Peter Galen Massey

Memorable characters in the persons of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin; mastery of a sprawling 2,000 page narrative that is, by turns, sea-faring adventure, espionage thriller, tale of political intrigue, and novel of social manners; stuffed with historical, nautical, and scientific detail; and considering at least two great themes – how power corrupts and the problematic relations between men and women – Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-one novel series gives Trollope and Balzac a run for their money. A superb example of the pure pleasure reading can offer.