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Golden Ocean #2
The Unknown Shore
Patrick O'Brian's first novel about the sea, The Golden Ocean, took inspiration from Commodore George Anson's fateful circumnavigation of the globe in 1740. In The Unknown Shore, O'Brian returns to this rich source and mines it brilliantly for another, quite different tale of exploration and adventure.
The Wager was parted from Anson's squadron in the fierce storms off Cape Horn and struggled alone up the coast of Chile until she was driven against the rocks and sank. The survivors were soon involved in trouble of every kind. A surplus of rum, a disappearing stock of food, and a hard, detested captain soon drove them into drunkenness, mutiny, and bloodshed. After many months of privation, a handful of men made their way northward under the guidance of a band of Indians, at last finding safety in Valparaiso.
This saga of survival is the background to the adventures of two young men aboard the Wager: midshipman Jack Byron and his friend Tobias Barrow, an alarmingly naive surgeon's mate. Patrick O'Brian's many devoted readers will take particular interest in this story, as Jack and Toby form a kind of blueprint for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, the famed heroes of the great Aubrey/Maturin series to come.
The Wager was parted from Anson's squadron in the fierce storms off Cape Horn and struggled alone up the coast of Chile until she was driven against the rocks and sank. The survivors were soon involved in trouble of every kind. A surplus of rum, a disappearing stock of food, and a hard, detested captain soon drove them into drunkenness, mutiny, and bloodshed. After many months of privation, a handful of men made their way northward under the guidance of a band of Indians, at last finding safety in Valparaiso.
This saga of survival is the background to the adventures of two young men aboard the Wager: midshipman Jack Byron and his friend Tobias Barrow, an alarmingly naive surgeon's mate. Patrick O'Brian's many devoted readers will take particular interest in this story, as Jack and Toby form a kind of blueprint for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, the famed heroes of the great Aubrey/Maturin series to come.
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
About the author
Patrick O'Brian
166 books2,523 followersPatrick O'Brian was an English novelist and translator whose reputation rests above all on the Aubrey-Maturin novels, a twenty-volume sequence set during the Napoleonic Wars. The books follow Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and Stephen Maturin, his friend and ship's surgeon, whose Irish-Catalan background and scientific interests complement Aubrey's practical naval outlook. Beginning with Master and Commander, the series combines historical events with fictional adventures, preserving the outcome of real history while placing its protagonists within the action. O'Brian's command of period language, naval terminology, medical detail, and maritime practice gives the novels a convincing sense of nineteenth-century life, while their humor and the evolving relationship between Aubrey and Maturin provide their emotional center. The series became a long-form narrative in which professional duties and private lives develop continuously across successive voyages. O'Brian's literary career began remarkably early. Writing as Richard Patrick Russ, he published his first novel, Caesar: The Life Story of a Panda-Leopard, as a teenager, followed by animal stories collected in Beasts Royal. His novel Hussein: An Entertainment appeared in 1938 and received critical attention. After the Second World War, he adopted the name Patrick O'Brian and continued publishing fiction, including The Last Pool, Testimonies, and The Catalans. His early naval novels for younger readers, The Golden Ocean and The Unknown Shore, already contained elements that anticipated Aubrey and Maturin. He also became a translator from French, producing more than thirty English translations, including works by Simone de Beauvoir, Henri Charriere, and Jean Lacouture. His nonfiction included biographies of the naturalist Joseph Banks and the painter Pablo Picasso, whom he knew in Collioure, France. O'Brian lived in Wales after the war before moving with his wife Mary to Collioure in 1949. Their collaboration was important to his working life, with Mary assisting him in research and preparing his handwritten manuscripts for publication. O'Brian wrote by hand throughout his career and resisted modern writing technology. His literary breakthrough came unusually late. Although the Aubrey-Maturin books had a modest British following after their first appearance, their American revival in the early 1990s, led by W. W. Norton, brought sales and recognition. The novels eventually sold millions of copies and attracted devoted readers well beyond the age group normally associated with historical adventure fiction. O'Brian received the inaugural Heywood Hill Literary Prize in 1995, an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin, and a CBE in 1997. His reputation was complicated when British media revealed details of his early identity and first marriage, matters he had kept private. Despite the controversy, his fiction remained central to his legacy. His unfinished twenty-first Aubrey-Maturin novel was published posthumously, preserving both handwritten pages and typescript. His manuscripts, notes, and research materials have since become part of major literary collections. His influence is also reflected in the continued readership of the novels and the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, which drew primarily from The Far Side of the World while incorporating material from elsewhere in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
December 15, 2021
Read this book in 2011, and its the 2nd of the two-part series about British Naval history in mid 18th Century.
This book is dedicated to one of the ships that was part of Commodore Anson's Squadron, and this ship was called "the Wager", only to be parted from that squadron due to the fierce storms off Cape Horn.
The Wager while struggling up the Chilean coast until she couldn't be handled anymore and was finally driven against the rocks and sank.
With those on board, only a handful escaped death and these survivors after many months of privation made with the help of Indians to a place celled Valparaiso.
In this band of survivors are two men who will act as the basis for the Aubrey/Maturin series, and these two are Midshipman Jack Byron and his friend Tobias barrow, the surgeon's mate.
What is to follow is an amazing seafaring story, in which the crew of the Wager, after the ship going to the bottom of the ocean, will have to fend for themselves, and in this dangerous historical environment in Chile they can use every help they can get, and this tale is brought to us in a most fantastic and realistic fashion by the author.
Highly recommended, for this another wonderful seafaring story, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Most Captivating Unknown Shore"!
This book is dedicated to one of the ships that was part of Commodore Anson's Squadron, and this ship was called "the Wager", only to be parted from that squadron due to the fierce storms off Cape Horn.
The Wager while struggling up the Chilean coast until she couldn't be handled anymore and was finally driven against the rocks and sank.
With those on board, only a handful escaped death and these survivors after many months of privation made with the help of Indians to a place celled Valparaiso.
In this band of survivors are two men who will act as the basis for the Aubrey/Maturin series, and these two are Midshipman Jack Byron and his friend Tobias barrow, the surgeon's mate.
What is to follow is an amazing seafaring story, in which the crew of the Wager, after the ship going to the bottom of the ocean, will have to fend for themselves, and in this dangerous historical environment in Chile they can use every help they can get, and this tale is brought to us in a most fantastic and realistic fashion by the author.
Highly recommended, for this another wonderful seafaring story, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Most Captivating Unknown Shore"!
April 19, 2022
It was like reading a prequel to O'Brian's Master & Commander series. Heck, even one of the two main characters is named Jack! And the other guy is a surgeon! This very much so is the prototype from which the writer developed his outstanding seafaring series.
December 27, 2022
This is a prequel to O'Brian's long series of Aubrey/Maturin adventures: here, Jack and Toby are junior members of the Wager's company on an extended, cross-ocean adventure. Jack and Toby morph into Aubrey and Maturin for the later books. Like the later series, this book is an adventure/saga, with repeated crises, repeated saves, and complete immersion in the 18th century British Navy. A wonderful and satisfying journey.
