The Far Side Of The World (1992) - Plot & Excerpts
Two years ago, I started reading Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series after years of prodding by my husband who insisted that the books weren't really war adventures - which I would hate - but were more about the relationships of the men on the ships. Finally succumbing to his persuasion, I found that hubby was right. Again.In fact, I do like this series very much. I've been reading it now at a rate of about five books a year, more or less, and if I continue on that pace, I should have at least two more years of good reading ahead. So far, I have not found a stinker among the books and this tenth one is, I think, my favorite of all that I've read.The bromance between Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin continues in The Far Side of the World. Aubrey is still captaining the Surprise which, much to his distress, had been designated to return to England to be decommissioned and possibly broken up for scrap. But he and the ship get a reprieve. He is commanded to take the ship to protect English whalers and to stop the American frigate, the Norfolk, from interfering with them. The Surprise chases the Norfolk all across the Atlantic, along the coast of South America, and finally around Cape Horn and into the vast openness of the Pacific Ocean. They never come very close to catching the Americans and they have many adventures along the way.The trip sees one of the most serious disagreements ever to occur between Aubrey and Maturin when Aubrey refuses to allow Maturin and his friend, the parson Martin, time to explore the Galapagos Islands. The captain is convinced that they are getting closer to Norfolk and he will not dim his chances by slowing down for science.Maturin is angry, but his is not a nature that can hold a grudge for long.Sometime later, through a combination of circumstances, Maturin, who has never really mastered the art of seamanship in all his years as a ship's surgeon, manages to fall from the ship into the Pacific. Aubrey turns to speak to him and finds him gone. He realizes almost immediately what has happened and jumps in to save his friend, who is not a proficient swimmer. He gets the doctor stabilized and begins to hail the ship to bring them on board, but there is a noisy celebration going on and the crew cannot hear him. The ship obliviously continues on its course, leaving the two treading water in the middle of the Pacific. Things do not look hopeful, but there follows some of the most exciting adventures encountered by Aubrey/Maturin in all their years together. It won't really be a spoiler to say that they do survive. Since there are ten more books in the series, that's pretty evident, but how they survive is the real heart of this book and the bang-up ending just puts the capper on it.Some of the recent books have put the emphasis on Stephen Maturin's secret work as an intelligence agent. This one is centered on Jack Aubrey's skills as a sailor and his knowledge of the ocean - if not always of human nature. Their relationship continues to deepen and grow stronger through their shared experiences. They often give a thought to their wives back in England, and Aubrey to his children there, but, in fact, they are more married to each other than to any woman. They spend more time with each other than with any other humans. They are very much like an old married couple - each knowing what the other is thinking even before the thought is expressed. The other members of the crew, like Aubrey's man Killick and Maturin's Padeen, make up their extended family. The Surprise is very much a family and these stories, while nominally following the English Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812, are really about the relationships of this family and how they care for each other in often trying circumstances. So, yes, hubby was right about that.One of the many pleasures of these books is the language. O'Brian obviously was a careful researcher and his language feels true to the period about which he is writing. I'm not competent to assess the accuracy of his nautical terms, many of which my eyes glide right over, but I suspect they are spot on. The language that really grabs me, though, is that of the dialogue. It is full of such humor and it just seems to be the way that sailors of the period would talk. It is a real treat to read a conversation between Maturin and Aubrey and, in this particular book, between Maturin and his friend Martin.Both Maturin and Martin are enthusiastic naturalists and most of their conversations concern the flora and fauna of the places they visit. They are particularly good on the birds of those areas. For a backyard birder like myself, those conversations are really some of my favorite parts of this book.There was, of course, a movie made a few years ago - "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" - which mostly relied on the events from this book. I saw the movie in the theater at the time and quite enjoyed it, although, now, I can't really recall too much about what happened in it. Now that I've read the book, maybe I should see it again.
In case you ever wanted to know what it feels like without actually doing it, here is a book that moves with the slow satisfaction of a sailboat journey around the world.The flow of language will at times rock you asleep and other times you will be buffeted about by a crash of words mightily massed and moving perpetually forward.But mostly The Far Side of the World is a book for those who are already embroiled in the saga of Jack and Stephen, two unlikely friends bound together in a noble cause, the fight against tyranny. That's not to say newcomers couldn't begin mid-way through the series by picking up this - #10 and literally the exact middle - and not enjoy themselves. One of the smart things Patrick O'brian did was to make each book self-contained. Now granted, there is a story thread passing through the series from start to finish and you'd be better served starting at the beginning. However, O'Brian gives enough backstory to bring anyone and everyone up to speed, so that you can enjoy these books as one-offs.That is also part of the problem with these books, they tend to start slow because of all the backstory given. Also, O'Brian spends some time setting up the action to come. There is necessary information to deliver to the readers and there is unnecessary-but-welcome foreshadowing. All of that means the story doesn't usually get underway for a few chapters. But I suggest just sitting back and enjoying the subtly with which the author delicately maneuvers his readers through dangerous plot shoals and takes them out to clear-sailing deep blue waters. The Far Side of the World contains almost no sea battles, yet herein you'll find shocking violence of a different nature. Human nature can be fickle, funny and frightening. Readers are treated to a little bit of everything in this one as love sours and blooms aboard ship, and the consequences are brutal. I've read book #10 about three or four times now over the years with a gap in between each time just long enough that I forget the most unexpected turn the story takes. Those caught up in the sea battle chases that this series so often deliver spectacularly might be disappointed, but found it to be a dangerous and delightful detour away from the norm. Those familiar with the movie "Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World" will see that director Peter Weir took the basic structure of his movie from this book. However, it is not faithful from start to finish. For instance, our hero's quarry isn't the same, though the goal is similar. The movie takes bits from a few of the books and patches together a plot of its own, while maintaining the overall feel of O'brian's work in a way that made this fan happy. And likewise, I believe fans of the movie should find plenty of enjoyment in these books.
