H.M.S. Surprise and The Mauritius Command, by Patrick O'Brian. rating = 5

what wonderful, delightful reads O’Brian provides! you get all the real-life accuracy a historical novel can afford, the in-depth character studies that are rarely achieved without stream-of-consciouness (unless you are O’Brian or Achebe and their level), all the action of a thriller, and the suspense, plot twists, and carefully deliberated story of a spy novel. with such living and colorful prose!

I feel like I can’t tell you what they are all about, though, more than that… what if I gave something away? some absolutely dreadful things happen, along with some normal yet brilliantly wonderful things, as happens in life. I thoroughly enjoy these books and am glad I’ve only read 4 out of the 21 in the series. so many more to look forward too!

and then I can read them all again! :)

here is one bit from The Mauritius Command, that can’t give anything away:

“A capital notion,” said Jack. “It has always seemed absurd to me, that islands should not be English- unnatural.”

_{and I had to smile about St. Jago on 134 of HMS Surprise.}