April 25, 2013
Before the storied friendship of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin was a gleam in Patrick O'Brian's eye, he gave the world this book featuring a very Aubrey-like young midshipman named Jack Byron and his boyhood friend, surgeon's mate Tobias Barrow—who is like Stephen in all ways short of being Irish. For a dress-rehearsal of Stephen's Irishness, see the main characters in the even earlier novel
The Golden Ocean
, to which this book is a strange sort of sequel. Unlike most sequels, it does not take place after the events of the earlier book, but at the same time—only from a different point of view. The main event, portrayed in The Golden Ocean, was Commodore Anson's historic voyage of circumnavigation on board the H.M.S. Centurion (1740–44), and the capturing of a Spanish galleon carrying a fabulous treasure. In the sequel, we see how things developed for another ship in the squadron, the Wager—which barely made it around Cape Horn before running aground off the worst coast in the world.
Once these ships part company, things go quite differently. The one book tells a tale of heroism of the type that overcomes disease, hardship, disappointment, disaster, violent weather, and overwhelming odds, to strike a crushing blow at the enemy and come home loaded with glory and riches. The other describes a heroic journey along the opposite tack: a passage through shipwreck, mutiny, starvation, physical and spiritual mortification, and long lingering marches along the extreme edges of death and despair. Here we experience the painful difficulty of surviving in one of the harshest inhabited areas on earth: the extreme southern end of the west coast of South America, and the islands off it. Desperation leads to deadly violence and rebellion among the crew. Even to those who faithfully follow the ship's captain—notably Jack and Toby—Captain Cheap does not come across as a likeable character, especially in an ordeal with indifferent natives, harsh weather, scarce food, and inhospitable terrain. At certain points, the only thing naval about the adventure is the discipline that keeps the dwindling group of survivors going, even when they are reduced to portaging pieces of a disassembled canoe across miles of boggy forest. At least once while reading this journey, you will be sure that you are reading an account of these people's agonizing death... and in the case of many of them, that's exactly what it is.
And then they get through to civilization again, and the story returns to more familiar ground for fans of O'Brian—the ground of an enemy country where the protagonists live as paroled prisoners of war; the deck of an enemy ship carrying prisoners for exchange to France; a chase with British privateers cruising the waters of the Caribbean; and still more surprises, crammed into the last few pages. The charm with which the book ends, however, is subdued by the shadow of the horror through which its characters have passed. You almost think it might have been kinder if they had perished, rather than live through all that. Or perhaps you give a grateful sigh as you turn a page, thinking how fortunate it is that this is historical fiction, and that the main characters didn't actually exist. But alas, they did. At least, everyone except Toby apparently did; even Midshipman John Byron figures in the actual history of the Wager Mutiny and its aftermath. That he lived to be both an Admiral and the grandfather of Lord Byron is an encouraging thing to keep in mind during the scene in which he nearly gives up. That he, along with only three others in Captain Cheap's party, lived through what they lived through, is an amazing account of human endurance—all the more amazing because it's true. It isn't the whole story; it's only perhaps the most extreme part of it. But even so, real men went through it and lived to tell the story; and now Patrick O'Brian tells the story again, with all his well-known flair for making history breathe, grip, shine, and sing.
It is a big story, alive with little human touches. It is a grimly powerful story, salted and peppered with wit and warmth. It is a story that vividly paints a picture of strange, haunted shores and of cultures so primitive that they can scarcely be called human. Political correctness may frown on the brusqueness of O'Brian's judgment of the unconverted savages of the Patagonian coastline, to say nothing of the national peccadilloes of the Spanish, French, and Dutch, on land or at sea. "Spaniards, if very much goaded, can act almost as quickly as reasonable beings," he says for one example. But in the strength of his feelings, you feel the feelings of his characters; and whether or not their attitudes (or his) were always necessarily right, the answering flash of anger, or anxiety, or laughter in your breast recognizes the truth—the awful, beautiful truth—in what he writes.
Once these ships part company, things go quite differently. The one book tells a tale of heroism of the type that overcomes disease, hardship, disappointment, disaster, violent weather, and overwhelming odds, to strike a crushing blow at the enemy and come home loaded with glory and riches. The other describes a heroic journey along the opposite tack: a passage through shipwreck, mutiny, starvation, physical and spiritual mortification, and long lingering marches along the extreme edges of death and despair. Here we experience the painful difficulty of surviving in one of the harshest inhabited areas on earth: the extreme southern end of the west coast of South America, and the islands off it. Desperation leads to deadly violence and rebellion among the crew. Even to those who faithfully follow the ship's captain—notably Jack and Toby—Captain Cheap does not come across as a likeable character, especially in an ordeal with indifferent natives, harsh weather, scarce food, and inhospitable terrain. At certain points, the only thing naval about the adventure is the discipline that keeps the dwindling group of survivors going, even when they are reduced to portaging pieces of a disassembled canoe across miles of boggy forest. At least once while reading this journey, you will be sure that you are reading an account of these people's agonizing death... and in the case of many of them, that's exactly what it is.
And then they get through to civilization again, and the story returns to more familiar ground for fans of O'Brian—the ground of an enemy country where the protagonists live as paroled prisoners of war; the deck of an enemy ship carrying prisoners for exchange to France; a chase with British privateers cruising the waters of the Caribbean; and still more surprises, crammed into the last few pages. The charm with which the book ends, however, is subdued by the shadow of the horror through which its characters have passed. You almost think it might have been kinder if they had perished, rather than live through all that. Or perhaps you give a grateful sigh as you turn a page, thinking how fortunate it is that this is historical fiction, and that the main characters didn't actually exist. But alas, they did. At least, everyone except Toby apparently did; even Midshipman John Byron figures in the actual history of the Wager Mutiny and its aftermath. That he lived to be both an Admiral and the grandfather of Lord Byron is an encouraging thing to keep in mind during the scene in which he nearly gives up. That he, along with only three others in Captain Cheap's party, lived through what they lived through, is an amazing account of human endurance—all the more amazing because it's true. It isn't the whole story; it's only perhaps the most extreme part of it. But even so, real men went through it and lived to tell the story; and now Patrick O'Brian tells the story again, with all his well-known flair for making history breathe, grip, shine, and sing.
It is a big story, alive with little human touches. It is a grimly powerful story, salted and peppered with wit and warmth. It is a story that vividly paints a picture of strange, haunted shores and of cultures so primitive that they can scarcely be called human. Political correctness may frown on the brusqueness of O'Brian's judgment of the unconverted savages of the Patagonian coastline, to say nothing of the national peccadilloes of the Spanish, French, and Dutch, on land or at sea. "Spaniards, if very much goaded, can act almost as quickly as reasonable beings," he says for one example. But in the strength of his feelings, you feel the feelings of his characters; and whether or not their attitudes (or his) were always necessarily right, the answering flash of anger, or anxiety, or laughter in your breast recognizes the truth—the awful, beautiful truth—in what he writes.
March 16, 2016
The genesis of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, need I say more?
Must read for any Master and Commander fans!
Must read for any Master and Commander fans!
July 17, 2009
I am probably like most readers of this book, a longtime fan of Patrick O'Brian, principally through the Aubrey-Maturin series. Like them, I think O'Brian died too young at 86; the twenty books in that series were not enough.
In hopes of finding a bolt of lightning like the ones I had found in earlier readings of O'Brian's work, I picked up The Unknown Shore. I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed.
As a stand-alone volume, it lacks the density and momentum of the Aubrey-Maturin books, but it definitely shares the same parentage. It is very entertaining, both amused and amusing and, ultimately, familiar. It was like finding money in the pockets of old clothing.
