The Hundred Days
Published: 28, September 1998
Author: Patrick O'Brian
Book 19 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:
The Hundred Days Summary
The Review:
Patrick O'Brian's The Hundred Days' storyline is more contemplative, with quiet and delicate action. The smashing broadsides and clang of steel as boarding parties jump the gunwales, blood pouring from the scuppers is entirely lacking here - what little action there is at sea is the consequence of a protracted chase, chasers fire at one another from afar, and whatever ships are lost are burnt at the port. In reality, much of the action in Patrick O'Brian's books occurs after the event, with Maturin and Aubrey acting more as passive viewers than active players.
This was infuriating as well as depressing. Because of an unexpected event in this work and the reactions (or lack thereof) of Aubrey and Maturin.
However, I believe Patrick O'Brian is demonstrating a great subtlety in the storytelling here, as well as a complexity to the characters. The characters' grief is palpable, yet it is expressed in the style of the time - grieving in the early nineteenth century was a very personal experience, made all the more so given the English "stiff upper lip." Aubrey is no stranger to death, nor to the loss of shipmates, as an officer in the Royal Navy.
Keeping this in mind, Patrick O'Brian's attitude and writing style are consistent with his meticulous attention to historical facts. Regarding the action - or lack thereof - this, too, suits Aubrey's function and position in the Royal Navy: he is now a flag officer who is largely away from naval operations.
The title of this book, "The Hundred Days," refers to Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on March 20, 1815, and King Louis XVIII's second restoration on July 8, 1815. (a period of 110 days). The War of the Seventh Coalition took place during this time period, and it included the Waterloo Campaign, the Neapolitan War, and numerous other lesser engagements. In his address welcoming the king back to Paris on July 8, the prefect of Paris, Gaspard, Comte De Chabrol, coined the expression Les Cent Jours (the hundred days).
Napoleon has returned from Elba in this narrative. The Great Powers of Europe are gathering their forces once more to meet the Little Corporal's feared military brilliance. The French military has split loyalties, and it's up to Stephen Maturin, a secret British intelligence officer, to exploit these flaws. Stephen is in charge of intelligence, while Jack is in charge of his ship and squadron in order to intercept a cargo of gold from North Africa that may mark the end of the Great Powers.
The shattered tusk of a narwhal (which the sailors authoritatively pronounce to be a gloriously lucky "unicorn's horn") and a dog woofing down one of Stephen's anatomical specimens are both negative omens for their expedition (which specimen the sailors declare to be a wonderfully lucky "Hand of Glory" - the severed and disfigured hand of a murderer). Because sailors are superstitious, these two foreboding happenings drive the crew of the H.M.S. Surprise to fear the worst, and a character who has traveled with Jack Aubrey is slain in the shortest of naval confrontations.
Final Thoughts:
Patrick O'Brian seemed to churn out these works with little effort. I know that can't be real, yet that's how it appears. He provides us with a well-developed narrative thread, profound insights into the floating culture of the British Navy at the time, and characters that we have become used to. I adore these novels, and this one is just as amazing as the others.
When two doctors discuss the scarcity of medical supplies, my favorite scene occurs. One inquires about leaches, which were a common commodity at the time. The other says that they were taken by the midshipmen to be used as bait. That may appear charming and amusing, but we readers are well aware, having read the novels, that the midshipmen are frequently young men and boys with minimal resources who live in a state of chronic hunger.
It's witty, but it also alludes to a social convention of the time: midshipmen's poverty (as a group-of course some had plenty of funds to spend on food.) Many other chapters in the text speak to us in a similar way; all we have to do is listen. Patrick O'Brian's historical expertise impresses me a lot and I can see him doing his research while I am reading these books.
Do not start with this book if you are new to the Aubrey/Maturin stories, start at the beginning "Master and Commander," and work your way up. You're in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
However, because this is the 19th book in a series, it's important to be familiar with the characters, their backstories, and the author's flaws. Yes, I agree with other critics that this is not the strongest book in the series, and there are some very heartbreaking passages; but there is nothing,that could persuade me to award anything less than the points and recommendations that i gave to this novel or any other novel in this series.
There is plenty to relish in this novel for the admirer; for the comparer, there are none that compare to Patrick O'Brian and his heroes.
Synopsis:
“"One of the best novelists since Jane Austen…The Hundred Days may be the best installment yet." —Philadelphia Inquirer
Napoleon, escaped from Elba, pursues his enemies across Europe like a vengeful phoenix. If he can corner the British and Prussians before their Russian and Austrian allies arrive, his genius will lead the French armies to triumph at Waterloo. In the Balkans, preparing a thrust northwards into Central Europe to block the Russians and Austrians, a horde of Muslim mercenaries is gathering. They are inclined toward Napoleon because of his conversion to Islam during the Egyptian campaign, but they will not move without a shipment of gold ingots from Sheik Ibn Hazm which, according to British intelligence, is on its way via camel caravan to the coast of North Africa. It is this gold that Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin must at all costs intercept. The fate of Europe hinges on their desperate mission.”
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Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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