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The Truelove Review

The Truelove Review

The Truelove

Published: 1992

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 15 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Contemporary, Family Life, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Navel, Saga, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel, War


Check the summary of this book here:

The Truelove Summary


The Review:

Patrick O'Brian’s “The Truelove” also called “Clarissa Oakes” is the fifteenth book in the Aubrey/Maturin series about unlikely friends Capt. Aubrey and Dr. Maturin during the Napoleonic period maintains the series' history. It demonstrates the author's extensive awareness of the world of the time, both at sea and on land. It is likewise ingeniously structured, with an auxiliary person, Clarissa, providing the missing piece of an espionage jigsaw that has preoccupied Dr. Maturin for the past six novels.

Aubrey is considerably more action-oriented, whereas Maturin is more focused on psycho/social observations. The focus of most of the internal dialogue shifts to letters sent by Aubrey and Maturin to their respective spouses. This style appeals to me more than the author's usual method of expressing what is going on in the minds of the characters. The author has done this previously, but this time it is done really effectively. Maturin mostly keeps a diary, and his letters to his wife are outrageously brief.

I know there were some readers who were disappointed with this book, but I believe that it was overdone. While Clarissa herself is not a particularly true to life or even notably likable character, the idea that a beautiful, accomplished, and clearly upper crust female stowaway who is, for some inexplicable reason, completely oblivious to the opposite sex could wreak havoc on a 19th Century warship's company, both among the commanders and on the lower deck, rings enormously true. Similarly, because the storyline parallels a trip across the Pacific with a gunboat diplomacy campaign on an island sliding into civil war in the second half, there is an unavoidable unity of plot that not all of Patrick O'Brian’s works have.

If you enjoy the Aubrey-Maturin series, you will undoubtedly give this novel a perfect score; however, if you are looking for a standalone novel, it will not receive a high rating for the obvious reason that it is not a standalone novel and you must read the previous books in the series to fully comprehend what is going on. 

In this ongoing narrative of the H.M.S. Surprise circumnavigating the world, there was a gap in the naval action, but I welcomed it for the character growth and adventures in the South Seas. This novel had a female stowaway, which gave Patrick O'Brian's lively writing a whole new meaning.

I believe that this book is a solid addition to the previous volumes in the series, as well worth the attention of any fan of Age of Sail combat, with Mr. Patrick O'Brian’s customary precise planning, characterization, and well-developed streak of humor. While I don't think Clarissa is a believable character in and of herself, I think her effect on the ship's company is completely believable and predictable.

Spoiler Alert! if you don’t want to know something important about this novel then do not read this paragraph after this full stop. Aubrey's decision not to return to Sydney and turn Clarissa to the authorities when she's discovered on board, wasting time and also condemning her to the whims and fancies of officialdom, who treated H.M.S. Surprise quite badly in the previous novel.


Final Thoughts:

In the Aubrey/Maturin canon, the Truelove finds its appropriate position. While I wouldn't put it among the finest in the canon, it holds its own against any other novel of the genre.

'Clarissa Oakes' is 'The Truelove' under a different name. It's a fantastic novel about nineteenth-century naval discipline and the impact of having a woman on board a ship under Letters of Marque. The story also incorporates South Sea Islands culture and British empire-building policy in an interesting and thought-provoking way, but Patrick O'Brian's style transports the reader from the Australian penal colonies across the Pacific, with dips into the ocean's sea life, the realities of wind and calm, and the education of a pair of orphaned children. The interesting relationships with spouses, children, and estate obligations carried out on a ship hundreds of miles away are preserved. Intrigue is provided through spy plans and agents, as well as music, medicine, and the interactions of various characters among officers and troops. Call it Clarissa Oakes or The Truelove in both cases it is highly recommended.


Synopsis:

“The fifteenth installment in Patrick O'Brian's widely claimed series of Aubrey/Maturin novels is in equal parts mystery, adventure, and psychological drama.

A British whaler has been captured by an ambitious chief in the Sandwich Islands at French instigation, and Captain Aubrey, R. N., Is dispatched with the Surprise to restore order. But stowed away in the cable tier is an escaped female convict. To the officers, Clarissa Harvill is an object of awkward courtliness and dangerous jealousies. Aubrey himself is won over and indeed strongly attracted to this woman who will not speak of her past. But only Aubrey's friend, Dr. Stephen Maturin, can fathom Clarissa's secrets: her crime, her personality, and a clue identifying a highly placed English spy in the pay of Napoleon's intelligence service.

