ridel reviewed Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian
Review of 'Post Captain' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
This novel fell far short of my expectations - I'm not entirely sure it even had a coherent plot, but there were a number of subplots that were forgotten, and zero attempts to build a climax and conclusion. This is almost entirely a character-driven novel. There are some bright moments when Maturin is absolutely ridiculous, and Aubrey's rashness reminds you why the first novel was so great, but without plot, the novel is aimless and an utter waste of time.
Well over half the novel is dedicated to scenes on land, and while others seem to enjoy the introduction of Sophie Williams and Diana Villiers, I found them tiresome, irrelevant, and un-engaging. I didn't pick up "Post Captain" for a 1900s romance simulation.
This novel has convinced me to stop reading this series. I've read in other reviews that Patrick O'Brian doesn't actually write novels, but rather wrote 10000 pages …
This novel fell far short of my expectations - I'm not entirely sure it even had a coherent plot, but there were a number of subplots that were forgotten, and zero attempts to build a climax and conclusion. This is almost entirely a character-driven novel. There are some bright moments when Maturin is absolutely ridiculous, and Aubrey's rashness reminds you why the first novel was so great, but without plot, the novel is aimless and an utter waste of time.
Well over half the novel is dedicated to scenes on land, and while others seem to enjoy the introduction of Sophie Williams and Diana Villiers, I found them tiresome, irrelevant, and un-engaging. I didn't pick up "Post Captain" for a 1900s romance simulation.
This novel has convinced me to stop reading this series. I've read in other reviews that Patrick O'Brian doesn't actually write novels, but rather wrote 10000 pages and then just cut them up into 20 volumes and called them books. I can't imagine how I'd get through another book where there's no real villain, no major plot, and just characters going about their lives.
I'm out.
