Another in O'Brian's stylish epic series devoted to the exploits of
Captain Jack Aubrey, his close friend and traveling companion Dr.
Steven Maturin, and the men who share their ships - and their
adventures - on the high seas of a world nearly two centuries gone.
We pick up Aubrey and the crew right where we left them in The
Thirteen Gun Salute (p. 496), shipwrecked in the South China Sea
after having seen the British envoy they had been carrying sent to
a watery grave as a result of his impetuous actions. After a bloody
battle with Aborigine invaders and an unexpected rescue, Aubrey is
given command of the small Dutch ship whose name serves as the
title of this volume. He then overtakes and tricks a French frigate
into following him to his rendezvous with his beloved man-of-war,
Surprise, leading to the capture of the enemy ship forthwith. Then
it's off to the Solomon Islands, where the seagoers rescue two
young girls from an island stricken with smallpox, and ultimately
to Sydney, where Maturin is provoked into a duel, complicating
relationships with officials ashore (as do the two rescued
children). The doctor, who is somewhat bemused throughout by his
apparently fallen fortunes (thanks to a banking decision made in
the previous novel), is, as always, the tale's most interesting
character and constantly preoccupied with flora, fauna, and good
conversation, not to mention the sumptuous food and drink that he
and Aubrey seem to enjoy even in the midst of battle. Witty,
literate, and engaging - as Aubrey himself might say, "capital work
indeed." (Kirkus Reviews)
Patrick O'Brian is regarded by many as the greatest historical novelist in English. In 'The Nutmeg of Consolation', Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin begin stranded on an uninhabited island in the Dutch East Indies, attacked by ferocious Malay pirates. They contrive their escape, but after a stay in Batavia and a change of ship, are caught up in a night chase in fiercely tidal waters and then embroiled in the much more insidious conflicts of the terrifying penal settlements of New South Wales. It is one of O'Brian's most accomplished and gripping books.
'Some of the success of this great sequence comes from the conviction and huge enthusiasm which O'Brian had for his history. Everything changed the moment he realised the Napoleonic wars were the Englishman's Troy tales, as historically and mythically rich, and imaginatively exploitable as the story that produced 'The Iliad' and all its heirs.'
W.L. Webb, 'Guardian'
'One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fiction writing this century.'
James Teacher, 'Spectator'
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
