The Complete Short Stories

By: Patrick O’Brian, Nikolai Tolstoy - introduction

Narrated by: David Rintoul

The Complete Short Stories is the most comprehensive collection of O’Brian’s short fiction ever published. An essential volume, certain to enchant O’Brian admirers as well as listeners who are fortunate enough to be journeying with him for the very first time.

Patrick O’Brian is acclaimed as one of the greatest historical novelists of the twentieth century, celebrated throughout the world for his masterful roman fleuve, the Aubrey‒Maturin series. But he was also a prolific writer of short stories, and it is in this form that he first made his mark.

Encompassing stories written in his unvarnished youth to tales told by a seasoned traveller, this is the most comprehensive collection of O’Brian’s short fiction ever published. It is a treasure chest, overflowing with riches, containing more than sixty tales, including rarities, uncollected works, and forgotten jewels that have been out of print for decades.

These are stories of friendship, travel, adventure and the wonders of the natural world. Some are enchantingly funny, others exciting, terrifying, passionate. All of them prove Patrick O’Brian to be a true master of the form.

©2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘Narrative addicts all have writers to whom they return regularly to cheer or console themselves. Mine are Georgette Heyer, C.S. Forester, Margery Allingham and Dick Francis. I have just discovered another, Patrick O’Brian, and he is in many ways better and more satisfying than any of them.’ A.S. BYATT, EVENING STANDARD

‘Young writers ought, before lurching into print, to be obliged to learn by heart at least one of Patrick O’Brian’s short stories . . . O’Brian writes like a man to whom writing comes as easily as breathing: precisely, fluently, economically . . . perfect cadences.’ JANE SHILLING, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

‘A Kafka in the countryside . . . O’Brian’s accounts of travelling have the clarity of the best descriptive writing . . . The astonishing achievement of these short stories is not just the author’s truth to the landscape, but his pitiless vision of the disintegration of personality when a living creature is struggling in a hostile world.’ ANTHONY EVERITT, COUNTRY LIFE

‘He is more than a merely popular writer. He is a very, very fine one.’ CHARLTON HESTON, DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘It is his ability to develop character, his delightful humour, and the emotion he can evoke, which keep the reader entranced’ TIMOTHY MO, SPECTATOR

‘The greatest historical novelist of all time.’ THE TIMES

‘There are two types of people in the world: Patrick O’Brian fans, and people who haven’t read him yet.’ LUCY EYRE, GUARDIAN

Beautifully written

Too much like eating the same appetizer at every meal. So glad he hit his stride with the seafaring novels. If you want technical perfection in a short story this is for you. Perhaps the editing is at fault. After the second trout story or hunting story I was anxious to move on. Lovely writing.