The Mauritius Command, by Patrick O'Brian

[rowyn]

This is the fourth of the Aubrey/Maturin series. It's the most novel-like of the series so far, which thus far has read more like a long biography than a series of novels. The novel's central conflict is the English campaign to take two islands in the Indian Ocean away from France, and the narrative remains with this campaign throughout. Some of the previous books have stuck with a theme, as alltoseek pointed out -- Master and Commandercovers Aubrey's command of the sloop Sophie, and H.M.S. Surprise mostly covers one mission -- but neither book has a central conflict that runs through it.

There's quite a lot of naval warfare in The Mauritius Command. I still don't really follow the fighting, but I am coming to like it, though I can hardly explain why.

I found the novel bittersweet. I fear that the weight of life and years has cast a permanent pall over the outsized good-natured puppy that was Jack Aubrey in Master and Commander. I mean, he's still good-natured and he's pretty upbeat for most of the story. But I miss his terrible, terrible jokes, and his unfathomable enjoyment of them. I suppose even puppies have to grow up eventually. But still.

It's a good read; I'll give it an 8.

Comments

[alltoseek.livejournal.com]

TMC is dismal, this is true. But things do get better for Jack (and then worse, and then better). He does mature quite a bit through the series, into more of a man you can look up to, rather than want to pet like a puppy. I guess his humour does migrate a bit from the bad puns (although not entirely :-) but he stays lovably Jackish.

Desolation Island is quite a mix of, well, basically everything. You will enjoy it, I'm sure.

I enjoy the battles too, usually, even though I still have trouble following them even after several readings. I think POB somehow brings you into the immediacy of them, the thick of things. So you get a lot of that excitement Jack feels and loves, without the actual pain and danger :-)

[rowyn]

TMC didn't seem so dismal for Jack, apart from the start -- having both Sophie and Jack be unhappy at home seemed so wrong. D: I mean, if Stephen had actually married Diana, I'd expect them to be miserable together. But Jack and Sophie seem so easy to please. *sigh*

Anyway, Stephen is about as happy as Stephen ever gets, which isn't very.

But Lord Confert's part in the story was tragic, and even Corbett's was sad.

I do think the disappointment at getting reinforcements at the end was very funny. It reminds me of an MMORPG, where you hate people who jump into your fight and deprive you of the loot and xp. :D

[alltoseek.livejournal.com]

having both Sophie and Jack be unhappy at home seemed so wrong.

Yep :( POB had to work his machinations to make them that way, too :P

Jack's being Commodore and having to direct this mismatch set of captains from afar was not his forte. He likes being in on the action, and we like him there too :-)

I do like the end, even with the loot- & glory-stealing hounds there, because Jack is so happy about George he doesn't even care. He'll have plenty of prize-money, and enough recognition, and now he has a son. Life is good! And Jack's happiness is infectious :-)

The entire Mauritius campaign is based on the real events, even to the over-reaching admiral. *shakes head* You can't make that shit up!

[alltoseek.livejournal.com]

Also, PC 2 posts are up on DW - check 'em out!

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Hopefully not series decay...

[rowyn]

I don't think so; it feels more like O'Brian is having the character mature rather than that O'Brian is tired of the series or running out of ideas. It may be that I liked the immature version better, though. c_c