What do You think about The Far Side Of The World (1992)?
Ah, to dip into the Aubrey/Maturin story again--the evening musical improvisations, the toasted cheese, the morning pot of coffee from Killick... It's halfway through the series now, and the characters, settings, and plot devices are like comfortable old friends. The Far Side of the World is one of my favorite volumes so far. It's possible that Patrick O'Brian by this point was feeling that the series didn't have much time left--as he points out in his introduction, he is running out of days left in the war--and so he packs Book 10 with a great number of interesting scenes. Most memorable is probably the marooning in the Pacific, by a boatload of anti-male Polynesian women. But the whole story is a thrill, guided by a single chase across the world, through every kind of climate and weather, with more ups and downs within the Surprise's own crew than ever before. Much of the book was a real test of the fan's patience, as Aubrey's luck continues to be poor; but the ending promises (yet again) a possible change of fortune for Jack. I found the last hundred pages or so of this one impossible to put down; and though I love the Aubrey/Maturin series, that is not always the case with all parts of all the books.The characters continue to grow and develop realistically. Stephen (who may, humorously, be leaving one addictive substance for another one) has a few moments of contemplating what his duplicitous past has done to his character:'The Odyssey is a fine tale, sure, though I never could cordially like Ulysses: he lied excessively, it seems to me; and if a man lies beyond a certain point a sad falseness enters into him and he is no longer amiable.' Stephen spoke with some feeling: his work in intelligence had called for a great deal of duplicity--perhaps too much.I love reading a novel by a master wordsmith--an author who, for example, uses the word "enormity" to mean "an act of heinous atrociousness" instead of "really big." The historical archaisms are, as always, great fun to decipher, especially when the reader can trust that the author is fully in control of the language. It's a rare treat. My reviews of the Aubrey/Maturin series: Master and Commander Post Captain H.M.S. Surprise The Mauritius Command Desolation Island The Fortune of War The Surgeon's Mate The Ionian Mission Treason's Harbour The Far Side of the World The Reverse of the Medal The Letter of Marque The Thirteen-Gun Salute The Nutmeg of Consolation Clarissa Oakes The Wine-Dark Sea The Commodore The Yellow Admiral The Hundred Days Blue at the Mizzen 21
—Neil Coulter
Another great book in the Aubrey/Maturin roman fleuve.This one is very much a middle book, mostly ship action, with some excruciatingly funny conversations, and some very, very dark stuff. Jack and Stephen are back on the Joyful Surprise, chasing all through the seas. In this book, there is not as much of an emotional roller coaster for Jack, as Stephen's situation builds inexorably, trading off with some good ship action, and a very surprising segment with some fierce islander women.There is a great deal of running comedy, mostly having to do with the ship's crew and there belief in luck, though there is a very dark side to this thread as well. This thread is especially disturbing when it touches on themes of relationships and marriage.Stephen is deeply troubled, both professionally and emotionally, and even the segment with the island women offers commentary on relations between the sexes. There is also the on-going trouble in Whitehall, which the reader is in on and Jack and Stephen are not. This is one of the books that seems to abruptly stop rather than end, leaving the reader grabbing immediately for the next.
—Sherwood Smith
So torn with this book. I REALLY loved the movie, which was full of action and adventure. Unfortunately, the movie was much more interesting than the book, which is a very rare occurrence in my world. The book is part of a long-running series, and spends soooooo much time using nautical terminology and wordy descriptions of life at sea, that it became. slow and dragging. Very little of the movie actually happened in the book, and I found out that the movie was pieced together from different books in the series. I think I was expecting a fast-paced, action-adventure novel and instead I got a descriptive account of life at sea that was meant to be read slowly and appreciated for its descriptiveness. Regardless, the plotline was still interesting and there were some exciting sections, but I just felt like it was bogged down by so much nautical description and there were a few times where I debated if I wanted to finish it. I don't plan to read any more books in the series, but someone with an interest might really enjoy the books.
—Trisha
