This book is a bit of a return to form after the domestic and on-shore dramas of the previous two books in the series. Aubrey and Maturin head east to Turkey to fight (or not) the French and make alliances with local Turkish leaders. Lucky Jack is reunited with HMS Suprise although he takes a big blow to his reputation, Stephen does some spying, and there are some rollicking adventures and sea battles. ( )

Please see my comments on Vol. 1, Master and Commander. ( )

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A Sinking Ship (and Book): THE IONIAN MISSION, the eighth novel in the "Aubrey/Maturin Series," is not a stand-alone book by any means. The revelation of Dr. Stephen Maturin's marriage to Diana Villiers near the opening of the book will have no significance to those who have not read the preceding works, particularly THE MAURITIUS COMMAND, and even its predecessor, POST CAPTAIN. As mentioned in reviews of some of the earlier volumes in this series, each novel is most accurately pictured as a chapter in one incredibly long story, not as an individual book, for, so far at least, a satisfactory understanding of each book depends upon some knowledge of what transpired in previous ones. However, this inevitably raises the question as to whether the entire series is worth the hours of one's life span required to read it.

Patrick O'Brian (whose real name was Richard Patrick Russ) is an uneven writer at best. Each volume in this on-going sea-faring adventure does have stirring scenes of battle, often complete with missing limbs, shattered appendages, and other naturalistic gore. At these points, the books are veritable "page turners" for readers who enjoy fast-paced action and the vicarious excitement of pitched battles among men-of-war, frigates, sloops, and other fighting ships. Some of the descriptions are also rather educational; the reader comes away with a new appreciation of what naval battle was like in the days when ships were at the mercy of wind and wave. One learns what a "fighting top" was in these ships and why they carried foot soldiers as well as sailors.

On the other hand, O'Brian/Russ is a less successful writer when he endeavors to incorporate human-interest themes not directly germane to naval warfare. The pages devoted to Maturin's marriage to Diana are an unfortunate example of this weakness. The reader learns that it is hardly an intimate or passionate sort of marriage, and both partners are happy enough when Maturin goes again to sea with his captain, Jack Aubrey. This parallels a similar description in an earlier volume of the not-very-joyous marriage of Aubrey with his own sweetheart, and neither adds significantly to the overall story line.

Probably as in real life, there are also stretches of time in the novel where little transpires. The lack of any particular action or even captivating intrigue for rather long periods leaves the reader wishing that something of interest would happen. At one of these rather boring stretches of nothingness, I laid the book aside, read UNDER A FLAMING SKY: THE GREAT HINCKLEY FIRESTORM OF 1894 by Daniel James Brown, and then returned to finish THE IONIAN MISSION.

The ending of this volume leaves the reader suspended in the literary air, by the way. Aubrey has successfully attacked two Turkish warships in a thrilling climatic chapter. Having boarded one of the Turkish ships, he stands on the deck when one of his officers advises him to return to their own ship because this one happens to be sinking. End of book. Essentially, the volume ends in the very midst of an infrequent, exciting action. There is no sort of literary resolution, denouement, conclusion, or sense that anything has been completed. The ending is incredibly unsatisfying, and one prays that the next book in the series, TREASON'S HARBOUR, picks up exactly where this one leaves off, but, if O'Brian/Russ runs true to form, we'll rejoin Aubrey and Maturin somewhere in the future with no clue as to what happened after his victory over the Turks.

All in all, I find O'Brian/Russ to be generally a decent writer but hardly a great one. His books are generally entertaining reads but not memorable ones. His story line is generally entertaining but not a significant contribution to modern literature. One could certainly find a much worse use of time than reading his seafaring novels, but then one could likely find a better use as well. The one recommendation I shall presume to offer is that, if one wishes to sample O'Brian/Russ's writing, he begin with the first novel of the series, MASTER AND COMMANDER, and come to this one in its proper place in the series so as to properly understand many of the references and characters.

Wunschliste