In a thrilling finale, Patrick O'Brian delivers all the excitement his many readers expect: Aubrey and the crew of the Surprise impose a brutal pax Britannica upon the islanders in a pitched battle against a band of headhunting cannibals.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Admiral Harte, Age Of Sail, Anyone Who Loves, Aubrey And Maturin, Aubrey-Maturin Series, Billy Boyd, Botany Bay, Blockade Duty, British Navy, Captain Aubrey, Captain Jack, Character Development, Clarissa Oakes, Desolation Island, Diplomatic Mission, Diving Bell, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, Entire Series, Far Side Of The World, Fortune Of War, French Agents, Gun Salute, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Horrible Old, Indian Ocean, Ionian Mission, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Letter Of Marque, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Era, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Nutmeg Of Consolation, Old Leopard, Patrick Brian, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Patrickoobrian, Paul Bettany, Penal Colony, Peter Weir, Post Captain, Pulo Prabang, Red Sea, Reverse Of The Medal, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Simon Vance, South Seas, Stephen Maturin, Stock Market, Surgeon Mate, Takes Place, Thirteen-Gun Salute, Treasons Harbor, United States, USS Constitution, Well Written, Years Ago


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:

Free With Free Audible Trial:

The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):

Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):

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The Nutmeg of Consolation Review

The Nutmeg of Consolation Review

The Nutmeg of Consolation

Published: 1991

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 14 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Contemporary, Family Life, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Navel, Saga, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel, War


Check the summary of this book here:

The Nutmeg of Consolation Summary


The Review:

In “The Nutmeg of Consolation” Patrick O'Brian continues Aubrey's journey into the southern hemisphere, which began with "The Thirteen Gun Salute," while the H.M.S. Surprise sails through Indonesia before arriving in Sydney. While reading the Aubrey/Maturin series in order is recommended, several of the volumes may be read out of order. However, doing so, in this case, would leave you stranded.

Patrick O'Brian's balance of seafaring fiction and his magnificent and vibrant portrayal of life at sea and in battle, as well as his awareness of military and political history, mixed with his particular regard for natural history through Maturin, amazes, mystifies, and encapsulates both a sense of wonder and awareness. This book, like the rest of the series, is deserving of all the high ratings and points and comes with a strong recommendation.

This book gives us a wonderful picture of Australian life, politics, and the hardships of transportation at the time. This is the book for you if you want to learn more about Australia through the perspective of an early fictional naturalist. There is some action at sea, but it follows the pattern of the other novels in that not much occurs, with a few thrilling moments that don't lead to much action, and the book ends up being unsatisfying as a maritime adventure.

The reason for this is that the majority of the story takes place on land, but the writing and narrative are both excellent. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this series is about the sea, but that doesn't mean the characters never go to shore or don't have lives on land, so enjoy the story and follow the heroes on land as well. Patrick O'Brian's mastery of knowledge and perceptions of the time and place is unmatched, as usual.

I'm not a full supporter of summaries or spoilers, but with this series, I think it's alright to provide some hints to those who are already following along. I'm trying to stay away from spoilers so that readers may appreciate Patrick O'Brian's writing and the overall structure of the story. His descriptions of the continent's wildlife, as well as the social context, are so thorough that any reader might imagine strolling beside Maturin on his tour; it's an entirely magnificent mental trip.

There are spoilers in the following paragraph, so please skip if you don't want to read.
This novel picks up just where “The Thirteen Gun Salute” left off, with the crew of the Diane building their own skiff while waiting for rescue. The crew is quickly apprehended, and after some adventure, they are put right and find themselves back in port, as is common in the South China Sea. The political climate that Maturin had left (the French politically outmaneuvered) takes a more nautical turn as Aubrey, now refitted, makes an attempt to sink the French ship before it approaches the Straits of Magellan, and the ship and crew finally arrive in Australia, which was still a penal colony at the time.

