Book #17: Master and Commander *audiobook*

Here's my second audiobook of the challenge. As I said on the last one, I'm going to count these, as I'm devoting time to them, and not doing them at the same time as physically reading (can you imagine doing that, reading a book and a separate audiobook?! My brain would fry).

So here goes, book number 17, Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian. Apparently a classic from what I'd heard. It's been hovering just outside my peripheral vision for a while, but I just hadn't had the inclination to read them, so I chose to audiobook it. The audiobook was wonderful, narrated by Ric Jerrom who really brought the book to life for me. It was a long audiobook, and I've been dedicating 1 hour a night to it, as with the previous one. I'm going to be honest, I'm glad I did this as an audiobook as I feel that this might have been a really hard read.

So to the book itself. The story follows Jack Aubrey, a Naval Captain, and his friend and ship's surgeon Dr Stephen Maturin in Jack's first command as a Captain. At the start of the book Aubrey is but a Lieutenant, but is promoted almost straight away to command HMS Sophie, a sloop based within the Mediterranean Sea.

I both enjoyed and didn't enjoy the book. Patrick O'Brian certainly knows his stuff when writing about Naval history, as a result it is hugely complex, and I found myself getting confused about what a mizzen mast was, where the topsails were and what the hell a studding sail is. It's so detailed that if I were physically reading, I'd find myself constantly googling to find out what it was I was currently reading about. That said, the detail doesn't stop there, and O'Brian paints a beautifully glorious and colourful picture of life on board a naval vessel in the 1800s. The music, the food, the clothing, all of it is beautifully described.

The naval battles bring a pace to the book, that could sometimes be lacking during the stiller moments of the book. I found myself engrossed in them, not wanting the hour to end when I listened to the battles. Without the battles, I feel that the pace could have stalled, so I'm glad that there are several actions throughout.

I liked the ambition shown by Jack throughout, eager to prove himself to his superiors, and his struggles with the social etiquette at times. Having an affair with the commandant's wife really wasn't a good idea for him! His desperation to capture ships for prize money to help out his crew and his own advancement really comes across to me.

Stephen was a brilliant character as well, with his fascination of all things, and his complete lack of naval expertise meaning he has no idea what's going on half the time. I could empathise with that!

I've got the second book in the series now to look forward to listening to. And I must watch the film again! All in all, enjoyable, but complicated!

Master and Commander: 3.5cm

Total read so far: 17 books, 48cm

Total left to read: 145cm