Discussion:
Post Captain (Aubrey/Maturin #2)
The second book in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series finds our two protagonists headed home from the Mediterranean to find peace has arrived in England following the Treaty of Amiens. Without a ship, he and Stephen begin to live the lives of country gentlemen, hunting, entertaining and enjoying more amorous adventures.
Their comfortable existence, however, is cut short when Jack is overnight reduced to a pauper with enough debts to keep him in prison for life. He flees to the continent to seek refuge: instead he finds himself a hunted fugitive as Napoleon has ordered the internment of all Englishmen in France. Dr Stephen Maturin, spy and surgeon, leads Jack to the his Spanish castle. When they finally manage to escape, a jealous cuckold assigns Jack to an experimental and poorly-built ship on poorly-conceived mission.
The escape through France to Stephen's ruined castle is one of the few bits of absolute slapstick in the books, but it IS funny.
From the Amazon description:
Quote:
Amazon Review
The year is 1803, and that scalawag Napoleon Bonaparte has gone to war again. For Captain Jack Aubrey, who has fled to France to escape his creditors, this is doubly alarming news. In short order the captain is interned, makes his escape across the French countryside, and leads a ship into battle. And again, his adventures are cleverly counterpointed by those of his alter ego Stephen Maturin.
Review
“The best historical novels ever written.” (New York Times)
“They're funny, they're exciting, they're informative.... There are legions of us who would gladly ship out time and time again under Captain Aubrey.” (The New Yorker)
“The best thing afloat since Horatio Hornblower.” (Observer)
“Aubrey and Maturin compose one of those complex and fascinating pairs of characters which have inspired thrilling stories of all kinds since the Iliad.” (Iris Murdoch and John Bayley)
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Please use this thread to discuss
Post Captain as you read it. Rather than wait to open the discussion until everyone has had an opportunity to read the entire book, we'll open the thread early so you can comment as you go on. Please exercise appropriate discretion to avoid spoiling too much too quickly, of course, but honestly, we want to hear what you think. Whether it's about the actual book, or the specifics of a particular version of the book. (Some of us are listening to audio versions, of which there are at least four that I'm aware of.)