Aubrey/Maturin Novels

I am currently reading the Aubrey/Maturin novels written by Patrick O'Brian. They are excellent books.

They started out difficult to understand. It was frustrating in the beginning because I didn't know what the hell was going on. I am a landlubber and I do not understand anything about Naval terms, let alone Naval terms during the Napoleonic era. However, fancy maneuvres and ship riggings are not as important to me as character development. I find the dynamic betwen Aubrey and Maturin fascinating. Maturin is everything I would like to be in a human being.

Maturin is a secret agent for the British. He is extremely competent and he does his job without asking for anything in return. He has great knowledge and skill. He's also eccentric. He brings aboard Aubrey's Man-Of-War strange creatures he wishes to study, to everyone's dismay. He brings bees, sloths, rats, and other weird and strange bugs and animals. He is also dirty, tactless (when it comes to Naval traditions), and funky. He dresses in the funkiest, though practical, clothing.

Maturin and Aubrey are closest friends. However, they do fight various times through out the books. They would fight about tradition, politics, and women (love triangle thing).

I realized that this post has become a 1st grade book report so I will stop. My Zeus, I have become retarded in a span of two months.

In any case, I would recommend reading this series. I haven't been this engrossed since Harry Potter. I wear a wizard hat and cloak and practice my magic using a wand during my adventures with Harry Potter. I think pretty soon, I'll have to buy a 19th century British Post Captain's Hat and Sword.

I was never a fantasy reader but these days I am beginning to love them. I think certain books must be read during certain times in your life to have the greatest impact. But that analysis is for a later time.

BTW, I'm getting more and more pissed off about Kant's analysis of morality. I know Kant struts around philosophy domain like he owns the place but I feel like the fucker went nuts. I wish I knew German well enough to spread my own gospel/bullshit. I remember the days of Locke. His books are so comfortable. They are like marshmellows...soft and cuddly. I can open the book on any page and his reasoning is clear. I may not agree with him but they're clear. The only German guy I tolerate is Nietzsche and the other dude whose name I won't mention.