Re: Does the 20th book in the Aubrey/Maturin series bring closure?

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 22:02:50 -0700, Grandpa <jsdebooATcomcast.net>
wrote:

>I've not read any of the POB novels yet (made one unsuccessful attempt a 
>few years ago) but I think the following will probably answer your 
>questions.  IIRC he dies before the last novel was complete and someone 
>else finished it.  Unknown if there is any closure but I doubt it.
>
>http://www.wwnorton.com/pob/pobhome.htm
>http://www.patrickobrian.com/
>
>
>jasctt wrote:
>
>> Hello all...Recently, today in fact, I start the first A/M novel.  I
>> am just a few pages into it and already loving it.  My question
>> follows:  I know the author died not long after the 20th book was
>> finished, so is the 20th novel the "last" one, in the sense that is
>> the finale and that it brings closure to the characters?  I certainly
>> would hate to read all 19 books and get to the 20th and last only to
>> discover that there is no sense of closure, for such an epic series. 
>> I was just wondering if the author died before he could complete the
>> arc of the story.  Thank you.

Actually, Patrick O'Brien died about 2 chapters into the projected
21st novel of the series.  No one has "completed" it, and I don't
expect anyone to.

I recall reading an interview with POB around the time of publication
of #19, _The Yellow Admiral_, calling it the "penultimate" book of the
series, indicating that he originally planned for #20 to be the last,
but he evidently changed his mind.

The answer to the question of closure is that, no, there isn't any
"final" closure.  There are questions I desperately would love to have
resolved -- but more to the point, I'd just love to keep reading about
Jack and Stephen.

However, there are many minor arcs in the series which find closure at
various times, and in the last book, as signalled by the title, there
is at least one major goal reached.  In many ways the last book is an
appropriate ending book, though at the same time subsequent books
would have been welcome.

I'd say you can read without fear of being cheated at the lack of
"closure" -- it's not a series driven by an overall plot arc that
would have been ruined without a resolution.

-- 
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