My slow voyage throughPatrick O’Brian’sAubrey/Maturin epic series nears its end with The Hundred Days, his 19th novel . The books are set in the late 1700s and early 1800s against the backdrop of a series of European wars. The protagonists are Jack Aubrey, an captain in the British navy, and Stephen Maturin, Jack’s long-time friend, sailing companion and ship’s surgeon. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been listening to this series for more than a decade, starting it back when I was still commuting to Drew University. I’m going slow on purpose because I know that O’Brian died before he could complete the series; his unfinished novel 21 is the end of the line, and its a destination I don’t really want to reach (as inevitable as I know it to be).
This novel sees Aubrey — now a commodore in the British Navy — caught up in England’s frantic attempts to counter Napoleon, who recently escaped captivity and is well on his way to re-establishing his empire in France. These books are old friends, and looking forward to listening to this one on my morning walks.