Literary_career Patrick_O'Brian

1 literary career

1.1 patrick russ
1.2 patrick o brian
1.3 aubrey-maturin series
1.4 other works
1.5 awards , honours

literary career
as patrick russ

o brian published 2 novels, collection of stories , several uncollected stories under original name, richard patrick russ. first novel, caesar: life story of panda-leopard, written @ age of 12 , published 3 years later in 1930. critical success, recommendation in new statesman , positive reviews in publications including new york herald tribune , saturday review of literature. other stories followed, published in boys magazines , annuals , incorporating themes of natural history , adventure, , collection of these , other animal stories published in 1934 under title beasts royal, illustrations noted artist charles tunnicliffe, illustrator of tarka otter. hussein: entertainment, set in india, published in 1938, when 23. notable being first book of contemporary fiction ever published oxford university press, annuals boys had been regular contributor years. o brian published little under original name of russ during world war ii, , nothing after 1940. change of surname in 1945 meant abandoning literary reputation had built r. p. russ.

as patrick o brian

o brian returned writing after war, when moved rural wales. non-fiction anthology book of voyages (1947) attracted little attention. collection of short stories, last pool, published in 1950 , more , favourably reviewed, although sales low. countryside , people around village in wales provided inspiration many of short stories of period, , novel testimonies (1952), set in thinly disguised cwm croesor, , received delmore schwartz in partisan review in 1952.

in 1950s o brian wrote 3 books aimed @ younger age group, road samarcand, golden ocean, , unknown shore. although written many years before aubrey–maturin series, 2 naval novels reveal literary antecedents of aubrey , maturin. in golden ocean , unknown shore, based on events of george anson s voyage around world 1740 1744, can seen in characters of jack byron , tobias barrow in latter novel.

over 4 decades worked on own writings, british literary reputation growing slowly. became established translator of french works english. novels , several of translations published rupert hart-davis 1953 1974. o brian wrote first of aubrey-maturin series in 1969 @ suggestion of american publisher j.b. lippincott, following death of c. s. forester in 1966, writer of popular nautical novels. aubrey-maturin books quietly popular in britain; after first 4 volumes not published in united states.

in 1990s series relaunched american market interest of starling lawrence of w. w. norton publishers, attracting critical acclaim , dramatically increasing o brian s sales , public profile in uk , america. paul d. colford notes when o brian visited united states few weeks ago, fans waiting meet, lunch , have tea him included walter cronkite, sen. dirk kempthorne (r-idaho) , supreme court justice anthony kennedy, invited o brian attend session of high court. hollywood wants piece of press-shy storyteller. novels sold on 3 million copies in 20 languages. in review of 21 (published in 2004), publishers weekly says on 6 million copies have been sold. o brian s greatest success in writing, gaining him fame, following , invitations events , interviews came late in life, when seventies, , accustomed private life.

shortly before last completed novel published in october 1999, o brian wrote article series of best in millennium ending, titled full nelson, choosing topic admiral nelson s victory in battle of nile in 1798.

aubrey-maturin series

beginning in 1969, o brian began writing turned 20-volume aubrey–maturin series of novels. books set in 19th century , describe life , careers of captain jack aubrey , friend, naval physician dr stephen maturin. books distinguished o brian s deliberate use , adaptation of actual historical events, either integrating protagonists in action without changing outcome, or using adapted historical events templates. in addition trait , o brian s distinctive literary style, sense of humour prominent (see humour in main article, aubrey-maturin series). technical sailing terminology employed throughout series. books considered critics roman fleuve, can read 1 long story; books follow aubrey , maturin s professional , domestic lives continuously.

other works

as historical novels, o brian wrote 3 adult mainstream novels, 6 story collections, , history of royal navy aimed @ young readers. respected translator, responsible more 30 translations french, including henri charrière s papillon english, jean lacouture s biography of charles de gaulle, many of simone de beauvoir s later works.

o brian wrote detailed biographies of sir joseph banks, english naturalist took part in cook s first voyage (and appears briefly in o brian s aubrey-maturin series), , pablo picasso. biography of picasso massive , comprehensive study of artist. picasso lived time in collioure, same french village o brian, , 2 became acquainted there.

peter weir s 2003 film, master , commander: far side of world loosely based on novel far side of world aubrey–maturin series plot, draws on number of novels incidents within film. character of jack aubrey drawn character in novels.

awards , honours

in 1995 awarded inaugural heywood hill literary prize lifetime s writings. in acceptance speech in july 1995, o brian, age 80, said first literary prize of adult life, in amount of 10,000 pounds. received cbe in 1997. trinity college dublin awarded him honorary doctorate in 1997.