The third book in the Aubrey-Maturin series has all the strengths and weaknesses of the first two books.
On the plus side, the books are unparalleled in their ability to conjure up a time and place (just after 1800 on a British naval vessel). In addition to O'Brian's vaunted attention to detail, the secret is how even the narrator's voice stays true to the milieu: the text never goes out of its way to explain the odd terminology or practices for a modern audience. If you miss a reference, so be it. The characters are well drawn, especially the two principals, and the action sequences are exciting. No matter how many naval engagements happen, I always learn something new about war strategy in the age of sail.
On the down side, I imagine that many readers would find the quotidian details about sailing and life aboard the ship to be dull. The long heart of this book is a comparatively uneventful trip from England to Bombay. I relished the time O'Brian took to describe the trip, just as I loved the sequence in the first book (Master and Commander) when Jack Aubrey learns about his ship and trains his crew. But less geeky readers might find it interminable. Less forgiving readers might also complain about the lack of a compelling, overarching narrative: the books have the unstructured feel of real life rather than a clear beginning or end.
The first few chapters of H.M.S. Surprise seemed comparatively rushed to me, as if O'Brian was impatient with the plot details necessary to send the ship on its way to India. Even the dramatic rescue of Stephen Maturin from a French prison felt that way.
You can be sure that I will read the next novel in the series soon!
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