The Wonderful & Dubious O’Brian

Lately, David has been indulging his affection for Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin novels once again. By all accounts O’Brian was a singular individual, but his books are a facinating trip through the 19th. century Royal Navy. The characters are remarkably stoic (stiff upper lips abound) and O’Brian works a real magic act by loading up on the period detail, scarcely ever explaining what any of the various terms might mean, and still managing to hang onto the reader’s interest. He also has a marvelous power to foreshadow entire plots that he simply discards with a randomness that seems very much like life. The books are a real achievement.

~ by keckd on September 3, 2007.