Kris HowardJul 18, 2025
Oh no. - I have a running joke that I don’t care for books that start out with maps. Maybe it’s because my sense of direction is terrible and I hate slogging through chapters of geographical descriptions? At any rate, I opened my latest library book today and had to laugh. This is a new one, for me. https://www.web-goddess.org/archive/80541
Show threadChris Mackay 🇨🇦Jul 18, 2025
@web_goddess Ah, Patrick O’Brian. I’ve read 3 — 20-ish years ago. They’re wonderful. I really should dig back into them.
Show threadKris Howard
@tantramar I never had any desire to read historical naval fiction until this essay: https://lithub.com/actually-master-and-commander-is-a-domestic-fantasy-about-a-codependent-life-partnership . So far I'm enjoying it! There was a meet cute at a concert, and then Aubrey got promoted.
Actually, Master and Commander is a Domestic Fantasy About a Codependent Life Partnership!

Over the course of summer 2023—giving myself a hard deadline of Labor Day—I set out to read my way through Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series of nautical adventure novels, beginning with Maste…

Literary Hub
Jul 18, 2025 at 2:34amWeb
Show threadChris Mackay 🇨🇦Jul 18, 2025
@web_goddess The movie — which is a personal favourite — is cobbled together from scenes from the first 3 books, but it rings very true to those books. From what I’ve read, O’Brian was as good at historical fiction, nautical detail, and naval warfare, as he was at writing compelling characters.
Show threadKris HowardJul 18, 2025
@tantramar I re-watched the movie last week, thinking it would help me, before I found out on Wikipedia that it doesn't correspond exactly to any of the books in particular. *sigh*