In hopes of finding a bolt of lightning like the ones I had found in earlier readings of O'Brian's work, I picked up The Unknown Shore. I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed.
As a stand-alone volume, it lacks the density and momentum of the Aubrey-Maturin books, but it definitely shares the same parentage. It is very entertaining, both amused and amusing and, ultimately, familiar. It was like finding money in the pockets of old clothing.
December 22, 2021
That's how it all started for Jack & Stephan. I liked how Toby/Stephan was created – a failed and experimental education done on a random poor boy and sponsored by an eccentric nobleman in consequence of a bet. O'Brian's high quality humor is all over this book. After reading it, I need to abstain and not return to the 21 Aubrey-Maturin books for the 4th time...
August 21, 2013
The Unknown Shore is the predecessor volume to the Aubrey / Maturin books that dominated O'Brian's career, and is a lively book by a young author first working out his voice and his big themes.
The aficionado of O'Brian's books (that focused on the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars) will absolutely wallow in the details of this story, seeing characters, quirks, details, and ideas that will be resorted and reused in the coming series. For instance, a variation on Stephen Maturin named Tobias Barrow, though decidedly English, takes his place as the second protagonist – a genius of a naturalist whose friends describe him as a socially inept “ugly cove.”
From an author's perspective, O'Brian is somewhat loose with point of view, and continues the turn-of-the-last-century, Henry-Jamesian preference of narration over action for perhaps half the book. Some will find this old-fashionedly charming and some will find it weak. The most compelling chunks of the novel appear as action based sequences spiced by dialogue. There is a remarkable and unbelievable ability for the characters to become fluent first in Indian, then in Spanish, and last in French – not just in pidgin, but in at a level of subtle comprehension. Finally, O'Brian's syntax is occasionally so clotted that you have to re-read a sentence three times – he should have “killed his darlings.”
The novel is well worth reading on its own as a stand-alone. In the beginning the book has a charming tongue-in-cheek attitude towards its characters, and then shifts into dedicated drama written in a mature powerful voice. During the chapters of hardship and deprivation, starvation and debasement, O'Brain made me so hungry I was forced to get up three times and make toast. The book is strongest from midpoint until two chapters from the end, then falls into a sense of epilogue. In spite of the unevenness, The Unknown Shore is well worth reading, even if you are not acquainted with the grown-up O'Brian – it is quite superior to many of the books in the genre, including most of the Hornblower novels.
If you want a blow-by-blow report on the events of the book, see Amazon.
The aficionado of O'Brian's books (that focused on the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars) will absolutely wallow in the details of this story, seeing characters, quirks, details, and ideas that will be resorted and reused in the coming series. For instance, a variation on Stephen Maturin named Tobias Barrow, though decidedly English, takes his place as the second protagonist – a genius of a naturalist whose friends describe him as a socially inept “ugly cove.”
From an author's perspective, O'Brian is somewhat loose with point of view, and continues the turn-of-the-last-century, Henry-Jamesian preference of narration over action for perhaps half the book. Some will find this old-fashionedly charming and some will find it weak. The most compelling chunks of the novel appear as action based sequences spiced by dialogue. There is a remarkable and unbelievable ability for the characters to become fluent first in Indian, then in Spanish, and last in French – not just in pidgin, but in at a level of subtle comprehension. Finally, O'Brian's syntax is occasionally so clotted that you have to re-read a sentence three times – he should have “killed his darlings.”
The novel is well worth reading on its own as a stand-alone. In the beginning the book has a charming tongue-in-cheek attitude towards its characters, and then shifts into dedicated drama written in a mature powerful voice. During the chapters of hardship and deprivation, starvation and debasement, O'Brain made me so hungry I was forced to get up three times and make toast. The book is strongest from midpoint until two chapters from the end, then falls into a sense of epilogue. In spite of the unevenness, The Unknown Shore is well worth reading, even if you are not acquainted with the grown-up O'Brian – it is quite superior to many of the books in the genre, including most of the Hornblower novels.
If you want a blow-by-blow report on the events of the book, see Amazon.
January 16, 2008
What I posted in my LJ while I was actually reading this book:
I've started "The Unknown Shore" and MY LORD, how much in love am I? It's wee Jack and wee Stephen with different names! Haha. I can so see young Jack Aubrey acting exactly like Jack Byron, and Tobias... God, it's just utterly utterly perfect. Also funny. Very funny. The conversation about the list slippers was something that could just as easily have been put in the middle of an Aubrey/Maturin book and it wouldn't have looked out of place at all.
(I've started this one because I went to the library and they had all the Dunnett books but the first one, so I'm just waiting until it's back. At least I know it's there.)
Also, he made Byron a poet. How very squeeworthy. *ggl* But he's embarrassed about it. N'aww. Haha.
____
I have decided I need Jack and/or Toby icons. They're both about seventeen, and I'll give you a few descriptions. If anyone knows of any actors or something who'd be good icon material, I'd be extremely grateful.
Jack
"[...] and Jack was sitting by them, looking pink and cheerful."
"Ransome was a big, leonine fellow with a bright blue eye, not unlike Jack, but heavier and older."
"[...] -- for example, Jack was dressed in a curious hairy garment called a grieko, which made him look not unlike a bear ]...]" (*G* I had to add it)
Tobias
"He was meagre, narrow-chested and stooping; his dull black hair made his white face even paler, while at the same time it made a startling contrast with his almost colourless light green eyes. To an unaccustomed eye it was a face so strange as to be almost sinister -- Mr Ellis, upon contemplating it for the first time, had been struck dumb; which is saying a great deal. It was in no way a boy's face, and no one, looking at it, would ever have expected to see it moved by a boyish spirit. [...] He washed only when he felt need of it, shifted his linen rarely, and always wore black clothes."
"'And would you mind changing your slippers, before we come into Melton Mowbray?'
'Slippers?' cried Tobias, gazing first at one foot and then at the other.
'You cannot conceive how barbarous they look,' said Jack. 'List slippers.'
'I am heartily sorry for it, if they offend you,' said Tobias, 'but I have nothing else to put on.'
'Why then,' cried Jack, 'it don't signify.' But from time to time he looked whistfully at his friend's stirrups."
Haha, one of these days I'm going to compare Stephen to Toby and Jack A to Jack B.
"It was difficult to account for their friendship. Apart from their age, they had nothing at all in common, or at least nothing that appeared at first sight. Nothing could have been more different than their appearance, education and family; nothing could have been more unlike than their pursuits; but they were happy when they were together and they missed one another very much when they were apart."
I've just come to the point where they're marooning Captain Cheap and Mr Hamilton. Now, I don't like Cheap, but I likee Mr Bulkekey even less and I'm so incredibly pissed off at the moment. Grah! Also, Tobias has lost some teeth with the scurvey. Poor Toby.
___
I just finished chapter thirteen of The Unknown Shore.
'What?' said Jack, hovering at the edge of insensibility.
'I have a duck,' said Tobias slowly, with his eyes already closed, 'a duck. Three parts of a duck in reserve. Under my pillow.'
I just about broke. Oh my dear boys, you're okay now. I just wanted to cradle Toby and stroke his hair and let him sleep like that. My poor, poor boys.
Poor boys.
*carries on with chapter fourteen*
(Lord, I love O'Brian.)
