October novel-reading

[garran]

Since I don't think I'm going to have any personal reading time to speak of for the remaining few days of the month (I'm right in the middle of a three- or four-week period of unusually intense schoolwork, which is also in large part why I haven't been writing here), I may as well post my October reading now. In keeping with the new tradition, I'll once again happily elaborate on my experience of any of these if asked.

Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander
John M. Ford, The Dragon Waiting
C.J. Cherryh, Brothers of Earth
Peter S. Beagle, Tamsin
Steven Brust, Agyar

Comments

[vegetius.livejournal.com]

I've read a lot of historical naval fiction, both Age of Sail and WW2, so I had more of a context in which to evaluate Master and Commander when I read it, than you imply you have.

Having read Forester's Horatio Hornblower series prior reading that of Mr. O'Brian's, I found Mr. O'Brian's superior in terms of writing style and characterization. You mention how certain things take place offstage: nearly everything of importance takes place offstage in the Hornblower series, quite often the battles themselves!

Overall, I enjoyed Master and Commander, and did not notice the things you mention. I read most of the series until the point that Mr. O'Brian demanded and got the right not to be edited any more, whereupon the series degenerated into 400+ pages of sailing and seabirds. I don't read naval fiction for sailing and seabirds!

As for The Dragon Waiting, I thought it was excellent. The well-realized characters, the dramatic and ornate tapestry of events ... I didn't want it to end. I hoped for a sequel but Mr. Ford never repeated himself, never. I believed he considered it bad art to do so (or so I infer from a line of dialog in one of his novellas regarding writers and writing).

Anyway, Mr. Ford died this August, so there will be no more of his brilliantly realized novels or short stories. If you'd like to acquaint yourself with his other writings, the wikipedia has his bibliography. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Ford

Oh, one more thing.

[vegetius.livejournal.com]

Of the three Napoleonic naval war series I've read, the one I consider the best is the Richard Bolitho series by Alexander Kent. Alexander Kent is a pen name for Douglas Reeman. Under his real name, he writes WWII naval fiction (as a WWII & Korean War veteran of the Royal Navy he is well qualified to do so). Strangely enough, Mr. Reeman writes better under his pseudonym than under his real name. My speculation is that since far fewer people are familiar with the Napoleonic period and "ragwagon" naval warfare, he has to write in greater detail to set the scene for his audience. With WWII, more people have familiarity, and so one can let some of the background detail slide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kent