Posted by Adam Quinan on September 26, 2008 at 10:41:40 user Adam.
In Reply to: Re: Magic that books give us posted by Dave Thewlis on September 26, 2008 at 03:04:12:
O'Brian certainly has a non-traditional style of telling a naval story, action is often less important than the relationships both between Aubrey and Maturin and also the other characters. I think that they are best read chronologically as the later books are definitely a long flowing story rather than individual self-contained stories. Some people think that the first book is not necessarily the best one to start with. The second is obviously O'Brian's homage to one of his favourite authors, Jane Austen, and has long episodes ashore which can also put off those expecting non-stop action afloat.
For me it is the occasional hilariously funny episodes that also differentiate them from the very humourless Hornblower. O'Brian takes actual historical events which sometimes seem unbelievable but are true and weaves his characters into the story.