____
I've started "The Unknown Shore" and MY LORD, how much in love am I? It's wee Jack and wee Stephen with different names! Haha. I can so see young Jack Aubrey acting exactly like Jack Byron, and Tobias... God, it's just utterly utterly perfect. Also funny. Very funny. The conversation about the list slippers was something that could just as easily have been put in the middle of an Aubrey/Maturin book and it wouldn't have looked out of place at all.
(I've started this one because I went to the library and they had all the Dunnett books but the first one, so I'm just waiting until it's back. At least I know it's there.)
Also, he made Byron a poet. How very squeeworthy. *ggl* But he's embarrassed about it. N'aww. Haha.
____
I have decided I need Jack and/or Toby icons. They're both about seventeen, and I'll give you a few descriptions. If anyone knows of any actors or something who'd be good icon material, I'd be extremely grateful.
Jack
"[...] and Jack was sitting by them, looking pink and cheerful."
"Ransome was a big, leonine fellow with a bright blue eye, not unlike Jack, but heavier and older."
"[...] -- for example, Jack was dressed in a curious hairy garment called a grieko, which made him look not unlike a bear ]...]" (*G* I had to add it)
Tobias
"He was meagre, narrow-chested and stooping; his dull black hair made his white face even paler, while at the same time it made a startling contrast with his almost colourless light green eyes. To an unaccustomed eye it was a face so strange as to be almost sinister -- Mr Ellis, upon contemplating it for the first time, had been struck dumb; which is saying a great deal. It was in no way a boy's face, and no one, looking at it, would ever have expected to see it moved by a boyish spirit. [...] He washed only when he felt need of it, shifted his linen rarely, and always wore black clothes."
"'And would you mind changing your slippers, before we come into Melton Mowbray?'
'Slippers?' cried Tobias, gazing first at one foot and then at the other.
'You cannot conceive how barbarous they look,' said Jack. 'List slippers.'
'I am heartily sorry for it, if they offend you,' said Tobias, 'but I have nothing else to put on.'
'Why then,' cried Jack, 'it don't signify.' But from time to time he looked whistfully at his friend's stirrups."
Haha, one of these days I'm going to compare Stephen to Toby and Jack A to Jack B.
"It was difficult to account for their friendship. Apart from their age, they had nothing at all in common, or at least nothing that appeared at first sight. Nothing could have been more different than their appearance, education and family; nothing could have been more unlike than their pursuits; but they were happy when they were together and they missed one another very much when they were apart."
I've just come to the point where they're marooning Captain Cheap and Mr Hamilton. Now, I don't like Cheap, but I likee Mr Bulkekey even less and I'm so incredibly pissed off at the moment. Grah! Also, Tobias has lost some teeth with the scurvey. Poor Toby.
___
I just finished chapter thirteen of The Unknown Shore.
'What?' said Jack, hovering at the edge of insensibility.
'I have a duck,' said Tobias slowly, with his eyes already closed, 'a duck. Three parts of a duck in reserve. Under my pillow.'
I just about broke. Oh my dear boys, you're okay now. I just wanted to cradle Toby and stroke his hair and let him sleep like that. My poor, poor boys.
Poor boys.
*carries on with chapter fourteen*
(Lord, I love O'Brian.)
____
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2020
For those looking to dip their toes into the O’Brian oeuvre, this book is actually a pretty good introduction. The characters that will eventually become Aubrey and Maturin are already present here, much more so than a mere sketch. Numerous explanations of the craft of sailing are helpful for future reference, necessary for any sustained enjoyment of these novels. This book stands on its own two feet, however, and while it doesn’t offer any stirring battles or feats of seamanship beyond the ordinary, it shows that O’Brian’s interest wasn’t primarily in those things anyway, and never will be—they are the backdrop to the friendship his protagonists share.
As always, Tull’s reading (I listened on audiobook) is delightfully done.
As always, Tull’s reading (I listened on audiobook) is delightfully done.
July 4, 2024
The Unknown Shore by Patrick O'Brian is the second book of the Golden Ocean British Naval history series, inspired by the 1740 circumnavigation voyage by Commodore Anson during which the warship The Wager was lost at sea.
The Unknown Shore protagonists Jack Byron (experienced midshipman) and Tobias Barrow (his nerdy friend fascinated by the study of rare flora and fauna, yet knowledgeable enough of anatomy and disease to serve as surgeon's mate) are easily recognizable as the predecessors to Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin of the long-running Aubrey-Maturin maritime adventure series. Just as in the long series, The Unknown Shore is rambling, chatty and entertaining, a history lesson lightly seasoned with humor.
The Unknown Shore protagonists Jack Byron (experienced midshipman) and Tobias Barrow (his nerdy friend fascinated by the study of rare flora and fauna, yet knowledgeable enough of anatomy and disease to serve as surgeon's mate) are easily recognizable as the predecessors to Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin of the long-running Aubrey-Maturin maritime adventure series. Just as in the long series, The Unknown Shore is rambling, chatty and entertaining, a history lesson lightly seasoned with humor.
June 10, 2021
Genuinely surprised at how funny this book was, lots of laugh out loud moments. The first half was delightful, the second part harrowing.
The only fault, and it's a big one, is the frequently racist depiction of indigenous peoples, which is unfortunately inevitable for an adventure novel written by an Englishman in the '50s.
The only fault, and it's a big one, is the frequently racist depiction of indigenous peoples, which is unfortunately inevitable for an adventure novel written by an Englishman in the '50s.
April 24, 2025
A couple of kids run away to sea. They wind up on a hellish voyage to South America.
Didn't quite hit me, but YMMV.
Didn't quite hit me, but YMMV.
December 23, 2025
I used to watch documentaries as a "vacation" for me time...kids could join in and go through te cathedrals of Rome with me. Now I've lived as a pirate. it was interesting to say the least. fun.
June 10, 2009
I read this in the middle of the night while feeding my baby and while stranded in San Diego with my husband and baby, trying to claw my way home. As far as middle of the night feeding books go, this was too exciting, and I often found myself unable to put it down, even at 4 a.m. (that's saying something, isn't it?). But it was the perfect book for being stranded in San Diego for two days trying to make my way back to Northern California. Because while I was stranded in San Diego, Toby and Jack were shipwrecked off the coast of Chile, starving to death amongst very unfriendly natives. This really helped me keep things in perspective.
So. This is great fun. Dryly funny and, once it gets going, the action never stops. I have only read one of the Aubrey/Maturin novels, and while I really enjoyed it, I think I was overwhelmed by the prospect of a 27 (or whatever) volume series. I mean, I have a to-read list a mile long, if I get stuck on Patrick O'Brian, I'll never get to it! But reading this "prequel" was so much fun, I may have to sneak a few more O'Brians into my life.
My only criticism is the portrayal of the Chilean natives, which was colonialist and based on terrible stereotypes. However, this perfectly fits the 18th century (colonialist) tone of the novel, so it wasn't as offensive as it could have been. Also, since this is a fictionalized account of a real life shipwreck, it could be that the Englishmen really did find the natives to be this unfriendly and "savage." Still, it could have been just a little more enlightened, especially when you consider how impeccably researched the rest of the novel was.
So. This is great fun. Dryly funny and, once it gets going, the action never stops. I have only read one of the Aubrey/Maturin novels, and while I really enjoyed it, I think I was overwhelmed by the prospect of a 27 (or whatever) volume series. I mean, I have a to-read list a mile long, if I get stuck on Patrick O'Brian, I'll never get to it! But reading this "prequel" was so much fun, I may have to sneak a few more O'Brians into my life.
