This 65-page fragment of a novel is only rewarding to fans of the series who want to say goodbye to one of the greatest fictional friendships in literature. We get to experience one last time the special bonds between British naval commander Jack Aubrey and his ship's doctor Stephen Maturin, who is also a naturalist and intelligence agent. In many ways, the last novel "Blue at the Mizzen" was a fitting end to the 20-volume series. Napolean Bonaparte has been defeated and to avoid retirement, Stephen has purchased the frigate Jack first captained, the "Surprise", and together with old crewmates they have hired themselves out to Chile to support their struggle for independence from Spain. But if you can't resist one last look, the short read (or audiobook listen as I did) could bring a bit of healing closure.Here the interests of the British Empire in having a naval force in South America lead to Aubrey's commissioning as a rear admiral, and we tap into preparations of his new ship-of-the-line and the setting out of his small flotilla on an unclear mission. We get the pleasure of Stephen dissecting strange birds, his playing music and joking with Jack, the surly steward Killick serving up the delight of toasted cheese one last time. Jack is happy to see his half-black bastard son doing well in the service. We get to experience a happy reunion of Jack with his wife Sophy and twin daughters and Stephen with his daughter Christine aboard the flagship. In my memory and imagination Jack and Stephen will continue forever to be happy and headed for adventure and accomplishment. An afterward piece in the book covers the struggle for O'Brian to get published and build a following. Eventually in England they started to shelve his books in "general literature" instead of "naval history" shelves. The public began to take seriously his literary worth and critics' comparison of his writing to that of Jane Austen. Due to the movie "Master and Commander", many of his books were reprinted in America, and he was at the peak of success as he worked on this manuscript at 86 while he struggled with fatal illness in 2000.
This is not a novel, but an unfinished fragment. When Patrick O'Brian passed away in 2000 he left behind the beginnings of his 21st Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin novel: a typescript of roughly the first three chapters, and handwritten draft that runs on a bit longer. Both are published here exact;y as O'Brian left them, in a format that places each typescript page on the left with its corepsonding handwritten page to the right. Where the typescript ends the handwritten pages continue alone.As a rabid Aubrey/Maturin fan I bought this to see the last that O'Brian left us. It's probably the motivation that brings this book most of its readers. In retrospect I'm now inclined to regret the decision. My enthusiastic expectation of "Oh, great, a little more O'Brian" was replaced by a sadness at seeing the foundations of a novel that might have been great-there were nice shiny sparkles-but was not, and was never to be. Mixed with the bits O'Brian would have wanted us to read were the early-draft mistakes he would have polished away in later revisions, all of which is cut-off at a truncated ending. It was much the literary equivalent of standing in a weed grown lot looking down at the foundations of some grand building project that was abandoned shortly after it began. In these economic times I can do that for real easily enough: just look out the L window as it rolls along. I do not need to do it in book by a favorite author. I doubt O'Brian would have approved of its publication.As long as the publishers tiptoed on O'Brians grave long enough to give us this unfinished manuscript, they should have done more to satisfy the O'Brian fan interested in reading each and every word he left behind. After O'Brian's own typescript ends we are left with having to decipher his handwriting ourselves to follow the original draft to its end. This is an exercise that quite effectively teaches why authors make typescript copies of their books. Having an editor-typed copy would have made his last few words more accessable. It was a bad choice on their part not to do so.
Well, I started this series last July. It has been enjoyable to read and I feel a sense of loss that I can't follow Jack and Stephen on any more adventures. More than the adventures, which were tame compared to many other books, the pleasant language and craftsmanship of the books are what made for a great experience. Patrick O'brien's wit and prose out strip any contemporary author I have read. It rivals the greats like Victor Hugo and even outstrips many since it was written in english and not a translation. Book 21 showed off his talents by showing an unfinished manuscript in it's various states and shows that to get the well crafted books he turned out it took a lot of effort.
—Brent
I knew that 21 is only a fragment of O'Brian's early working through the next Aubrey/Maturin story--and I could see from the appearance of the book itself that it is quite short--and so my expectations were set quite low. I looked for it to be only a last souvenir of a series that I have loved. It is all that, of course. But I was surprised at just how much substance O'Brian set down on paper before his death ended the series forever. Like the completed volumes that end the series, there is much that seems just repetition of scenes I've already read in the series. But there is a bigger glimmer of hope for the next stage of the Aubrey/Maturin saga than I saw in the last couple of books. Maybe there would've been 5 or 10 more stories, if O'Brian had lived to write them.Anyway, I found this a surprisingly satisfying, enjoyable read--though I do wish that the editors had at least attempted typing up the final manuscript pages, as the handwriting is pretty tough to decipher in places (and I see that someone else has done so, here). Having access to the unfinished manuscript makes the end of the series seem somehow less final and severe. We can imagine that the story goes on and on. My reviews of the Aubrey/Maturin series: Master and Commander 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 The Reverse of the Medal The Letter of Marque The Thirteen-Gun Salute The Nutmeg of Consolation Clarissa Oakes The Wine-Dark Sea The Commodore The Yellow Admiral The Hundred Days Blue at the Mizzen 21
—Neil Coulter
*tears*I started the first book in this series in January, and determined to read through them all by the end of the year. (Could have read them all in a much shorter time, of course, but I wanted to draw it out, and make the experience last as long as possible. But, now its over, and I'm not ready...This last entry in a wonderful series is only three chapters. Less, really, as O'Brian stopped mid-sentence, and died without finishing it. Still, he left us with all our beloved friends seemingly healthy, and happy, and with much to look forward to. Really, in a way, its the best sort of ending, as the lack of resolution allows the reader the freedom to imagine what happens next. I'm sad that I'll never read another tale of Aubrey and Maturin, and their adventures on the sea, but so very happy for the 20 and a partial volumes we spent together.
—Janet
