ship shape

Eamonn did it. His Patrick O'Brian week last month did what all the slick advertising about the movie didn't do -- his postings moved me to read the first O'Brian book in his Aubrey/Maturin series, Master and Commander.

I have not seen the movie yet. I am about 30 pages from finishing the novel.

What sold me on reading it was Eamonn's description of the author's love of language, the powerful story telling elements, the well-crafted (no pun intended) recreation of early 19th century British naval life at sea.

Last summer I visited the HMS Victory in Portsmouth, but I really have no knowledge of sailing ships. O'Brian doesn't pander to ignorant folk like me, but he also doesn't forget us. There is a nifty diagram of the sails and masts of the ship described in the novel, and O'Brian has a few opportunities for sailers in the book to explain nautical terms to Dr. Stephen Maturin, a physician and naturalist. Because of his friendship with the captain, and his station in life, Maturin is not considered as the same class of the rest of the sailors under command. He must obey the captain, but their friendship allows him free access as an outside observer to further explain and describe life on the ship. The other main character, Jack Aubrey, is a young and newly assigned ship's captain. He has grown up his whole life in the navy. As a new captain, we see him in the process of applying what he has been preparing for most of his life.

One of the interesting observations in the novel is the whole understanding of how teams of men worked and lived together, right on top of each other. It takes practice, something the new captain does with his crew over and over, much the way a coach practices his or her sports team.

It was a very enjoyable read and I am sure I'll purchase the next volume.