El ayudante del cirujano
Patrick O’Brian
Publicado: 1980 | 339 páginas
Novela Aventuras Bélico
Serie: Aubrey y Maturin #7 /

El doctor Stephen Maturin ha de emprender una arriesgada misión en el mar Báltico, y Aubrey será el encargado de llevarle a su destino. Les espera una difícil navegación, una dura climatología y, aún peor, la dura venganza de los franceses.

Having escaped from the Americans, Jack, Stephen, and Diana make for Halifax, where Jack entangles himself in a liaison with Amanda Smith, who will later (more or less) blackmail Jack claiming to be pregnant when he gets back to England. (By the end of the book she's married off to another captain.) They take the packet from Halifax to England but are pursued by two very tenacious sloops that appear to have been paid handsomely by Diana's former lover Johnson to capture her (and Stephen, and his diamond necklace) and bring them back to Boston. Some interesting situations arise on the packet since it's privately owned, and Jack, not being the caption, is consulted about how to fight the ship should it come to blows. However, the chase ends when one of the ships strikes an iceberg, and so, back to England.

Back in domestic bliss, Jack meets his sone for the first time and I loved how the girls, being raised in part by sailors, roar out in the courtyard and leave the air tinged with blue behind them.

This book introduces a number of new recurring characters and we get to visit with some old friends: Jagiello, the young, handsome Lithuanian; Ramon d’Ullastret, the leader in the Catalan garrison at Grimholm and Maturin's god-father; Admiral Saumarez; ; a number of famous scientists of the day at the French Institut, where Stephen gives a rather bad presentation; Sir Joseph Blaine, of course, whom Stephen give Johnson's personal papers in an intelligence coup; and many more besides.

Ultimately, Jack's sloop Ariel ends up in a huge blow and crashes on the coast of France, fortunately saving all lives, but becoming prisoners. Jack, Stephen, and Jagiello are sent to Verdun by coach with the French spy Monsieur Duhamel, who ultimately becomes an ally of Stephen and aids in his escape. The imprisonment is very well described, and their way out also quite intriguing.

Ultimately Stephen and Diana are married in a ship captained by none other than Babbington on their way back to England, where Stephen has been empowered to negotiate a peace between England and France via his new intelligence contacts in France. In a final twist of humor, Aubrey is chased above decks while Stephen and Diana vigorously celebrate their nuptials in the cabin below.

O'Brian's humor is on great display throughout this read, and it really is a great adventure story, with a lot of varied action and many diverse characters. This is a favorite of favorites for me. ( )

Another great novel in the series with Capt. Jack Aubrey and his surgeon friend, Maturin. ( )

Another cracking Aubrey-Maturin sea adventure ( )

Good God these books are incredible. ( )