The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey

Patrick O’Brian’s Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey, his intended twenty-first book in his Aubrey-Maturin series, picks up shortly after the events of Blue at the Mizzen, with Admiral Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin sailing His Majesty’s Hydrographical Vessel Surprise up the the River Plate in Brazil, for Aubrey to join the South African squadron and formally hoist his pennant as Rear Admiral of the Blue. Along the way, Stephen continues to write a serial letter to Christine Wood, to whom he proposed marriage in the previous novel. In Brazil, the crew finds sentiment much against the Royal Navy, especially as a local uprising is in the works. The Vatican has sent a legate to calm tensions and Jack finds to his great joy show more that it’s his son, Samuel Mputa, whom he fathered while a midshipman and only met much later in The Reverse of the Medal, and who is recently installed as Papal Nuncio to the Republic of the Argentine.

With the arrival of the South African squadron, Jack repairs aboard HMS Suffolk, hoists his pennant, formally becoming Rear Admiral Aubrey. Finding the ship somewhat undermanned, he endeavors to bring aboard those Surprises who seek employ during the peace. Meeting Commander-in-Chief Admiral Lord Leyton, Jack finds him a hard man, though he avoids any lasting conflict. Sending Surprise and Ringle back to England, Jack sends for Sophie and his girls while Stephen sends for his daughter, Brigid, and his paramour Christine Wood. Unfortunately, Jack’s daughters had not got on with Brigid, but the sea travel gives her time to resist their bullying. From there, Jack takes the time to practice the Suffolk’s guns before he and Stephen repair aboard Admiral Leyton’s ship, there meeting with Captain Miller, a neighbor of Jack’s and cousin to Leyton. Leyton sends them to bring Miller to Saint Helena, where Napoleon now lives in his second exile and where Leyton plans to hold an interview with the former Emperor. Here O’Brian’s typed manuscript ends midsentence, though the handwritten manuscript continues on, describing a duel between Stephen and Captain Miller after Miller assumed an overfamiliarity with Christine Wood.

In many ways, The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey recalls the published collections of J.R.R. Tolkien’s notes or his Unfinished Tales. It gives a sense of how he intended to continue the series prior to his death, with some sections sketched out and others more nearly complete. The book also features both a facsimile of his handwritten manuscript and his typed copy, allowing those who are so inclined to study something of his method as an author. For O’Brian’s longstanding fans, this manuscript offers a pleasant send-off. While it is impossible to say what he intended for his characters’ futures, O’Brian’s manuscript leaves them with hope and a fair wind on the horizon. show less

Consisting of just three chapters, a preliminary long-hand sketch of what would surely have been another wonderful novel, there is still much to savour in 21. Here are Jack and Stephen back with us again, and though we don't know where their voyage would have taken them in this book, we see them being happy—both of them with their families, Stephen with his dissections and his spy work, Jack with his admiral's flag.

The book reproduces both O'Brian's partial typescript, and his long-hand manuscript, which allows for a wonderful glimpse of the marginalia—his little sketches of the seating arrangements at the dinner table, and the tiny, touching comment that I am absurdly sleepy, a reminder that when O'Brian was writing this, he was show more eighty-five and lonely. I do wish that they'd transcribed the part of the manuscript which continues on after the transcript—O'Brian's handwriting is very difficult to read, and is often heavily crossed out. It's frustrating to have just a little bit more, right there on the page in front of you, and to lack the palaeographical skills to make it out. show less

*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 show more Maturin, and their adventures on the sea, but so very happy for the 20 and a partial volumes we spent together. show less

This book is interesting because it includes both copies of the handwritten pages and the typed pages Mr. O'Brian left behind. The forward points out places where the story has been re-worked and polished and points out some of the things that make O'Brian prose so accomplished. The story itself is a tantalizing glimpse of what surely would have been another welcome episode in the series. There are lovely moments of friendship and we even get to see the extended family. I wish I could read the handwritten pages, but my skills at deciphering them are limited.

A fascinating glimpse into the mind and writing process of Patrick O'Brian. Not really for anyone else.

I loved it. But tinged with such sadness that he never finished it. I'm somehow reassured that I have placed my fandom in the right place when I see just how much attention to detail went into each book. The half finished sketch of the table seating plan on the last handwritten page caught me out . . .

If you haven't tried these books yet then please do so, for if you like them you will like them a great deal.

The last fragment of the Aubrey/Maturin saga. Small, incomplete, unfinished, yet still very pleasing. A bittersweet read.

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

Despite the 5-star review, which I have given to each book in this series, "21" was sad (because it was unfinished and because it's the last I'll read of Aubrey and Maturin) and frustrating (because the hand-written portions were practically indecipherable. I think the drawing by Geoff Hunt on the back cover of this book of the "H.M.S. Surprise in Mourning," along with his inscription, was the perfect touch.

"May I contribute to the general mourning this little drawing of the 'dear Surprise.' Captain Aubrey, sailing his ship somewhere in the Elysian Seas, has anchored awhile to salute his creator. In the prescribed navy manner, the yards are hoisted cockbilled, the flags and show more pennants droop at half-mast; cannon boom out the salute, while on board, perhaps, the hands are mustered, black is the colour of the day, swords are reversed, and maybe the Dead March is played. It will not last long. There will be another tide to catch, another wind to profit by; she will not lose a minute. The man may be gone, but Surprise and her well-known crew will sail on forever in our hearts." show less