This book, as well as the entire series, is fantastic. Patrick O'Brian was a genius, but not in the arrogant, self-centered literary sense. The series provides an up-close and personal interaction with the language, people, battles, naval traditions, intelligence, and gunnery of the period, which individuals like me learn far more from than history books. But Patrick O'Brian is interested in a wide range of subjects, including medicine, biology, botany, fashion, gastronomy, music, literature, and so on. He must have been a dedicated scholar, yet he conveys all of this to readers in a very down-to-earth manner, treating the common sailor with the same reverence as an admiral.

I admit that reading the first book in the series was like reading in a foreign language to me. It took me a long to grasp many old phrases but since the writing was so compelling, I kept reading and soon found myself thinking in the Old English language presented by Patrick O'Brian in the series.


Final Thoughts:

The overall tone of this work is one of optimism and brightness. Things go wrong, but then wonderful things come in droves. It appealed to me. Our heroes had a rocky start, a good middle, and a tough time at Botany Bay, but they eventually do the right thing, leading to a fantastic conclusion.


Synopsis:

“"[The series shows] a joy in language that jumps from every page...You're in for a wonderful voyage."—Cutler Durkee, People

Shipwrecked on a remote island in the Dutch East Indies, Captain Aubrey, surgeon and secret intelligence agent Stephen Maturin, and the crew of the Diane fashion a schooner from the wreck. A vicious attack by Malay pirates is repulsed, but the makeshift vessel burns and they are truly marooned. Their escape from this predicament is one that only the whimsy and ingenuity of Patrick O'Brian—or Stephen Maturin—could devise.

In command now of a new ship, the Nutmeg, Aubrey pursues his interrupted mission. The dreadful penal colony in New South Wales, harrowingly described, is the backdrop to a diplomatic crisis provoked by Maturin's Irish temper, and to a near-fatal encounter with the wildlife of the Australian outback.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Admiral Harte, Age Of Sail, Anyone Who Loves, Aubrey And Maturin, Aubrey-Maturin Series, Billy Boyd, Botany Bay, Blockade Duty, British Navy, Captain Aubrey, Captain Jack, Character Development, Desolation Island, Diplomatic Mission, Diving Bell, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, Entire Series, Far Side Of The World, Fortune Of War, French Agents, Gun Salute, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Horrible Old, Indian Ocean, Ionian Mission, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Letter Of Marque, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Era, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Nutmeg Of Consolation, Old Leopard, Patrick Brian, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Patrickoobrian, Paul Bettany, Penal Colony, Peter Weir, Post Captain, Pulo Prabang, Red Sea, Reverse Of The Medal, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Simon Vance, Stephen Maturin, Stock Market, Surgeon Mate, Takes Place, Thirteen-Gun Salute, Treasons Harbor, United States, USS Constitution, Well Written, Years Ago


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:


Free With Free Audible Trial:


The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):


Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):


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The Thirteen Gun Salute Review

The Thirteen Gun Salute Review

The Thirteen Gun Salute

Published: 1989

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 13 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Contemporary, Family Life, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Navel, Saga, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel, War


Check the summary of this book here:

The Thirteen Gun Salute Summary


The Review:

One more narrative by Patrick O'Brian “The Thirteen Gun Salute” that provides the reader with a lot of sensory input. Although elements of the tale will be known to fans of the previous volumes, it is an excellent story. To be sure, Patrick O'Brian introduces unexpected twists and leaves the reader with a thrilling cliffhanger at the conclusion. The characters and action, as always, are worth reading. 

I learned more about the geopolitical scenario in Malaysia at the time. There isn't much that happens at sea, and there are extensive paragraphs in the book's at sea section that are largely pointless and appear to be included to stretch the entire plot. The treachery that takes place on land is fit for an espionage tale from any period. Overall, I enjoy Patrick O'Brian's creation of characters, storylines, and narratives in this series.

If you're considering purchasing this book as a representation of the "great era of sail" genre, I believe you'll be disappointed. "The Thirteen Gun Salute" is the thirteenth of the Aubrey/Maturin series, which is more akin to a 7,000-plus page novel divided into 21 "chapters" than a collection of stand-alone stories.

Mr. Patrick O'Brian's writing style is graceful, and his descriptions are enthralling, but the characters in this novel are the culmination of a 12-year creation process. I believe that simply "jumping right in" at this time would leave the reader befuddled and frustrated.

It is significantly better for a newcomer to begin with "Master and Commander" in order to get a sense of the series' tone and style. Then, if you're "hooked," you may enjoy "The Thirteen Gun Salute" in that educated perspective but you must read all the previous books before even touching this one.

