Blue at the Mizzen
Published: 1999
Author: Patrick O'Brian
Book 20 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels
Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Contemporary, Family Life, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Navel, Saga, Science Fiction, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel, War
Check the summary of this book here:
Blue at the Mizzen Summary
The Review:
Much of Patrick O'Brian's “Blue at the Mizzen” is written in Maturin's hand via letters to England, which is a break from the manner of many of the earlier Aubrey-Maturin volumes. This works because it adds texture and depth to a character whose rich inner life has been mostly lacking, with his job as an intelligence officer, surgeon, scientist, and former partner and confidant of Aubrey overshadowing his personal tendencies.
The Napoleonic Wars concluded in "The Hundred Days," book nineteen in the Aubrey/Maturin series, and Aubrey, like many Post Captains, confronts the possibility of becoming a "Yellow Admiral" and that means a promotion to flag officer rank without the command of a ship or squadron, thus ending one's naval career. To get away from this, Maturin and Aubrey went to Chile on the "H.M.S. Surprise," to do something that you can read in the book.
While on the journey, two fresh events entice readers: a new midshipman, Horatio Hanson, a bastard of the Duke of Clarence, Prince William, and a growing relationship between Lady Jenny Morris, who is the widow of Lord Morris, the ambassador to Sierra Leone, and Maturin, who is also a widower. It's disappointing that these story aspects won't be explored further.
The journey south moves quickly, and "H.M.S. Surprise's" narrative is equally brief, with most of the plot centering on Maturin and Hanson. While some readers will be disappointed by this, I found it to be a welcome change from the detailed watch-on-watch description of daily life at sea; it also gives the reader a greater understanding of Maturin as an emotional entity. The sole naval fight in which Aubrey is part is also significant, and I wish more information had been provided.
Fans consider this to be one of Patrick O'Brian's best works. Those who are unfamiliar with his works should consider themselves lucky, for they are about to embark on a twenty book journey of sheer delight for the first time, because once you've finished this series, you'll want to forget about it and reread it as a new reader because it's that good.
The New York Times called him "the greatest historical storyteller of all time," and after reading the first one or two volumes, you'll agree. However, you'll need to get acclimated to some archaic vocabulary and linguistic style and remember to read in order.
In any event, while this is a good conclusion to the series, readers should not expect a repeat of one of the earlier volumes. The characters and the author have all grown older, their arch-enemy has vanished, and it almost looks as though they have chosen South America because they would be bored if they returned to their old haunts in England and left the sea. Maybe that's how the British became involved in the independence of Spain's New World possessions!
It may appear impossible for Patrick O'Brian to maintain his interest in the routine of naval life for such a long period of time. I was expecting him to give up at some time, but Blue with the Mizzen doesn't let me down. This time, the intricacy of these well-known characters' development has increased even more, which did not surprise me because I know how talented Patrick O'Brian is at his craft. This series, as well as this particular book, comes highly recommended.
Final Thoughts:
Finishing "Blue at the Mizzen" was heartbreaking since it was the final full novel in the series because the twenty-first novel, "The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey," was not completed and Patrick O'Brian died before finishing it, leaving the manuscript incomplete.
There is so much here that the reader will miss out on, such as the relationship between Lady Morris and Maturin, and what will happen to young Hanson will be as disappointing. Every journey, though, must come to an end, with shipmates parting ways and so it is with Aubrey and Maturin.
I strongly suggest the novels, as I've stated in most of my assessments of the series: no one writes naval fiction like Patrick O'Brian, and few writers write any sub-genre of fiction like him. I felt a kinship to the personalities Patrick O'Brian so brilliantly painted, having experienced terrible weather, stood on the quarter-deck and in the gun-room in innumerable fights, and crossed the line multiple times.
It's been a beautiful, thoroughly entertaining experience, and I advise any admirer of fine writing to discover for themselves why these novels have such a fervent and devoted fan base.
Simply purchase and begin reading "Master and Commander," the first book in the series, to see what all of the fuss is about.
Synopsis:
“"The old master has us again in the palm of his hand." —Los Angeles Times
Napoleon has been defeated at Waterloo, and the ensuing peace brings with it both the desertion of nearly half of Captain Aubrey's crew and the sudden dimming of Aubrey's career prospects in a peacetime navy. When the H.M.S. Surprise is nearly sunk on her way to South America—where Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are to help Chile assert her independence from Spain—the delay occasioned by repairs reaps a harvest of strange consequences. The South American expedition is a desperate affair, and in the end, Jack's bold initiative to strike at the vastly superior Spanish fleet precipitates a spectacular naval action that will determine both Chile's fate and his own.”
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Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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