The Wine-Dark Sea

During 2007, I completed reading the following books by Patrick O'Brian: Desolation Island, The Fortune of War, The Ionian Mission, Treason's Harbour, The Reverse of the Medal, The Letter of Marque, The Thirteen Gun Salute, The Nutmeg of Consolation, The Truelove, The Wine-Dark Sea.

I also read a short non-fiction work, Men-of-War: Life in Nelson's Navy.

And, I may finish another volume in the Aubrey-Maturin series, The Commodore.

Rather than writing a review for each, I'll try to talk about why I love these books so much.

First, I love the craft of the writing. The author is not in a hurry. The words are carefully chosen. You feel like the books were written long-hand, rather than banged out on a typewriter.

The plots take a long time to develop. Some threads are spun out over the course of several books. A very minor character early on becomes a prime mover later. Old friends come back several books later to visit. Secondary characters mirror the main characters.

Non-living (I won't say "inanimate", as many of the non-living objects move) objects are alive. The H.M.S. Surprise, Jack Aubrey's favorite ship, is as much a character as any "living" person in the series. The sea itself is alive, and more than because it is filled with life. The landscape is alive. The air is alive.

Music. The books are filled with music. Some pieces are not real, but the composers are. The main character's play music, secondary characters play music.

Interactions. Whether it is a character writing a letter to another, an entry in a journal, log or diary, private thoughts, or spoken conversation, the books thrive on the interactions between the various characters.

Setting. The European wars of the 1800's. Men-of-War were the height of technology. Imagine being out at sea, with nothing more than rope-and-pulley enhanced muscle power. Imagine needing to strip out a mast, put in a new one, repair sails in all sorts of weather. Imagine going around the world by wind power, not once, but twice in the course of a tale. Uncharted lands, friendly and not-so-friendly encounters, new animals and plants. The books are a wonderful mixture of plots in battle, plots in peace, plots of exploration...You can see why this appeals to somebody whose primary interests are books in the science fiction genre. Here we have new worlds and strange civilizations, a ship equipped with the height of technology and more elements thare are "only" in science fiction.

When I first discovered these books, I rationed myself to one a year, knowing that O'Brian would not continue the series forever. This year I raced through several, just losing myself in the story. When I complete the series, I'll start again. I'll re-discover old friends, find previously unknown nuances. A wonderful series. A wonderful author. A wonderfully realized universe.

A consolidated list of reviews and when read postings...

1996: Master and Commander; Post Captain.

2005: Master and Commander; Post Captain.

2006: H.M.S. Surprise, The Mauritius Command, The Far Side of the World.

2007: Desolation Island, The Fortune of War, The Ionian Mission, Treason's Harbour, The Reverse of the Medal, The Letter of Marque. The Thirteen Gun Salute, The Nutmeg of Consolation. The Truelove. The Wine-Dark Sea. The Commodore. The Hundred Days. Men-of-War: Life in Nelson's Navy.

2008: Master & Commander (three times!). Post Captain. H.M.S. Surprise. The Mauritius Command. Desolation Island. The Fortune of War. The Surgeon's Mate. The Ionian Mission. Treason's Harbour. The Far Side of the World.

2009: Starting with The Reverse of the Medal...

A look at all the Geoff Hunt covers used in the HarperCollins trade paperback editions. These are the covers that originally got me interested in the series. Wonderful art!