Customer Reviews

Ebb Tide (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics, 14)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, if you have got this far in the series you have to buy this book. It completes the series by tying up several loose threads that no doubt you have already wondered about. That being said, why do I only rank it with 3 stars?

I am a Nat Drinkwater fan and have generally loved the whole series. I am a bit disappointed in the manner in which Woodman brings it all together. The story involves a series of vignettes that address earlier periods in his life. It is a pretty imaginative way to handle it and there is a nice symmetry to the literary device. Unfortunately the sub-plots are a little too contrived and the outcomes are a bit too convenient.

The strength as well as the downside of the Drinkwater series is the way Woodman resists all inclinations to over-romanticize the characters or the plots. People die. People that you really like die, regularly and often. The seamy as well as the noble sides of the profession of arms is present though perhaps a little more darkly than absolutely necessary. Drinkwater himself is not a romantic figure in a strict sense. He does his job and struggles with himself as he does it. The historical detail and the apt descriptions of ship life are well integrated through out the series, something which cannot be said of Pat O'Brian's work.

So, on the whole, the series easily rates five stars. This particular work could have been better in my opinion, but after 20+ years of developing this series, Woodman can be excused for just wanting to "get it done."

Buy the book... it's a good read even with its faults.

I read all the previous Drinkwater novels, and thought they were mostly interesting, Not up to the caliber of some other British naval series, but OK.

However this last one is horrible. Our hero drowns, the rest is a mishmash of varying events in his life. I started reading, and ending up skipping pages it was so boring.

The good:
1. Ebb Tide kept me on the edge of my seat. With characters forcing us to care deeply about them, unrelenting suspense, and vividly sketched nautical settings, this book was a real treat.
2. I listened to the audio version. Michael Tudor Barnes' bold yet relaxed performance proved such an authentic and natural extension of the story, that, ironically, it seemed imperceptible. Excellently paced narration.

The other:
1. I wish the ending had been different.
2. I had to listen to the first CD three times before I understood who everyone was. It was well worth the effort and time. I attribute my initial lack of understanding to unfamiliar seafaring terminology.