The Wine-Dark Sea

Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 16

By: Patrick O'Brian

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

At the outset of this adventure, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin pursue a heavy American privateer through the Great South Sea. Their ship, the Surprise, is now also a privateer, the better to escape diplomatic complications from Stephen's mission, which is to ignite the revolutionary tinder of South America. Jack will survive a desperate open-boat journey and come face to face with his illegitimate black son; Stephen, caught up in the aftermath of his failed coup, will flee for his life into the high, frozen wastes of the Andes; and Patrick O'Brian's brilliantly detailed narrative will reuinte them at last in a breathtaking chase through storm seas and icebergs south of Cape Horn.

Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.

©1993 Patrick O'Brian (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic Reviews

"So much better than the competition that comparisons long ago ceased to be relevant: [the Aubrey/Maturin books] are uniquely excellent." (The New York Times)
"Meticulously researched and heart-stoppingly vivid." (Washington Post Book World)

Patrick Tull is the only narrator to choose

Patrick Tull reads the Aubrey/Maturin novels far better than anyone else. Buy the whole series with his voices, to bring alive each character with subtlety and vigor.

oínopa pónton

“And jealous now of me, you gods, because I befriend a man, one I saved as he straddled the keel alone, when Zeus had blasted and shattered his swift ship with a bright lightning bolt, out on the wine-dark sea.”
—Homer, The Odyssey, Book V

So, "wine-dark sea" (or "oínopa pónton") is a phrase used quite a bit by Homer. And Homer was quite an author I guess. And he did some pretty damn good writing about boats and stuff. So, it is only natural that Patrick O'Brian would eventually get around to using the "Wine-Dark Sea" image in one of his books. In Book 16 to be specific. This book is actually book 4, of a 5-novel circumnavigation of the globe sieries within his greater 20 book (21 if you count his last unfinished novel) Aubrey-Maturin series. There is some nice sailing, and the wine-dark sea section happens to appear at a point when some volcanic activity is happening nearby (which given the location of most of Homer's sea stories, also ties the mysterious wine-dark colors together).

Anyway, there was some interesting sections dealing with South American politics, and Andes hiking. Some of my favorite new characters are the two little girls rescued from a South Asian island that was decimated with small-pox. They have attached themselves to Dr. Maturin and become a lovely feature on the Surprise. I'm starting to get that feeling one gets towards the last couple days of an amazing vacation. You still enjoy the country, beach, mountains, etc., but there is a sense of impending dread that this all will end too soon. One day, I'll reach to the table next to my bed and there won't be a new O'Brian novel to read. I'm already sad.

Nobody can multiply in the 1800's

In chapter 6 of the audio book Jack asks Stephen what 12 times 6 is and he answers 92! It is the first error in 16 of these books that I have listened to! Not a bad error rate! I don't know what I will listen to when I finish the series. This is the shortest book yet and it still is hard to stop listening to. I use these to help pass the time in traffic commuting to/from work and with the limited travel going on now I don't get my 2 hours a day so I have to make up for it with the headphones on around the house.

I don't know about other readers but the movie has me seeing Russell Crow and Paul Bettany as Jack and Stephen as I listen to the books on Audible. Too bad there was no second movie.

a little slower than most

I found this story to have foundered a bit once it was set upon land. it was just too slow going overland. I was much happier to get back onto the sea

This audiobook is mixed up

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes, I would like to be able to hear the chapters in order. This book starts midway through the story, then starts at chapter 1 and then just gets even more from there, The ending happened midway through book,I was wondering why I was so lost throughout the story. Like when did this happen, what happened to this ship and How is Captain Pullings not back on the ship and not on his command he was sailing? It was just all over the place. Very disappointed that it was so messed up. Still love the series though.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love both Aubrey and Maturin, and their interactions with their crew, especially Killick..."Killick,Killick there!!!" lol

Which scene was your favorite?

all of them, just life on the seas in that time period.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Oh yeah, would love sequels to "Master & Commander"

Any additional comments?

I dont want to scare anyone off from this series, and this is the only one out of 16 ive had any problem with, but they really need to fix this audiobook

Audible Sound Cloud puts ending in the middle!

What did you love best about The Wine-Dark Sea?

I do love this book. I have read the entire series and I love Patrick Tull's readings of them.

HOWEVER, at the moment I CANNOT RECOMMEND THE AUDIBLE VERSION. On Sound Cloud, the very ending of the book instead cuts in during Section 12, the middle of the story. With audio books, I'm generally listening in 30 minute chunks as I clean, so I was simply confused about how I seemed miss some plot twist. Then at the end of the book, it simply cuts to an author interview -- in the midst of an unfinished ship chase! I spent two days calling to try to get it fixed with Audible tech support. It was not fixed. Eventually in desperation, I went re-read the plot summary online, and re-found that confusing section in the middle (actually the ending of the story), so I could at least have closure...

I am so sad to have invested so much time listening to the book, only to end up with an overall rather confusing, strange version. GO READ THE PAPER BOOK FOR THIS ONE.

If you've gotten this far, you don't need a review

If you could sum up The Wine-Dark Sea in three words, what would they be?

Hip, hop, horray

Who was your favorite character and why?

They're always the same; Aubrey, Maturin, Bonden; having listened to all the books, they feel like friends

Have you listened to any of Patrick Tull’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Tull is beyond compare. He has all the accents down beautifully, and his voice is perfect for this seafaring classic.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I'd like to listen to all 20+ in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

A tour de force; I'll have more to say after the last volume.

The Wine Dark Sea

Patrick O'Brian did a great job narrating this story. This is an interesting tale the first half deals mostly with Aubrey and sailing along with sea battles. The description of the wine dark sea, earthquakes and the volcanic explosion in the ocean was fascinating. The second half deal more with Maturin and the politics and intrigue of Peru and Chili. Then his trek along the Andean Mt's to Chili with the naturalist description. Interesting book.

O'Brian & Tull, masterful

I believe there has been 3 different narrators for this series and I've heard them all. Tull stands head and shoulders over them all.
This book as well as the others, (I've listened to them all) really take you back to the days of war under sail.
The characters are developed to a degree that makes the reader genuinely interested in them or loathe them to the bone. Russell Crow's portrale of
Captain Jack Aubrey in the motion picture "Master and Commander, the far side of the world" I recommend to you highly. A rare treat for those who love pictures of the days of sail.

No surprises on the HMS Surprise, altho disjointed narrative

It's no surprise to find that entertaining nautical adventures continue with characters who are our friends in this 16th book in the series. One must be a devotee of the Aubrey-Maturin books to have pushed ahead this far along but I found this particular book's plot to be tangled, disjointed, and somewhat hard to follow in the middle after the Surprise captured prizes and headed for land. No matter, I enjoyed the book, and Iike a cult follower will continue to the next book in the series. This book would be mediocre as a standalone book outside the Series.