Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Ardent fans of Patrick O'Brian know that he is one of the best kept secrets of English literature. His ability to project the complex, at times contradictory inner life of his characters -- and Aubrey and Maturin are certainly among the most fascinating ever to be inked upon paper -- allow this 20-novel cycle to transcend the usual narrow focus of the Traditional Sea Novel. O'Brian is not content with narratives merely devoted to warfare or adventure (although there's plenty to be had here): he also delights in portraying the conventions of English society, the developments in early 19th-century science (through Maturin's incessant experimentation), and various scenes of amateur music-making. An omnibus edition of the series is a welcome notion, given the shelf space required by 20 volumes (even in paperback)! While I am no connoisseur of typefaces, the font used in re-setting the text is 'cleaner' and more attractive than the one used previously -- which is extremely important if you plan to traverse the 6500-plus pages of the omnibus edition! But I have a major reservation with Norton's omnibus edition: there is little evidence that the publishers bothered to proofread their newly re-set text. Not only are there the usual, minor misspellings (like 'sorpething' instead of 'something'), but some far more problematic ones -- the kind that leave you with the nagging feeling: "surely O'Brian didn't write that." My favorite (so far) is in Book Two (Post Captain), which describes Canning's "great delighted laugh, a crowing noise that rose from a deep ass..." (see page 738). Checking the text of the previous hardback and paperback edition confirmed that O'Brian referred to Canning's vocal range ("bass"), not his nether regions. Another serious problem with the omnibus text is the recurring omission of paragraph breaks used to mark alternating voices. Including more than one speaker within the same paragraph makes for some very confusing, even misleading passages. One should know that Norton's previous editions laid out the dialogue much more clearly (and consistently). So, in a certain sense, this new edition is probably not the best introduction to O'Brian's multi-volume masterpiece. Newcomers should, if possible, go back to the previous edition which, after all, is still in print. Cheaper too, if you don't mind getting paperbacks.