My only criticism is the portrayal of the Chilean natives, which was colonialist and based on terrible stereotypes. However, this perfectly fits the 18th century (colonialist) tone of the novel, so it wasn't as offensive as it could have been. Also, since this is a fictionalized account of a real life shipwreck, it could be that the Englishmen really did find the natives to be this unfriendly and "savage." Still, it could have been just a little more enlightened, especially when you consider how impeccably researched the rest of the novel was.
January 26, 2010
Not O'Brian's best tale. The narrative was choppy and at times very confusing. This was surprising given the marvelous flow that O'Brian usual gives his stories. This was not one I had trouble putting down, but a hard time pushing through.
The two main characters are clearly shadows of the Maturin/Aubrey characters of the later series. O'Brain broke the fourth wall a number of times, drawing undue attention to himself, which kept the story distant. The Golden Ocean and Master and Commander are by far superior in every way.
The Unknown Shore lacked the usual action found in sea faring tales and filled the void with a great deal of action between the shipwrecked characters. This could have worked but failed because I did not buy in to any of them, let alone the main characters. I could care less if they made it, or who sided with who. I even hoped they might die just to end the story sooner. The story was very formulaic, perhaps O'Brian was getting a handle on his genere?
The last third of the book is used for a strange kind sociological study of the Indians of the Peruvian coast. It fell flat. Would steer you away from this one.
The two main characters are clearly shadows of the Maturin/Aubrey characters of the later series. O'Brain broke the fourth wall a number of times, drawing undue attention to himself, which kept the story distant. The Golden Ocean and Master and Commander are by far superior in every way.
The Unknown Shore lacked the usual action found in sea faring tales and filled the void with a great deal of action between the shipwrecked characters. This could have worked but failed because I did not buy in to any of them, let alone the main characters. I could care less if they made it, or who sided with who. I even hoped they might die just to end the story sooner. The story was very formulaic, perhaps O'Brian was getting a handle on his genere?
The last third of the book is used for a strange kind sociological study of the Indians of the Peruvian coast. It fell flat. Would steer you away from this one.
July 16, 2010
I love the entire Aubrey-Maturin series, which I consider my comfort-read by now. So when I was lost in a bookstore feeling a little anxious with nothing to do, this is the book I picked up.
It can be construed kinda-sorta as a prequel to the entire Aubrey-Maturin saga, although of course it wasn't conceived that way; The Unknown Shore came before the major series, and you can see how the main characters started forming in the author's mind. The essential similarity though makes you think of the boys of The Unknown Shore as truly the AU younger versions of the adult Aubrey and Maturin; but with some surprising extreme unbelievable characteristics that jar: the gothic background of Maturin's upbringing, his front teeth falling off with scurvy (imagine Maturin without teeth!), etc.
The style is engaging and recognizably O'Brian, with those flashes of oddball humour that make him so fun to read. The writing is not totally mature, with a number of instances of deus ex-machina.
What is interesting to me is--if I had read The Unknown Shore first, I think my perceptions may have changed quite a lot--as it is very colored by the A-M series now.
It can be construed kinda-sorta as a prequel to the entire Aubrey-Maturin saga, although of course it wasn't conceived that way; The Unknown Shore came before the major series, and you can see how the main characters started forming in the author's mind. The essential similarity though makes you think of the boys of The Unknown Shore as truly the AU younger versions of the adult Aubrey and Maturin; but with some surprising extreme unbelievable characteristics that jar: the gothic background of Maturin's upbringing, his front teeth falling off with scurvy (imagine Maturin without teeth!), etc.
The style is engaging and recognizably O'Brian, with those flashes of oddball humour that make him so fun to read. The writing is not totally mature, with a number of instances of deus ex-machina.
What is interesting to me is--if I had read The Unknown Shore first, I think my perceptions may have changed quite a lot--as it is very colored by the A-M series now.
March 22, 2020
Well. That was painful.
I'd heard of Master and Commander, of course. And I'm writing book that takes place almost entirely on a pirate ship, so I was looking for inspiration and also ideas on how to write a naval book. But when I went to Half Price Books to look for Master and Commander they didn't have a copy. They did, however, have like 20 other O'Brian books and I picked one at random. Granted, I'd heard Master and Commander was his masterpiece, so I wasn't expecting anything like, masterful. But I didn't expect this either. Let's start with the negatives.
-The book is undeniably, painfully boring. In all my 17 years I've always felt obligated to finish books on the grounds they got published for a reason. But multiple times I was just tempted to put it down. It was so bad. Though I read it during the middle of the day multiple times I glazed over and at one point almost fell asleep. It only took 6 hours, but it seemed like it took 6 days.
-There's no conflict. For the first 200 pages or so there was literally no conflict driving the story. Literally nothing was happening and there was no clear enemy or really anything that seemed wrong. That's part of the reason it was so boring. No conflict.
-Confusing narrative. There were so many instances I had to go back and read sections again because I had no idea what just happened. This annoyed me because it meant an already grueling experience was made longer. There are so many monologues which are multiple pages long, so cluttered with nautical or philosophical gibberish that are extremely confusing and, as one finds out later, completely irrelevant to the plot.
-The handling of the nautical terms and ideas. Don't get me wrong. O'Brian knew what he was writing about, but so many times, especially during the many long, irrelevant monologues, the only reason he seemed to be spouting all this information was to go "welp. I know all this stuff MIGHT AS WELL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS." Also, the nautical information was not helpful at all. Often there was literally no context. And when it was delivered it was delivered to a stupid character in the tone of "you're an idiot so I'm going to spout everything you should know without explaining it." This was extremely annoying. Not only was this book awful, but its only purpose...the only reason I bought it, was somehow screwed up by the author.
-Ill-fitting humor. This aspect I found odd, and it was often very jarring. The sad thing was O'Brian seemed to think he was actually funny. If you're not funny, there's nothing wrong with that. But keep it out of a book. ESPECIALLY a book where the overall tone does not fit humor at all. I laughed one time. The rest of the time it was very, very jarring.
-The characters are trash. I'm not sure...ever...in my life, I've seen characters so lifeless...so without character, so without anything other than a story requires characters. OH. It was so painful. Jack, the main character, had no defining characteristics, personalities...or even any physical aspects that defines him as anything. He's not even cardboard, because cardboard still has shallow depth. He had no depth. At all. AND HE'S THE MAIN CHARACTER. The cotagonist, Toby, has one characteristic, which, to be fair, is significantly more than Jack. He's clumsy and super educated. Yup. That's it. No conflict. Nothing. The only reason he exists is for the author to go "Look! He doesn't know anything about the navy! Isn't that funny? That's funny right? It's funny? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?" The rest of the characters have no characteristics at all. Omg....it was so bad.
-The plot...or what I think might have been what O'Brian thought was the plot, was wholly unoriginal. It took 200 pages for anything to happen. Then. When it did it was a beat for beat arc of "The Narrative of Arthur Gordan Pym of Nantucket" by Edgar Allen Poe. Except Poe's story had life, meaning, character, creativity, and was exciting and adventurous, while this was stagnant and boring. I'm ok with the whole trope of ship mutiny. I really am. It's done in almost every nautical story in existence. But this story doesn't put any spin on it, or even pretend it's trying to. In the space of like 2 pages the crew mutinies with practically NO build up, and then that's that.
