Thanks for leaving a note.

I’m envious: you get to read through the entire series for *the first time*.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I now know what the writer David Mamet meant when he said that he felt Patrick O’Brian’s novels and characters had become a part of his life. My wife purchased, “Master and Commander,” for me and I have just begun to read it – needless to say, I am savoring each descriptive sentence and scene.

Thanks to you for your Patrick O’Brian Aubrey-Maturin blog! Keep up the good work!

Tom Mauser, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

You are absolutely correct. Stephen’s reflections on Christine are based on love and respect, rather than a more basic desire he felt for Diana.

Thank you very much, you’ve helped me narrow my search significantly! I look forward to your on going updates.

Thanks again for your help.

Great to hear from you. I will be putting up quotes from the rest of the books as the weeks go on. In the meantime, I think immediately of Stephen and Christine in “Blue at the Mizzen”. Their key encounter takes place right in the middle of the book. There might be something there, or perhaps before it. It’s in this book that Stephen finally grows into a deeper, fuller view of marriage as friendship.

Best of luck to you and your bride. My wife and I are coming up on eleven years and some of our best times have been when we re-read the series together (we’ve done it three times now, straight through) often interrupting each other to read wonderful passages and to share in a joke. O’Brian’s books are a treasure to us.

~Jason

Great blog! I especially enjoy your Aubrey/Maturin quotes. It’s always nice to find other Patrick O’Brian fans.

If it’s not too presumptuous, I was hoping you might be able to help point me in the right direction in terms of a Aubrey/Maturin quote.

I suppose this is somewhat ironic considering the above marriage quote… I’m getting married in a couple months and both my fiance and I are great fans of the series. We’d very much like to have a meaningful passage from the books read during our ceremony. I remember reading reflections (mostly by Stephen) on love and friendship. However, for the life of me I cannot find these passages.

The books blur together so I might be looking in the wrong books, or in the wrong parts. I suppose it’s possible I’ve dreamed them! I was wondering if any examples jump to your mind? Even if you can think of the book and setting it would be a tremendous help.

I greatly appreciate any insight you may have.

Cool quote by PT. The idea of taking a “bump” and finding it useful to the overall nuance of a scene. I like that.