Treason's Harbour: Amazon.ca: Patrick O'Brian: Books

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7 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
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4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most entertaining books in the series so far, Nov 21 2001

By

Roger Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Treason's Harbour (Paperback)

This installment, like the rest of this series so far, is suspenseful, funny and populated with characters that seem very real. One new character, Laura Fielding, is admirably faithful to her imprisoned husband, and is, in general, a very likable character (and one that charms both Stephen and Jack). The Middle Eastern setting of this book is exotic and very vividly described. Stephen's adventures in his new scientific marvel, the diving bell, are both funny and interesting. Jack's encounters with Laura's massive dog Ponto are hilarious. The end of this book is very suspenseful because the reader has come to really care about the characters involved. The most notable thing about this book is what a great job O'Brian did of keeping this series fresh by bringing in new locations, characters and situations. O'brian did a great job of not letting this series fall into predictable formulas and repetition. The only failing of this book is that the very end is just a little disappointing and O'brian leaves the reader hanging much more than in the previous books.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Unfinished Business, Jun 23 2001

By

richard_t "richard_t" (Overseas) - See all my reviews

The ninth of twenty volumes in O'Brian's classic nautical series, "Treason's Harbour" ties together some of the plot threads from the previous book, "Ionian Mission", but leaves some of its own questions unanswered. Ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin is back in the intelligence game in Malta, battling French agents and feeding them false information until he and Captain Aubrey are sent to the Red Sea. Their mission is disappointing, though, because of a mole in the British command whose identity is unknown but who also apparently foils the mission to Algeria that ends this book.

Two-thirds of the way into "Treason's Harbour", readers will finally hear about the capitulation of the town of Marga, which Aubrey's crew was besieging in "Ionian Mission". Similarly, in this book we never learn the fate of the Fieldings, he a naval officer escaped from a French prison to return to his wife and she with reputation ruined by Maturin's espionage machinations. This is a letdown, because we've spent so much time learning about them and watching Maturin considering their fates. We never learn the denouement of the Zambra mission but are left hanging after Aubrey has confronted three French vessels, this too is disappointing because the naval actions in this book are subdued, far less gripping than in other installments.

"Treason's Harbour" is a good book, skipping along with O'Brian's intelligent prose and complete ease with maritime matters, but is not wholly self-contained. The diving bell is fun, but this reader is still wishing to know about the Fieldings. The plot bobs and eddies but never quite runs out before the pages do.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Highlight of the Series -- So Far..., Aug 31 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Treason's Harbour (Paperback)

This is the ninth book in the Aubrey/Maturin series and it stands as one of the best, in my opinion, and nearly a rival for "Desolation Island." With all due respect to most of the other reviews here, this book had me riveted and quite moved by the end. Maybe it has something to do with the main setting: Malta, Eqypt and the Red Sea. Some people may be bored by it. I felt the story played across the desert landscape quite beautifully. This is a gripping read, full of political and personal intrigue, great atmosphere, science (Stephen and that damned diving bell) and pitch-perfect characterizations, especially of the two principal protagonists. While Maturin is usually treated more three-dimensionally in the books, it is rare to see Aubrey as fully. Here you have him whole, and powerfully heroic.

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Most recent customer reviews

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3.0 out of 5 stars Treading water
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