Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

[March 23, 2023]

The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian is one of those rare works of literature that I knew would be "for me" before I even turned to page one of its initial volume, Master and Commander. As a lifelong anglophile who has always felt a longing to go to sea (as cliché as that may be), it did not require much beyond the wonderful, ship-bedecked cover art that adorns the series to sell me on giving it a try. It also helped that I was peripherally aware of its stellar reputation among an eclectic fanbase that includes names such as Ursula Le Guin, Keith Richards, Jo Walton, and...Mindy Kaling.

The series has been called "Jane Austen at sea" or even "Jane Austen for dudes." That alone provides some idea of what to expect. While reading, I have to constantly remind myself that these 20 books (not counting the one unfinished volume) were written from 1969 to 1999 rather than 1869 to 1899. O'Brian absolutely nails the atmosphere of the Napoleonic Wars period. His fine attention to early 19th century details and natural use of an abundance of nautical jargon creates a feeling of verisimilitude that transports the reader right to the decks of the many ships featured in the books. 

Master and Commander, however, begins on land in "The music-room of the Governor's House at Port Mahon..." where our two eponymous leads -- Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin -- are rather brusquely introduced to one another. Their initial meeting almost results in a duel, but the tension quickly resolves and in its place develops one of the most unforgettable friendships in literature...or so I am told. You see, I am still slowly making my way through the rest of the series, savoring every word since I know that when finished I will never be able to replicate the experience of a first read. I have now completed Master and Commander twice, though, over the past few years. It is a wonderful start to a series that has so far been exactly what I hoped it would be. 

Serving as almost a prelude, the opening chapters of Master and Commander are largely spent getting readers' sea legs under them. Not only are we introduced to the primary players and painstakingly-painted setting, but we are also given a crash course in the ubiquitous sailing terms that dominate the text. These are not the kinds of books set at sea but that could just as easily be taking place on dry land. You will become closely acquainted with countless words and phrases whose meanings are not always clear to someone without a substantial working knowledge of boats and Napoleonic War-era sailing vessels. O'Brian challenges the reader to sink-or-swim with all this jargon but offers somewhat of a lifeline by making doctor and landlubber, Stephen Maturin, just as ignorant as most readers will be. We learn along with Stephen, though there are resources such as A Sea of Words by Dean King (or good old Google) that can assist further. I do highly recommend that anyone who wants more of a grounding in the workings of a warship of the era watch this two-part series on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2. Going this extra mile is not necessary, however. While understanding every tiny action and being able to name every part of a sailing vessel will certainly help maximize enjoyment, just allowing the winds to carry you through the book is perfectly fine, too. 

In fact, while I do not typically prefer to listen to audiobooks when it comes to fiction, Patrick Tull's performance is perfect and can help one just go with the flow rather than getting bogged down in all the nautical terms. I read the book my first time but mostly listened to the audio version on my second trip to sea. Tull's performance is so good (and it truly is a "performance" rather than just simply reading) that I went ahead and bought the audio versions of the entire rest of the series. I was so afraid that they would be replaced with more recent versions that already exist that I did not want to risk losing out on Tull's reading of the series (Simon Vance and Ric Jerrom recordings are out there, too, but I cannot vouch for those). 

Losing one's way amidst all of the sailing terms is probably the number one criticism I see from readers who do not enjoy this book and progress no further in the series. Another is the lack of female characters, though that does get remedied quickly in Post Captain, the very next volume. The absence of women did not bother me, as it is in keeping with the naturally male-dominated setting of a sloop during wartime, on which most of this first book takes place. More jarring was the frequent skipping ahead in the plot without a clear conclusion to a scene. This was particularly noticeable when listening to the audiobooks where it was tougher to tell that the narrative had been thrown forward in time. The chapters are also quite long and probably could have been broken up into more of them rather than having those clunkier progressions from scene to scene. This is only a minor quibble, though. 

Where the book really shines is the character work, particularly our two leads, Aubrey and Maturin. O'Brian puts us in the heads of each, and we, in turn, learn more about them through the eyes of the other. They are the classic odd couple in many ways, with boisterous and ebullient Jack the oil to the more melancholic and brooding Stephen's water. Yet, when one is brought low the other is there to lift his friend up. It is an exemplar of male friendship for our modern world in which so many males have trouble making close friends. That may be one reason this series seems to have grown in popularity over the past several years. Another is likely new fans discovering the incredible Peter Weir film from 2003, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

I could (and probably should) devote an entire article just to the film, though for purposes of this review I will try to avoid commenting too much on it. Aside from the name, Master and Commander, it does not share much in common with this particular first book, having mostly been inspired by the later volumes. However, after watching the film, it has become impossible for me to imagine anyone but Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey and Paul Bettany as Stephen Maturin in my mind's eye while reading these books. I do highly recommend watching it because it is truly a work of art, though only if you are willing to risk having those two famous actors play the lead roles in the series for you going forward. 

To conclude what is already an overlong review, Master and Commander is an exceptional initial volume in what is widely considered one of, if not the, greatest historical fiction series of all time. O'Brian hits the ground running with a memorable, humorous, and often surprising entry that will set the stage for a grander adventure over the course of 19 more books (and one that sadly remained unfinished). If one can keep afloat amidst all the nautical jargon thrown at the reader, he or she is in for a real treat. Just do not be surprised if you begin speaking like an early 1800s-era seaman.