The Final, Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (Hardcover)

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Review
'Patrick O'Brian has given a farewell to his followers that is as gracious as it is gallant. And we, in turn, may find some solace in the thought that of all people, this man would not have hated to be taken out of action much as Nelson was: deep in triumph, shedding glory on the service he loved, and still at the peak of his powers.' Richard Snow 'One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time...Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O'Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.' MAX HASTINGS, Evening Standard

Product Description
At the time of his death, Patrick O'Brian had begun to write a novel to follow on from Blue at the Mizzen. These are the chapters he had completed of the final voyage of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin -- the greatest friendship of modern literature THE FINAL VOYAGE OF JACK AUBREY...with a FOREWORD by William Waldegrave. The story picks up from the end of Blue at the Mizzen when Jack Aubrey receives the news, in Chile, of his elevation to flag rank: Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron, with orders to sail to the South Africa station. This new novel, unfinished and untitled at the time of O'Brian's death, would have been a chronicle of that mission, and much else besides. As the novel opens, we are able to visit these friends we have followed so very far in a rare state of almost perfect felicity. Jack has seen his illegitimate son ably discharging important duties. Sophie and his daughters are with him; Brigid is with her father, she's thriving, and Stephen is with a woman who is very dear to him. Jack, at last, is flying a rear-admiral's flag aboard a ship of the line. The chapters left on O'Brian's death are presented here both in printed version -- including his corrections to the typescript -- and a facsimilie of his manuscript, which goes several pages beyond the end of the typescript and includes marginal notes by O'Brian. And so this great 'roman fleuve' comes to an end with Jack, with his 'sacred blue flag', sailing through fair, sweet days -- Stephen with his dissections and new love, Killick muttering darkly over the toasted cheese...Of course, we would rather have had the whole story; instead we have this proof that O'Brian's powers of observation, his humour and his understanding of his characters were undiminished to the end. 'There is nothing in this century that rivals Patrick O'Brian's achievement in his chosen genre. His novels embrace with loving clarity the full richness of the 18th-century world. They embody the cruelty of battle, the comedy of men's lives, the uncertain fears that plague their hearts; and yet, not far away, is the vision of an ideal existence.' Amanda Foreman, New York Times

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4 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 3.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   69 of 70 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars A memento. for fans only, 31 Dec 2004 By  Budge Burgess (Kilmarnock, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    It is, perhaps, a tribute to Patrick O'Brien ... or at least to his market value ... that this edition of his last novel should be released. 'Novel' is a bit of an exaggeration. This is an unfinished, incomplete piece of work, the last manuscript on which O'Brien was working at the time of his death. O'Brien's untitled novel was intended to carry forward the story of Jack Aubrey, now elevated to the rank of Rear Admiral. What you get is a series of incomplete story notes. Fascinating reading, maybe, for the genuine fan. Or an interesting read for anyone concerned to understand how the mind of a novelist works. You get, literally, a pen picture of a work-in-hand - facsimile images of his writing and crossing outs, his experiments with plot and character, scribbled images, notes, and an insight into how a novel is put together. Buy it if this is the sort of thing which fascinates you ... but don't imagine it's a complete story. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   78 of 80 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Pointers for your own little Jack Aubrey story, 22 Jan 2005 By  "accentmonkey" - See all my reviews I know that in strict page-to-pound terms this book is a waste of money. I know that there are only about 35 pages of type and the rest is Patrick O'Brian's almost illegible handwriting, but I also know that I missed Jack and Stephen terribly, and to even have the slightest prompting as to what might have happened to them after Blue at the Mizzen finished is worth a lot to me. There they are, making their jokes as old friends do and trying to sort out land problems while at sea. And there's a promise that something exciting might have happened if only O'Brian had finished the book. But it wasn't to be, and the few personal notes from O'Brian's real life that bleed onto the last few pages make for a poignant end to a great set of adventures. I'm glad I read this. Its lack of completion gives you leave to make up your own fate for the characters. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   10 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant fairwell, 7 Sep 2008 By  D. Benyon "Dave Benyon" (London, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This final, unfinished voyage of Jack and Stephen is a poignant farewell to the two protagonists and the late Patrick O'Brian himself. The style of this book is spot on - as it is for the previous twenty novels of the 'Aubreyad'. O'Brian's grasp of 1800-era spoken language is straight out of Jane Austen; surpassed only by his vivid illustration of the "wooden world" of the Nelsonic Royal Navy. O'Brian's dedicated description of the minutae of naval life, routine and the tools of the sailor's trade separate him from his peers in historical fiction and elevate his craft to the level of the literary classics. That there is no naval battle within this fragment of a novel is a perfect illustration of the man's genius. The vivid portrayal of sea battle in previous novels (Sophie-Cacafuego, Surprise-Torgud and Leopard-Waakzamheid to name a few) provides evidence enough that the master of historical fiction was expert at describing the business of combat at sea. But unlike the Hornblower series, for example, O'Brian wrote with such humour and style, that the bits "in between" battles, become rather the point. I think my favourite section of this title though, was the passage at which Jack's flag is raised aboard his flagship. That moment was one which, were it transmitted to film, would likely be accompanied by an intense flashback, with a fast-paced montage of poignant events - good and bad - from Jack's career and life. It put a lump in my throat to say goodbye to Jack and Stephen. After twenty one wonderful voyages they seem more like my good friends than merely characters on a page. They are O'Brian's monument, perhaps two of literature's greatest creations, and just like the man himself, they will be missed. We must take solace then, that after so many joyful reads, we leave them sailing off, under white canvas, and bright blue skies, toward their next adventure. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 4 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars No fan should miss this This book is not to be appreciated as a novel, although it is a great insight into what might have been had O'Brian lived another year and Aubrey had the chance to leave the... Read more Published 10 months ago by Mr. Nicholas Dougan Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 4 customer reviews...

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