Since reading the O’Brian biography, I’ve been of a mind to get back to the Aubrey-Maturin series. I had stopped with the fourth one, The Mauritius Command, a few years ago, simply because I didn’t have the next one in the series, Desolation Island. I’ve rectified that mistake, and I finished it on Wednesday.
I am glad I’ve dived back in. Even the font is deliberately of the period, at least in the W.W. Norton paperbacks here in the United States. The memorable part of the book’s tone is the consistency with which the author relies on the reader’s perceptiveness. So often, the characters say things baldly, without the leading adverbs and adjectives that are so often employed. It’s up to you, the reader, in the midst of a fine tale, to correctly interpret sarcasm, dissembling, and all the other subtexts going on. It’s especially pronounced in the back and forth between the lead characters, old friend Stephen Maturin and Jack Aubrey. Direct and potentially offensive comments elicit only casual response, reminding you of the depth of their friendship. I suppose it would be helpful to go get the book and find a few quotes to illustrate my words… certainly more fun to read O’Brian’s words than mine… but I’m not writing a book review, and it’s not worth my time to scan the book for a prime example. Just read it.