'Angels and Archangels' has a similar theme, only it isn't as engaging as the previous two. These stories showcase flawed, selfish and oftentimes unlikable characters that seem true to life and remind me a great deal of Julius and Mary Anne. 'Leading Lady' and 'The Rendezvous' were written during her youth. Why settle for her novels when you can catch glimpses of her brilliance in shorter stories? The Rendezvous and Other Stories contains several of her best work. This collection proves that O'Brian is not simply the master of a genre, but an author who will long be honored as one of our most eminent literary figures.One of the best short story collections I've ever read!ĭaphne du Maurier wrote various short stories over the course of her life, many of which could be found here.

The setting may be the marshes of western Ireland, the Pyrenees, or the claustrophobic confines of a clockmender's house, but each story is a showcase for Patrick O'Brian's fresh and meticulous prose each story reaffirms his sympathetic understanding of human passion and suffering. The threatened chaos may be psychological, as in 'On the Wolfsberg,' or it may be lurking in the natural world, as in 'A Passage of the Frontier,' or, as in the dark masterpiece 'The Chian Wine,' it is suddenly discovered in the ancient, irrational impulses of human nature. Collected here are twenty-seven stories that O'Brian wished to preserve: stories of uncommon lyricism and beauty that will confirm his rightful place in the front rank of short-story writers as well as of novelists.Īlthough the tone of this collection ranges effortlessly from the humorous to the dramatic, the most characteristic and memorable stories often have to do with a glimpse of savage, destructive forces through the fragile shell of human civilization. His fame rests mainly on the achievement of the epic Aubrey/Maturin novels, but few readers know that O'Brian first made his reputation as a writer of short fiction. Patrick O'Brian has emerged, in the opinion of many, as one of the greatest novelists in English.

A collection of startlingly vivid short stories from Patrick O'Brian, author of the highly acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series.

The rendezvous and other stories