-The build up...and then nothing. Yeah so I'm ok with a slow build up. I really am. I just read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and the build up there is nearly 900 pages. So yeah. I get it (enjoyed that book a 1000 times more than this, despite its flaws). But really the thing about this book is that the only thing the "build up" built up to was for something to actually start to happen in a conflict-void, character-void narrative. I'm glad a plot started to form, at least. But I had the notion about a hundred pages in that this wasn't building up to anything. I was right. You can literally read the last 100 pages without missing anything. The first 200 nothing of any plot relevance, character growth...or anything really, happens. Read the last hundred pages you might not be reeling from the pain.
The positives:
-Yeah. Only that the last 100 pages actually had a plot. The characters were lifeless. The plot a carbon copy of a hundred other stories. Almost zero conflict. But at least things started to happen. The last 100 pages went by a lot faster than everything else, but that's only because I was itching to get the train wreck over with.
So yeah. Do yourself a favor. If you have a copy of this book go pick up a handy instruction manual (called "Fahrenheit 451"), learn how to burn it, then laugh in glee as it ignites in the flames of glory.
I'd heard of Master and Commander, of course. And I'm writing book that takes place almost entirely on a pirate ship, so I was looking for inspiration and also ideas on how to write a naval book. But when I went to Half Price Books to look for Master and Commander they didn't have a copy. They did, however, have like 20 other O'Brian books and I picked one at random. Granted, I'd heard Master and Commander was his masterpiece, so I wasn't expecting anything like, masterful. But I didn't expect this either. Let's start with the negatives.
-The book is undeniably, painfully boring. In all my 17 years I've always felt obligated to finish books on the grounds they got published for a reason. But multiple times I was just tempted to put it down. It was so bad. Though I read it during the middle of the day multiple times I glazed over and at one point almost fell asleep. It only took 6 hours, but it seemed like it took 6 days.
-There's no conflict. For the first 200 pages or so there was literally no conflict driving the story. Literally nothing was happening and there was no clear enemy or really anything that seemed wrong. That's part of the reason it was so boring. No conflict.
-Confusing narrative. There were so many instances I had to go back and read sections again because I had no idea what just happened. This annoyed me because it meant an already grueling experience was made longer. There are so many monologues which are multiple pages long, so cluttered with nautical or philosophical gibberish that are extremely confusing and, as one finds out later, completely irrelevant to the plot.
-The handling of the nautical terms and ideas. Don't get me wrong. O'Brian knew what he was writing about, but so many times, especially during the many long, irrelevant monologues, the only reason he seemed to be spouting all this information was to go "welp. I know all this stuff MIGHT AS WELL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS." Also, the nautical information was not helpful at all. Often there was literally no context. And when it was delivered it was delivered to a stupid character in the tone of "you're an idiot so I'm going to spout everything you should know without explaining it." This was extremely annoying. Not only was this book awful, but its only purpose...the only reason I bought it, was somehow screwed up by the author.
-Ill-fitting humor. This aspect I found odd, and it was often very jarring. The sad thing was O'Brian seemed to think he was actually funny. If you're not funny, there's nothing wrong with that. But keep it out of a book. ESPECIALLY a book where the overall tone does not fit humor at all. I laughed one time. The rest of the time it was very, very jarring.
-The characters are trash. I'm not sure...ever...in my life, I've seen characters so lifeless...so without character, so without anything other than a story requires characters. OH. It was so painful. Jack, the main character, had no defining characteristics, personalities...or even any physical aspects that defines him as anything. He's not even cardboard, because cardboard still has shallow depth. He had no depth. At all. AND HE'S THE MAIN CHARACTER. The cotagonist, Toby, has one characteristic, which, to be fair, is significantly more than Jack. He's clumsy and super educated. Yup. That's it. No conflict. Nothing. The only reason he exists is for the author to go "Look! He doesn't know anything about the navy! Isn't that funny? That's funny right? It's funny? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?" The rest of the characters have no characteristics at all. Omg....it was so bad.
-The plot...or what I think might have been what O'Brian thought was the plot, was wholly unoriginal. It took 200 pages for anything to happen. Then. When it did it was a beat for beat arc of "The Narrative of Arthur Gordan Pym of Nantucket" by Edgar Allen Poe. Except Poe's story had life, meaning, character, creativity, and was exciting and adventurous, while this was stagnant and boring. I'm ok with the whole trope of ship mutiny. I really am. It's done in almost every nautical story in existence. But this story doesn't put any spin on it, or even pretend it's trying to. In the space of like 2 pages the crew mutinies with practically NO build up, and then that's that.
-The build up...and then nothing. Yeah so I'm ok with a slow build up. I really am. I just read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and the build up there is nearly 900 pages. So yeah. I get it (enjoyed that book a 1000 times more than this, despite its flaws). But really the thing about this book is that the only thing the "build up" built up to was for something to actually start to happen in a conflict-void, character-void narrative. I'm glad a plot started to form, at least. But I had the notion about a hundred pages in that this wasn't building up to anything. I was right. You can literally read the last 100 pages without missing anything. The first 200 nothing of any plot relevance, character growth...or anything really, happens. Read the last hundred pages you might not be reeling from the pain.
The positives:
-Yeah. Only that the last 100 pages actually had a plot. The characters were lifeless. The plot a carbon copy of a hundred other stories. Almost zero conflict. But at least things started to happen. The last 100 pages went by a lot faster than everything else, but that's only because I was itching to get the train wreck over with.
So yeah. Do yourself a favor. If you have a copy of this book go pick up a handy instruction manual (called "Fahrenheit 451"), learn how to burn it, then laugh in glee as it ignites in the flames of glory.
November 4, 2012
Just a book about two friends, Jack and Tobias, that go on a sailing voyage in the 1740s, but very well written. Wonderful prose, great characters, subtle humor, unpredictable plot. The setup is good -- Tobias has been raised by a rich man testing the idea of having a child raised by brilliant teachers only. It doesn't really work as planned, instead of a mega-genius, Tobias turns out to be a naive semi-genius with an endearing outlook on life. The jouney takes them around the South American coast to Chile through several wrecks and misfortunes.
June 9, 2016
The prototypes of our beloved Jack Aubrey and Steven Maturin are here, as are many of the themes that O'Brian will explore in much greater depth later... but the story doesn't flow as nicely as the preceding The Golden Ocean. (This is an overlapping tale, not a sequel.) Our protagonists' shipwreck and ensuing tribulations and privations are belabored, the plot adrift in the doldrums...
As a companion to the Aubrey/Maturin series- specifically, as a study of the evolution of O'Brian's craft, it's OK, but doesn't stand as well on its own.
As a companion to the Aubrey/Maturin series- specifically, as a study of the evolution of O'Brian's craft, it's OK, but doesn't stand as well on its own.
January 3, 2017
This is a fantastic addendum to O'Brian's famous canon, easily the equal to some of his best work. The first part of the novel is so funny it is almost like a period farce. His comic timing and use of dialect is spot on, and the ridiculous situations in which the protagonists find themselves continue to compound until the reader realizes that this is indeed a tragedy (though "it don't end unhappy," as Jack Aubrey would say). O'Brian leaves behind his boys' story roots with this one, coming to full maturity. This is one of my favorites of all his work.
