My father recommended this book to me a few years ago, he's British and to this day a member of a sailing club. Back then, I gave up around 10 pages in, deciding that enjoying the book required extensive knowledge of sailing and the British navy. I just finished the book after trying it for a second time and I plan to read the entire set of Aubrey/Maturin novels. Here are some reasons for nautically challenged readers to try Master and Commander. The characters are real. I can see Captain Aubrey on the... more info
The best ever:
I have to state that I didn't buy the book because I thought it would be like the movie. I really wanted to read the book as it had been recommended by a friend I respect. Having read this I purchased and read the entire rest of the series of books (YES, it is a series) which number 20 full volumes and one unfinished but published novel. The books, collectively, are widely known as the Aubrey-Maturin series after the two main characters, Captain Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, the ship's surgeon. The books... more info
Choppy Waters:
Overall the book was decent. I was not WOW'd by the book. I'm a big Bernard Cornwell fan and I became interested in O'Brian after reading Sharpe's Trafalgar (which I highly recommend). Many reviews criticize the use of nautical terms, but I did something crazy and got the book "A Sea of Words" which can be used to assist with the understanding of nautical terms. "A Sea of Words" is also useful in reading C.S. Foresters Hornblower series in case anyone's interested in those books. Anyway, it's amazing how a... more info
Lost in Translation.:
Lost. Utterly lost. If I had studied a naval manual before I began this book, it may have been different, but alas, no. I so looked forward to billowing sails, salty sea air and wind in my face but the arcane, archaic and mostly unintelligible language left me high and dry. It was like an out-of-body experience looking down on the happenings but feeling nothing. At a certain point in the story one of the ship's mates was injured in a skirmish and ship's surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin had to perform brain... more info
