Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

[Bugg]

I think there are readers of historical novels who absolutely love detail at the O'Brien level, but I don't agree that historical novels have to have it. In some ways it makes for a harder read.

There's more than enough room for different styles, for sure. I'll quite happily read more straightforward authors, like Forester or Cornwell, as well as the likes of O'Brian or Mantel. For my tastes, I found O'Brian became easier to read the further I got in the series. I definitely struggled with it for the first couple of books, but I have to say I found it increasingly involving, to the point where I was so immersed in each book that by the time I reached the end I didn't want to surface and found it difficult to get back into anything else. It was hard not to say 'There is not a moment to be lost!' for most of last year

Personally, I don't think his level of detail was ever over-the-top, though. For that, I'd turn to the likes of Christian Cameron, whose obsession with military detail I find to be quite a grind.

 

[Lew Rockwell Fan]

I suspect some of the people interested in this thread might enjoy this:

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Well, that doesn't work for me. Let's try it this way:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0CvSIhF_tA

I didn' t see the movie, but if they make a sequel, I think it would make a rather cool scene to put an appropriately disabled artist in the right setting to perform this. A crippled vet in a sailor's bar. It would be nigh impossible to find someone to equal Roger's delivery, but even so, it would be cool.