April 15, 2008
I have read all of O'brian's Master and Commander series and loved them. I had great hopes for this one, but was let down. The story skips all over the place without really focusing on anything. It was as if it was a completely different author.
December 16, 2008
Not the best of his books, but it definitely gives you a feel for the wonderful Aubrey/Maturin adventures that follow.
October 28, 2024
I recently read David Grann's The Wager, which is an excellent non-fiction account of the wreck of the English sailing ship on the remote western coast of Patagonia. The crew was marooned and starving, yet some of the men managed to make it back to civilization. O'Brian's The Unknown Shore came out in 1959, it was his second seafaring novel (after the The Golden Ocean), before he embarked on the popular Master and Commander series. The Unknown Shore also describes the voyage and wreck of the Wager. The Unknown Shore features two life-long friends, Jack Byron and Tobias Barrow, who are crewmembers on the Wager. The events of The Unknown Shore closely track the actual events described by Grann; clearly O'Brian carefully researched the same sources that Grann used. I thought Grann's descriptions of the horrors of scurvy, the incredible storms that the Wager battled, and the desperate plight of the men stranded on the stormy shore were all better in his account than in O'Brian's version, despite the fact that O'Brian was writing a work of fiction and could have dramatized these scenes.
O'Brian clearly knows how sailing ships worked. His detailed descriptions of life on board such a vessel sound like he once was a sailor himself. O'Brian must be an excellent researcher, he includes all sorts of explanations of how things work, from standing watches, to cooking food, to furling the sails. Some of the time I did not understand what he was describing, the intricacies of operating a sailing ship were too complicated for my light reading.
Unfortunately, O'Brian falters in character development in this novel. Jack and Toby are the only two characters that the reader gets to know. The strict captain of the Wager, Captain Cheap, is remote, it is hard to guess what he thinking. Of the crewmates, only the big, laughing prankster, Cozen, has much of a role. Cozen appears in the story and then vanishes for long stretches until his final murder. The gunner, Buckley, leads the mutiny against Captain Cheap, but Toby and Jack never seem to directly interact with him, and so Buckley's personality and motives remain undefined.
Also disappointing is that Toby and Jack are just crewmen, and so have no agency in any of the developments on the Wager; they are merely along for the ride. They suffer amazing hardships, but their story is simply one of endurance and survival. It seems more like luck than any particular skill or deed on their part that gets them through the harrowing wreck and ordeal of being stranded on the deadly coast.
I was interested in this novel because of my reading of Grann's book. I don't think The Unknown Shore adds much to the story of that tragedy. I recommended reading Grann's book and skipping this one.
O'Brian clearly knows how sailing ships worked. His detailed descriptions of life on board such a vessel sound like he once was a sailor himself. O'Brian must be an excellent researcher, he includes all sorts of explanations of how things work, from standing watches, to cooking food, to furling the sails. Some of the time I did not understand what he was describing, the intricacies of operating a sailing ship were too complicated for my light reading.
Unfortunately, O'Brian falters in character development in this novel. Jack and Toby are the only two characters that the reader gets to know. The strict captain of the Wager, Captain Cheap, is remote, it is hard to guess what he thinking. Of the crewmates, only the big, laughing prankster, Cozen, has much of a role. Cozen appears in the story and then vanishes for long stretches until his final murder. The gunner, Buckley, leads the mutiny against Captain Cheap, but Toby and Jack never seem to directly interact with him, and so Buckley's personality and motives remain undefined.
Also disappointing is that Toby and Jack are just crewmen, and so have no agency in any of the developments on the Wager; they are merely along for the ride. They suffer amazing hardships, but their story is simply one of endurance and survival. It seems more like luck than any particular skill or deed on their part that gets them through the harrowing wreck and ordeal of being stranded on the deadly coast.
I was interested in this novel because of my reading of Grann's book. I don't think The Unknown Shore adds much to the story of that tragedy. I recommended reading Grann's book and skipping this one.
January 26, 2020
A stand alone novel that will probably hold most interest for fans of the Aubrey-Maturin series. There is no question that young midshipman Jack Byron is the prototype for Jack Aubrey; his boyhood friend Tobias Barrow a version of Stephen Maturin. It is impossible to read this novel and not feel the vibrant Aubrey everywhere in every line of Byron. The chief difference seems to be the substitution of poetry for music as his hobby of interest. Instead of the fiddle, we get Pope and indifferent versifying. The choice of Pope reflects the time period of the novel, set some sixty years or so before the events of the Aubrey-Maturin series. The real revelation here is Tobias Barrow. He has many of Maturin's characteristics, but is a far less compelling character in any number of ways. While Maturin, especially in the early novels, is a figure of some nautical amusement for his confusions aboard ship, in time he becomes a very accomplished seafarer. More importantly, even from the first novels, it was always clear that Maturin was infathomably smarter than Aubrey, with a depth of perception in social circumstances far exceeding his boisterous friend. Barrow here is almost completely inept in social settings and requires all of Byron's interventions not to sink forever in the slums of London, naked and taken advantage of. This difference makes the narrative focus a little more sharply on the Byron character than Barrow, where the later series tended to balance matters more. There is some difference in narrative voice. In the series, O'Brian becomes the master of free indirect speech, to a degree that gets him mentioned in the same breath as the goddess of the mode, Jane Austen. He hasn't quite mastered it here however. And there are places where the omniscient narrator will chime in and make wry asides. It is spectacularly jarring for those accustomed to O'Brian's later reticence. The sea portion of the tale is, as ever, gripping and well-rendered. The miseries of life after the ship Wager runs aground are detailed in exhaustive and exhausting completeness. O'Brian's skills are better displayed in social settings, as on the ship or when the heroes are marooned as prisoners among the Spanish for extensive periods of time. There's enough here on offer for anyone interested in a sea tale with nuanced narration and character building; the likeliest audience for this are those who've finished the Aubrey-Maturin series and long for more. This book won't satisfy that longing, but it might whet one's appetite to dive into the series again, just to see how much better those two characters are than the interesting but less enthralling Barrow and Byron.
December 4, 2020
Cuando iba por la página 302 creí que le pondría una estrella demasiado pronto y lo dejaría sin terminar, puesto que sentía la historia muy densa, cargada de tecnicismos de la marina, como si el autor olvidara que busco entreterme y divertirme con su historia, en vez de prepararme para agarrar un barco y lanzarme al mar por mí misma. Salvo un par de bromas y comentarios agradables de los personajes principales Toby y Jack que me sacaron una sonrisa, no disfruté demasiado de este inicio y no sabía en lo absoluto para dónde iría la historia. De hecho, todo este espacio de tiempo que pasan en el mar, fue para mí un relleno insoportable y prescindible.
Sin embargo, desde el momento en que naufragan y tocan tierra, empiezo a ver por dónde va la cosa y las peripecias que les suceden estuvieron muy bien contadas, sobre todo la sensación de terrible hambre, cómo la saciaron y la ayuda que recibieron de los indios nativos, que aunque no fue desinteresada ni del todo cordial, les permitió sobrevivir. Vamos que eso era lo que uno quería porque Toby y Jack son muy buenas personas. Toda experiencia con otra cultura, otra raza, siendo Jack y Toby ingleses, me fue muy interesante y cruda. Por momentos me recordó al Último Mohicano.
