I cento giorni

4 1/2 Said Kent (a Whitehall gentleman), “You will recall that Buonaparte professed himself a Muslim at the time of the Egyptian campaign?” This from the penultimate (#19 of 20) novel in O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series of Napoleonic-era sailing/adventure novels. (For an overview and introduction Leggi tutto

"Patriotism, promotion, and prize-money have been described as the three masts of the Royal Navy." - Patrick O'Brian, The Hundred Days One more full novel to go in this series and two surprising deaths. This, the 19th novel was published in 1998, 29 years after the first book in the series ( Master an Leggi tutto

Loved it, as richly enjoyable as the 18 preceding novels, but oh! Only one left! (Don’t like reading unfinished works). Think I’m going to bite the bullet and go straight on to Blue at the Mizzen just in case the sky falls on my head before I’ve had that pleasure and joy! After all, one of these day Leggi tutto

For the second time (I think) in the series, O'Brian has written an ordinarily entertaining novel rather than something that achieved a bit more. There are minor lapses here and there. Those who cavil at the leaps in plot and the lingering on what sometimes seem like insignificant details haven't be Leggi tutto

The 19th and, unfortunately, the final book in O'Brien's Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin series. This one takes place during the Hundred Days of Napoleon's return to power ending at Waterloo. Not one of the better ones, it does involve an intriguing story of Commodore Aubrey seeking to intercept a s Leggi tutto

As we come nearer to the end of the Aubrey-Maturin cycle we also approach the final days of Napoleon’s ascendancy in Europe. In this volume, as evinced by the title, we see Jack and Stephen’s involvement in “the hundred days” when Napoleon escaped from his exile on Elba and attempted to re-take his Leggi tutto

Many readers have noted that O'Brian's series declines in quality generally at some point in the second ten books. I agree with that, but The Hundred Days is the first volume where I actually almost wished he'd ended the series earlier. The reason for this is mostly in the opening chapter. The clunk Leggi tutto

It's been a while and I'd forgotten about O'Brian's delicious prose. Delicious prose like ice-cream that's full of flavour and goes down smoothly. Prose that makes a statement. Makes a statement then repeats it, expanding upon it. Prose that really is way harder to imitiate than it looks... It was a Leggi tutto

I have to say reading this novel resulted in a bit of a shock to me. Patrick O'Brian uses deus ex machina to address some apparent 'loose ends,' and I shan't say anything further to spoil it for the reader. Superbly plotted and deftly written, "The Hundred Days" refers to the period of time between

Another great one.