I (finally) watched Master and Commander yesterday and really got into it. I loved the sailing lingo, watching the sailors’ tasks, and the language.
Should I try a novel in his Aubrey-Maturin series? If so, which one? I like well-written literary fiction about things I wouldn’t/couldn’t do (like, say, rig up a schooner and dig a bullet out of my stomach with a dirty knife).
They’re great - I especially like the Patrick Tull narrated audiobooks - you’ll want to start with the first one, Master and Commander (don’t worry about the plot being the same as the movie, it isn’t.)
Maybe I’m remembering: they’re punctuated…idiosyncratically. But it doesn’t matter, they’re a fun read.
They’re the best historical fiction ever written. If you liked the movie, you’ll like the books. As stated, the best way to start is with Master & Commander - they are chronologically written, so jumping into the middle can leave you a little lost.
Just a warning - it takes a bit for the action to pick up in M&C. Stick it out, you will be rewarded.
And it’s “O’Brian”. (Actually it’s “Russ”, but you’re not supposed to mention that.)
Thanks, all! I’ll be snuggling down with M & C tonight 
There’s quite a lot of that in the books, it’s fair to say. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, just let it wash over you. If it is critical to a plot point, someone will helpfully explain it in the text to Stephen, who has as much clue about nautical matters as the average modern reader does.
Careful, there like 17 of them in the series. They can be a little addicting. I hope you have made arrangements for your pets, loved ones, job, etc.
They might take a while to grow on you. There’s humor, but it’s often so dry that you don’t notice it the first time through. They are beautifully written, though, so give them time.
“Is this not my left hand?”
“I thought it was the horse.”
Because it is cur-tailed!
I have listened to the entire series, narrated by Patrick Tull, more than once. The humor and action is an unequaled combination in any series or genre with which I have experience.
Twenty in all - 21, if you count the final unfinished book.
Far too few, in my view. I’ve read them all at least a half-dozen times. I envy the OP’s opportunity to encounter them for the first time.
How long does it take to listen to a talking book?
I tried it once, and the slow pace drove me nuts.
The first one is 16 and a half hours…it’s not something I’d ever do just sitting on the couch when I could be reading a paper book, but I get a lot of listening in when I couldn’t otherwise be reading - while driving, doing house/yard work, going for walks, etc.
Very good! A glass of wine with you, sir!
And don’t forget you must always choose the lesser of two weevils.
What else shall we spoil for him?
Let’s see…His daughters were actually fathered by Barrett Bonden.
Stephen moves to Spain with Wray.
Jack flees the ship wrecked on an iceberg, leaving Bonden and his crew to a horrible death.
Any more?
Jack and the sloth ultimately set up home together on a remote tropical island, where they have a slow-motion comedy mismatched housemate relationship for about thirty years. Reports of the sloth’s further debauchment are…*unclear
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I will also endorse wholeheartedly to read all 20 books. I was blown away the first time I read them all, and on the third or fourth go around enjoyed them just as much. And this is from somebody that has stacks and stacks of unread books. I keep going back to these.
I did buy the three companion books. One is a cookbook that was just for fun “lobcourse and spotted dog.” Another showed maps and points of interest, and the third was an invaluable lexicon. I’d name them by title with the author if I was at home. Certainly not necissary but fun for the second go around.
This. Don’t let it put you off. If you can’t make sense of it, that’s OK. The story will still work.