Las úlimas 100 páginas son muy buenas, me divertí mucho terminando el libro. Fue una buena decisión. Además, por los comentarios que veo de otros lectores, este es el inicio de una serie de libros de aventuras en el mar que no he leído y me gustaría saber qué más pasó con Toby y Georgiana.
Aún así creo que el inicio pudo haberse construído mejor en cuanto a desarrollar a los personajes secundarios y ponerlos en una situaciión más movidita que el escorbuto.
Sin embargo, desde el momento en que naufragan y tocan tierra, empiezo a ver por dónde va la cosa y las peripecias que les suceden estuvieron muy bien contadas, sobre todo la sensación de terrible hambre, cómo la saciaron y la ayuda que recibieron de los indios nativos, que aunque no fue desinteresada ni del todo cordial, les permitió sobrevivir. Vamos que eso era lo que uno quería porque Toby y Jack son muy buenas personas. Toda experiencia con otra cultura, otra raza, siendo Jack y Toby ingleses, me fue muy interesante y cruda. Por momentos me recordó al Último Mohicano.
Las úlimas 100 páginas son muy buenas, me divertí mucho terminando el libro. Fue una buena decisión. Además, por los comentarios que veo de otros lectores, este es el inicio de una serie de libros de aventuras en el mar que no he leído y me gustaría saber qué más pasó con Toby y Georgiana.
Aún así creo que el inicio pudo haberse construído mejor en cuanto a desarrollar a los personajes secundarios y ponerlos en una situaciión más movidita que el escorbuto.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2026
Definitely not his best, but it's fascinating to see the roots of where Aubrey-Maturin eventually formed (and the rest is history!). This duo variant feels almost farcical: Byron is a nepo baby with no real agency whatsoever, and meanwhile, every moment is Barrow's first day on earth. I actually didn't mind the comedic tone at first (the scene of Barrow scurrying around London in a sack is absolute golden chaos), and I think the whole book could've worked really well if that was preserved. However, because this is ultimately a rendition of the Wager mutiny, things go south (no pun intended) about halfway through the book. It gets very depressing, in part because, paradoxically, O'Brian doesn't spend enough time detailing the traumatic events that happen, so the callous way they're brushed off stifles impact and processing necessary for the plot to truly advance in a meaningful manner (think death-of-a-nameless-guard trope except it's happening to named crew members, of which there's not a ton to keep track of). Also some very strange handling of indigenous characters/portrayals (even by the substandard of the genre as a whole already) that made the story clunkier. Kind of curious after this as to whether The Golden Ocean is worth reading, but in no hurry to do so.
December 27, 2023
Awesome. This book was written before the Aubrey Maturin series. I was aware this existed but never went back to read it having finished the series. I was reminded of it when I read The Wager by David Grann. The only good thing about Grann’s book was it pointed me to the Unknown Shore.
The Unknown Shore tells the story of The Wager in fictionalized form. It focuses on two characters, Jack Byron (a real historical character) and his friend Tobias Barrow (fictional). Fans of Aubrey Maturin will be delighted to see Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin in their prototypical form, as Byron and Barrow. While the backstories are different than Aubrey-Maturin, anyone who has read the Aubrey Maturin stories will immediately recognize these characters as the rough draft for Jack and Stephen. Many of the mannerisms, sense of humor, and the relationship between the two are very similar.
In real life, Jack Byron became an admiral and was the grandfather of Lord Byron, the poet. In fact, the poet based the shipwreck scene in his epic Don Juan, on his grandfather.
This book was a delightful read. If you haven’t read it, you should. it comes across as a new Aubrey Maturin adventure. If you haven’t read The Wager, read this instead. If you have read The Wager, read this so you can see how a good storyteller weaves a spell.
The Unknown Shore tells the story of The Wager in fictionalized form. It focuses on two characters, Jack Byron (a real historical character) and his friend Tobias Barrow (fictional). Fans of Aubrey Maturin will be delighted to see Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin in their prototypical form, as Byron and Barrow. While the backstories are different than Aubrey-Maturin, anyone who has read the Aubrey Maturin stories will immediately recognize these characters as the rough draft for Jack and Stephen. Many of the mannerisms, sense of humor, and the relationship between the two are very similar.
In real life, Jack Byron became an admiral and was the grandfather of Lord Byron, the poet. In fact, the poet based the shipwreck scene in his epic Don Juan, on his grandfather.
This book was a delightful read. If you haven’t read it, you should. it comes across as a new Aubrey Maturin adventure. If you haven’t read The Wager, read this instead. If you have read The Wager, read this so you can see how a good storyteller weaves a spell.
June 12, 2024
This book fell into my hands by the remotest chance two days after I had finished reading David Grann's ‘Wager,’ about the unfortunate East Indiaman that formed part of Cdr Anson's expedition in 1740. That narrative is a factual reconstruction of the wreck of the ‘Wager’ off the coast of Patagonia, and the horrifying events that followed, taken from the contemporary documents, journals, newspaper reports and trial records.
Patrick OBrian’s novel covers the same ground, but more as a historical novel about the survival of two young friends in the catastrophe. John Byron, the midshipman, is a historical character, but the endearing surgeon's mate, Tobias Barrow, is a fictional character, whose ungainliness and good nature, coupled with a faculty for the literal, makes for a very adventurous life for those about him.
Without trivialising the wreck of the ‘Wager’ and the survival or death of the castaways in any way, OBrian encapsulates the discontent, the mutiny, the murders, the escape of the crew and captain to England in two separate groups, so that ‘The Unknown Shore’ reads like fiction, laced with humour.
Patrick OBrian’s novel covers the same ground, but more as a historical novel about the survival of two young friends in the catastrophe. John Byron, the midshipman, is a historical character, but the endearing surgeon's mate, Tobias Barrow, is a fictional character, whose ungainliness and good nature, coupled with a faculty for the literal, makes for a very adventurous life for those about him.
Without trivialising the wreck of the ‘Wager’ and the survival or death of the castaways in any way, OBrian encapsulates the discontent, the mutiny, the murders, the escape of the crew and captain to England in two separate groups, so that ‘The Unknown Shore’ reads like fiction, laced with humour.
August 27, 2022
The Unknown Shore is an absolutely fascinating book. Very closely based on Jack Byron's true account of his adventures as part of Commodore Anson's famous fleet, it's also a clear forerunner to O'Brian's later Aubrey/Maturin series. In fact, it hews so closely to those two models that it's hard to consider on its own.
Factually speaking, The Unknown Shore is almost 1:1 a retelling of Byron's book. It adds in detail, mental states, and atmosphere, but it follows the true story essentially perfectly. The only serious deviation is the addition of Tobias, the perfect foil for Jack by virtue of his personality, interests, and position on the ship...and in Jack and Tobias, we have clear models for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin.
But is it a good read? You're damn right it is. The Unknown Shore is, in short, about people undergoing the worst suffering and deprivation you can imagine. And it's all true. It's utterly compelling.
Factually speaking, The Unknown Shore is almost 1:1 a retelling of Byron's book. It adds in detail, mental states, and atmosphere, but it follows the true story essentially perfectly. The only serious deviation is the addition of Tobias, the perfect foil for Jack by virtue of his personality, interests, and position on the ship...and in Jack and Tobias, we have clear models for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin.
But is it a good read? You're damn right it is. The Unknown Shore is, in short, about people undergoing the worst suffering and deprivation you can imagine. And it's all true. It's utterly compelling.
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