# Thoughts on Patrick O'Brian's Novels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [November 15, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078 "2016-11-15T17:58:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/61 "2016-11-19T01:24:54Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I was a huge Hornblower fan before I ever heard of Patrick O’Brian. When I started on the Aubrey-Maturin series my first reaction was interest mixed with “the nerve of this author to imagine he can stand comparison with CSF.” After several books I’d grudgingly admitted that he’d actually put the Hornblower series - which I will always treasure - into second place. I had the opposite reaction - I read the Hornblowers, heard that there was another series and tried them. Tried two or three of O’Brien’s and never finished one of them. To quote Plum, “they failed to grip.” But, to each their own. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/62 "2016-11-19T02:43:23Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I had the opposite reaction - I read the Hornblowers, heard that there was another series and tried them. Tried two or three of O’Brien’s and never finished one of them. To quote Plum, “they failed to grip.” > > But, to each their own. 🙂 Forester began the books in the late thirties, some were written during WWII. Hornblower was born on July 4, 1776 as described in Midshipman Hornblower, 1950. I felt that Forester encouraged and praised Anglo American cooperation during the Second World War. There is a formality in his style. O’Brien also experienced WWII, but much earlier than when he wrote the Jack Aubrey books. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/63 "2016-11-19T02:49:27Z")
In the film _Captain Horatio Hornblower_, he fights an action and eventually sinks his damaged ship in such a place that he bottles up a French fleet in harbor. Seaman Brown is about to fire a cannon through the bottom of his ship to sink her, and Hornblower says something like, “I’ll do it, Brown”. Does he say that in the novel? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/64 "2016-11-19T03:13:29Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I had the opposite reaction - I read the Hornblowers, heard that there was another series and tried them. Tried two or three of O’Brien’s and never finished one of them. To quote Plum, “they failed to grip.” > > But, to each their own. 🙂 Pretty much my experience, except I forced myself to read the entire first book so I could honestly say I gave it a fair chance. I even started the second one, but it was even worse. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/65 "2016-11-19T03:23:37Z")
I was going to comment that Hornblower is more moral than Aubrey. A seaman strikes an officer than struck him, and will be executed. Hornblower arranges for him to climb out a window of the Captain’s cabin and swim to an American ship. There is an incident where a crewman shoves a midshipman and will be flogged. Aubrey tells the midshipman he must speak up for the miscreant and save him from being beaten. There is an item that Forester created that applies to the literature. Hornblower was tone deaf, and seasick at the beginning of a voyage. I believe Bolitho was afraid of heights. Aubrey has no sense of business or anything, for that matter, on land. “A Ulysses at sea, whatever he may be at land”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/66 "2016-11-19T05:41:14Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > In the film _Captain Horatio Hornblower_, he fights an action and eventually sinks his damaged ship in such a place that he bottles up a French fleet in harbor. Seaman Brown is about to fire a cannon through the bottom of his ship to sink her, and Hornblower says something like, “I’ll do it, Brown”. Does he say that in the novel? I think that whole episode was made up for the movie. I don’t recall it in any of the novels? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/67 "2016-11-19T13:39:51Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I think that whole episode was made up for the movie. I don’t recall it in any of the novels? He sinks his ship to trap the French in harbour in a book, I do not recall which book or ship. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/68 "2016-11-19T13:45:01Z")
I thought it was _Sutherland_ in _A Ship of the Line_, but I find nothing about it with Google. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/69 "2016-11-19T15:13:45Z")
No, in that one he just keeps fighting past the point where _Sutherland_ is salvageable, because he knows that it’s more important to end the excursion by the four French ships than preserve his own ship. The “butcher’s bill” is tremendous and _Sutherland_ is essentially a floating wreck at the end, but it doesn’t sink. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/70 "2016-11-19T15:18:45Z")
I’m trying to remember - does Brown even appear before _Flying Colours_? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/71 "2016-11-19T15:59:05Z")
Right, I’ve found something - it is the _Sutherland_ in the movie version: [Captain Horatio Hornblower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Horatio_Hornblower). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/72 "2016-11-19T16:14:29Z")
Then it isn’t in a book. Thanks, Northern Piper. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/73 "2016-11-19T18:42:19Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > \*\*Dissenting view - \*\* I loved _Master and Commander,_ but I don’t like Patrick O’Brian’s books. > > There are two other series you may want to look at. One is **C.S. Forester’s Hornblower series** , the other is **Captain Frederick Marryat’s** books - these two actually provided the inspiration for O’Brian. > The characters in C.S. Forrester’s novels are far more real. Horatio Hornblower is not the kind of unrealistic ‘superman’ that Aubrey is. He is a brilliant naval officer, but a difficult individual who makes real mistakes in his personal life, as well as occasionally in his professional life. > > . I tend to agree. Forrester’s books have outstanding characters. I found that when I tried to read Master and Commander several years ago I put it down after the first few chapters because I found the writing style to be rather pompous and self important. Given the recommendations above though I’m going to give it another shot. As to Forrester being humorless, I thought Hornblower did have some touches of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/74 "2016-11-19T20:47:40Z")
I’m a Richard Bolitho man myself. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/75 "2016-11-19T20:51:19Z")
> [@turner](#): > > I found the writing style to be rather pompous and self important. I think it is written somewhat in the style of the nineteenth century, which probably seems pompous and self important. I like that style of writing, my charming and loving Wife hates it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/76 "2016-11-19T21:04:09Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I’m a Richard Bolitho man myself. I also enjoyed those books. I do not recall Bolitho’s fault, though. A fear of heights? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/77 "2016-11-19T21:42:51Z")
> [@turner](#): > > I found that when I tried to read Master and Commander several years ago I put it down after the first few chapters because I found the writing style to be rather pompous and self important. The beginning of M&C is pretty hard going, to be fair, but O’Brian _is_ writing in the manner of “Jane Austen, but with more explosions” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/78 "2016-11-19T23:28:14Z")
Interesting to hear people say they liked the audio versions. I tried one, and simply could not get past Capt. Aubrey sounding, not like the gruff and heroic Russell Crowe, but like a contestant in Monty Python’s Upper Class Twit of the Year sketch. Yes, there were likely British sea captains of that period who sounded like that, but I wouldn’t want someone emulating same to star in my audiobook. Kind of like if you used Jerry Lewis at his most daffy to narrate a Batman novel for the title character-yeah, you could do it, but why would you? ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/79 "2016-11-19T23:47:57Z")
Who was the reader? They’ve been several. As said upthread Patrick Tully is \*\*the \*\*voice of the Aubrey/Maturin books. Example. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CFi6fhcMnYQ/hqdefault.jpg "Patrick Tull Reads from "The Reverse of the Medal" by Patric") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFi6fhcMnYQ) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078/80 "2016-11-20T02:02:05Z")
[quote=“DeptfordX, post:79, topic:772078”] As said upthread Patrick Tully is \*\*the \*\*voice of the Aubrey/Maturin books. Example. [/QUOTE] I can’t understand a damn thing. I am from the Colonies in North America. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-patrick-obrians-novels/772078.md?page=5)