Today's reviews are both the first books in a long series. Neither hit the mark for me and I'm trying to decide if they're worth continuing.
Master and Commander
by Patrick O'Brian
★★★
Set during the Napoleonic Wars, a navy man Jack Aubrey
and a surgeon, Stephen Maturin, form a friendship based on their shared love of
music. As so many others have noted, the greatest things about this book (and
from what I’ve heard, the whole series), is their friendship. While I did love
that aspect of the novel, I struggled with the technical side of the rest of
it. No one can say O’Brian didn’t pay attention to the details of the British
navy in the 1800s. I love that Jack is a bit of a hot head, while Stephen is
cautious and patient. They balance each other out. Stephen is new to the naval
side of things, but is motivated to become the ship’s doctor when he realizes
the new species he will be able to see on his travels.
The series has become a classic for good reason. O’Brian
spares no detail in describing ship life during that time. The politics of each
promotion or judicial case are like walking a tight rope. For me, I felt buried
in the details at times.
BOTTOM LINE: Honestly, I really wanted to love this one
more than I did. I struggled to stay interested in it and felt a bit relieved
when I finished it. I think I’ll wait a decade or so and then maybe give it a
try again.
The Gunslinger
(The Dark Tower #1)
by Stephen King
★★☆
Stephen King’s epic Dark Tower saga begins here, with
Roland, a gunslinger in a futuristic wild west. Through flashbacks we learn
about his childhood and upbringing. In the present day scenes we travel through
dusty towns and desert lands in pursuit of the “man in black”.
The book just felt so stilted to me. At no point did I
feel really connected to Roland or invested in his journey. It felt more like a
string of short stories to me. They all lead to the same place, but not in a
way that made me want to go along on his journey. I felt more like Stephen King
had been challenged to write a western and this was the result.
I've heard and read quite a few reviews that say the
first book is not a great representation of the series as a whole. I'd love to
hear from others who have read the whole series. Is it worth continuing because
it gets better or should I give it up if the first one didn't click for me?
BOTTOM LINE: I didn’t love it and I’m not sure if I
should give the next book a chance.
