Master and Commander

Ardent, gregarious British naval officer Jack Aubrey is elated to be given his first appointment as commander: the fourteen-gun ship HMS Sophie. Meanwhile―after a heated first encounter that nearly comes to a duel―Aubrey and a brilliant but down-on-his-luck physician, Stephen Maturin, strike up an unlikely rapport. On a whim, Aubrey invites Maturin to join his crew as the Sophie’s surgeon. And so begins the legendary friendship that anchors this beloved saga set against the thrilling backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.

As the Sophie is sent to accompany a small convoy of merchant ships in the Mediterranean, Maturin struggles to find his sea legs as Aubrey sets about proving his mettle as a commander and preparing his crew for battle. They’re soon put to the test against a mighty Spanish frigate and a squadron of four French warships, but through bloody battle and the thrill and terror of victory and defeat – as well as an ill-advised love-affair of Aubrey’s – the pair’s friendship remains at the story’s heart.

Through every ensuing adventure on which Aubrey and Maturin embark, from the witty parley of their lovers and enemies to the roar of broadsides as great ships close in battle around them, Patrick O’Brian “provides endlessly varying shocks and surprises―comic, grim, farcical and tragic.… [A] whole, solidly living world for the imagination to inhabit” (A. S. Byatt).

This discussion guide and recommended reading was share and sponsored in partnership with W.W. Norton.

Book club questions for Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

The writer and historian Richard Snow called the relationship between Aubrey and Maturin the “greatest friendship of modern literature.” Yet it’s a friendship initially born of animosity. One moment the two men are ready to kill one other to protect their honor, the next moment they’ve agreed to set sail together. Is this sudden turn believable? Why or why not?

Initially, Master and Commander was not well received in the US. Some publishers thought the book was “full of jargon.” But it’s O’Brian’s meticulous and vivid rendering of the seafaring life that eventually drew new and large audiences to the book. Give some examples of O’Brian’s masterful descriptions and elaborate on their effectiveness.

What is the historical backdrop for the book? How would Aubrey’s and Maturin’s friendship be different if the story was set in modern times?

What is Stephen Maturin’s secret?

In chapter five, James Dillon accuses Aubrey of over-ambition, and then follows the accusation with another one, saying that the captain is deliberately encouraging the ship’s gay Master, William Marshall. Maturin, for his part, defends Aubrey. Do you think that Aubrey is as innocent as Maturin claims, not just in this instance, but in general? Or is he the calculating, power-hungry privateer’s captain that Dillon makes him out to be?

At one point, Dillon’s attitude toward Aubrey is described as hatred. Why does Dillon dislike the captain so?

What are Aubrey’s and Maturin’s attitudes toward war? How are they similar or different, and how has each viewpoint shaped the man that holds them?

In chapter seven, Dillon disobeys Aubrey’s orders to intercept a ship thought to be carrying Irish rebels and sets the Sophie on an alternate course. Why does he do this, and what actions does he take when they nevertheless run across the boat?

What would you say are the most salient elements of O’Brian’s narrative? Plot, character development, strong dialogue, dramatic tension, humor, irony, foreshadowing… etc.?

In chapter 8, the author describes a pair of copulating praying mantises. The scene, witnessed by Maturin, is brief but very vivid. Do you think there is any metaphorical significance to this passage? If so, what is it?

Harte’s punishment Aubrey is having an affair with Molly Harte, Captain Harte’s wife. What is the cost of this affair on Aubrey’s life and reputation?

The writer Nicola Griffith (author of Ammonite) said of Master and Commander: “This is Jane Austen on a ship of war, with the humanity, joy and pathos of Shakespeare — and brilliantly written.” This is quite a statement. Do you agree or disagree with her. Why?

Master and Commander Book Club Questions PDF

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“I love these books.… [They offer] the same sense of lived experience as Hilary Mantel.… They will sweep you away and return you delighted, increased and stunned. If the phrase ‘Napoleonic war fiction’ fills you with anticipation, then you don’t need me to convince you to read [Patrick] O’Brian. But for the rest of you.… [P]lease, just trust me.” ―Nicola Griffith, NPR

“A few books work their way… onto [bestseller] lists by genuine, lasting excellence―witness The Lord of the Rings, or Patrick O’Brian’s sea stories.”―Ursula K. Le Guin

“O’Brian’s eloquent admirers include not merely distinguished critics and reviewers but… thousands upon thousands of fervent readers who thank the gods for him.… [H]is work accomplishes nobly the three grand purposes of art: to entertain, to edify, and to awe.” ―Stephen Becker, Paris Review

“For escapist reading, I especially like the sea novels of Patrick O’Brian.”―Bill Bryson

“[Patrick O’Brian has] the power of bringing near to the reader… savagery and tenderness, beauty and mystery and boldness and dignity.”―Eudora Welty