When compared to the majority of the other 12 volumes in the series, I thought "The Thirteen Gun Salute" to be a bit monotonous. Mr. Patrick O'Brian's detailed writing technique matches or perhaps surpasses his previous efforts, although the subject matter is very narrow in scope.

Botany and zoology as seen through the perspective of an 18th-century spectator can be fascinating, but in the context of Napoleonic history, it can also be overdone. Similarly, the byzantine maneuverings of French and British ambassadors vying for a treaty with an obscure kingdom are interesting to read, but one is left with major concerns about the event's significance in the context of the period.

Patrick O'Brian has a habit of sending Aubrey on long journeys and in this one, he repeats himself a lot. However, while on the Indonesian islands, Dr. Maturin's espionage takes charge. The excursion to a temple in the forest on the slopes of a volcanic caldera, as well as a huge reward that readers have been anticipating throughout the series, make this one stand out.

Let's face it; if you've stuck with the Aubrey-Maturin series thus far, you're going to adore this one. If you're new to the series, The Thirteen Gun Salute is a wonderful place to start but, actually, they are all good and you can start at any one of the books but it is really not recommended, just read the first and then continue in sequence as I mentioned previously. The first chapter provides a fantastic recap of what has already occurred for those new to the series, and for those returning, it serves as a nice review in case you forgot something.

The tale is filled with the typical interesting combination of espionage, naval history, human relationships, cuisine, music, and comedy. The Thirteen Gun Salute is, as expected, a really engaging story from a gifted author.


Final Thoughts:

This is the 13th book in a series that I've read in order, and they keep getting better. You're there because of the dialogue and the descriptions. I prefer to enhance my reading by checking at the geography on Google Earth and looking up some of the more obscure vocabularies as much as possible.

Many readers say that the Patrick O'Brian novels become 'same' around halfway through. That has not been my experience; yes, we are following the adventures of the same two main characters, but each title focuses on a different element of their life, and I know most readers do not read these novels in order, which is why they feel that way.

These books have also introduced me to the nautical history genre, and I've discovered that I'm enjoying other volumes, such as Joshua Slocum's biography of the first solo circumnavigation, which took place around the same time. And the more I read these novels, the more compelled I am to get my own trimaran.


Synopsis:

“"In length the series is unique; in quality—and there is not a weak link in the chain—it cannot but be ranked with the best of twentieth-century historical novels."—T. J. Binyon, Independent

Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for the South China Sea with a new lease on life. Following his dismissal from the Royal Navy (a false accusation), he has earned reinstatement through his daring exploits as a privateer, brilliantly chronicled in The Letter of Marque. Now he is to shepherd Stephen Maturin—his friend, ship's surgeon, and sometimes intelligence agent—on a diplomatic mission to prevent links between Bonaparte and the Malay princes which would put English merchant shipping at risk.

The journey of the Diane encompasses a great and satisfying diversity of adventures. Maturin climbs a Thousand Steps of the sacred crater of the orangutans; a killer typhoon catches Aubrey and his crew trying to work the Diane off a reef; and in the barbaric court of Pulo Prabang a classic duel of intelligence agents unfolds the French envoys, well entrenched in the Sultan's good graces, against the savage cunning of Stephen Maturin.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Admiral Harte, Age Of Sail, Anyone Who Loves, Aubrey And Maturin, Billy Boyd, Botany Bay, Blockade Duty, British Navy, Captain Aubrey, Captain Jack, Character Development, Desolation Island, diplomatic mission, Diving Bell, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, Entire Series, Far Side Of The World, Fortune Of War, French Agents, gun salute, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Horrible Old, Indian Ocean, Ionian Mission, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Letter Of Marque, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Era, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, nutmeg of consolation, Old Leopard, Patrick Brian, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Patrickoobrian, Paul Bettany, Peter Weir, Post Captain, pulo prabang, Red Sea, Reverse Of The Medal, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Simon Vance, Stephen Maturin, Stock Market, Surgeon Mate, Takes Place, thirteen-gun salute, Treasons Harbor, United States, USS Constitution, Well Written, Years Ago


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:

Free With Free Audible Trial:

The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):

Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
Help me grow into a global force: https://www.patreon.com/namsu
Support with crypto coins/tokens: https://cointr.ee/namsu
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