2.0 out of 5 stars
The Ionian Mission by Patrick O'Brian, Sep 5 2009
Having read most of P.O' books I was disappointed with this one. For a large part little action taking place with in my opinion an overload of meaningless verbalism between Maturin and co. as if for filling the pages. However I enjoyed the finish which was a great set-up for the Far Side of the World.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Puddings Triced Athwart the Gumbrils, Sep 2 2001
This review is from: The Ionian Mission (Paperback)
Patrick O'Brian continues his series of wonderful novels about the Royal Navy in the age of sail. I am amazed how he is able to continue to construct fresh interpersonal dynamics to keep the plot lively. I continue to be impressed with his ability to convey vivid images and emotions of his characters. Those who have served in the military will sympathize with O'Brian's characters through his great descriptions of how leaders wrestle with leadership and endure bureaucracy. Anyone unfamiliar with his work should start with the first in the series, Master and Commander.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A little slow in places, but what an ending!, July 5 2001
This review is from: The Ionian Mission (Paperback)
This book was very enjoyable, but, after reading the first eight books in this series, I have the feeling that I've already read the best of the series. This book is wonderfully well-written, as have been all of the books in this series so far, and there is no shortage of the wit and humor that O'Brian is famous for. There are a couple of problems with this book, however. First (and this will be a problem for all of the rest of this series as well) there is the problem of time. In the previous book in this series, O'Brian stopped giving us real historical events that would allow us to know exactly what period of time the events in the books are taking place in. The reason is obvious; by the time the events in this book have taken place, the war would be very nearly over (I figure late 1814 at the earliest) and there is still another ten books or so in this series before the war ends. The other problem with this book is that nothing very exciting happens until about two-thirds of the way through this book. In the last third of the book, Jack is given a special mission that requires diplomacy as well as fighting ability, and even Jack knows that diplomacy is not his strong suit. There is a great plot twist towards the end of this book worthy of a good mystery novel which leads to a fantastic ending. Everything comes together at the end of this book, and it gives the reader a good reward for persevering through the earlier slow parts. I will certainly continue reading this series, although I don't think the later books will quite equal his early masterpieces.
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