Patrick O'Brian - The Letter Of Marque

Rating: 5/5

Review:
The twelfth in a brilliant series

This is now my third time reading through this brilliant series and I am reminded again how beautifully written and how wonderfully, addictively enjoyable they are.

In The Letter Of Marque, Jack’s fortunes are a low ebb, but he commands the Surprise as a privateer or “letter of marque” as events develop which may bring about his reinstatement. Stephen, meanwhile, sets about repairing his marriage to Diana while succumbing to his laudanum addiction. It’s an excellent mixture of naval action and developments ashore, with O’Brian’s study of an addictive personality especially well done, I think.

Patrick O'Brian is steeped in the period of the early 19th Century and his knowledge of the language, manners, politics, social mores and naval matters of the time is deep and wide. Combined with a magnificent gift for both prose and storytelling, it makes something very special indeed. The books are so perfectly paced, with some calmer, quieter but still engrossing passages and some quite thrilling action sequences. O'Brian's handling of language is masterly, with the dialogue being especially brilliant, but also things like the way his sentences become shorter and more staccato in the action passages, making them heart-poundingly exciting. There are also laugh-out-loud moments and an overall sense of sheer involvement and pleasure in reading.

I cannot recommend these books too highly. They are that rare thing; fine literature which are also books which I can't wait to read more of. Wonderful stuff.