, but this series is definitely character driven.

I find reading history a bit dry, so this was a wonderful way for me to imagine what being in the English Navy was like. The brutal discipline and work conditions, the opportunity for real riches, the barbaric nature of the combat, the bonds formed and broken among the men, the angst and fear of their wives who are left behind for years at a stretch, etc. It all lives inside of me now.

I found some of the later books a bit weak - I remember waiting anxiously for #20 to come out, and being not terribly happy with it. The earlier books are just surperb in my estimation. They stand as literature, not just as sea yarns.

i've never read Hornblower, so I cannot compare these to him. I think I shall rectify that....


roger

[Sandy M]

I've enjoyed both Hornblower and Aubrey/Maturin, but do find the Hornblower books ... less challenging. Not that the O'Brien books are difficult, but they take a bit more attention. I could probably breeze extremely quickly through any C. S. Forester, from Hornblower to Brown on Resolution, whereas I find the detail and action of the O'Brien books requires more concentration and they are more grounded in the reality of the era, and find Maturin a fascinating and exasperating character. I hope the new Russell Crowe movie is good, and I think I can easily accept him as Aubrey, but whomever is playing Maturin seems much too good looking!!! ROFLOL!!

Of course, my REAL addiction for that period is Bernard Cornwell's SHARPE series! Anyone care to continue on that topic?

[Giz]

Ah the Sharpe series! Now you're talking! (At least you are about the majority, some of the latest - everything post Tiger or maybe Triumph - has seemed to be vapid money spinners just trading off the brandname).

Still, with Rifles, Gold, Battle, Sword, Honour, Company in one series it's hard to feel shortchanged!

As a token link back to the rest of the thread - Sharpe's Devil puts Sharpe head to head with Cochrane (the SeaWolf to Napoleon and el Diablo to the Spanish). Cochrane was of course the inspiration for many of Aubrey's actions (such as the 14 gun brig versus 32 gun frigate action that caps Master & Commander)!

What do people think of Corwell's other series - such as REBEL, COPPERHEAD, BATTLEFLAG and THE BLOODY GROUND (American Civil War)?

[Sandy M]

I enjoyed Cornwell's Civil War series and agree that the latest Sharpe novels have not been as good as the original series (but still enjoyable enough).

On his own website, Cornwell seems ambivalent about whether he will continue the Civil War Series. Apparently, he's more into the 14th Century European Wars series he started (Vagabond, Heretic) for the moment -- which lends even more credence to the idea that the Sharpe books are not getting his full attention. I do rather like Sean Bean as Sharpe, though!!! I've bought a couple of the videos from the series, even though they do not entirely follow the books, but I suppose that is in inevitable with such adaptations.

There's a fairly recent new (a couple of years old?) bio of Cochrane I keep meaning to read, but haven't got around to it yet ("Cochrane: The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain" by Robert Harvey). Has anyone read it, and can you recommend it?

[Giz]

Top tip Sandy Danial Hall's Kemp novels "The road to Crecy" and "A Passage of Arms" are better than Cornwell's 100 years war stuff - read like the best of Cornwell's early Sharpes!

[Sandy M]

Thanks, Giz. I will add them to my reading list!

Didn't Forester - or was it Parkinson in his "bio" of Hornblower - claim Cochrane as the inspiration for Hornblower also?