[caveat emptor]

I'd suggest seeing Master and Commander if you haven't already, and then read the book with the same title to see how you get on with O'Brian's writing. The movie is based on parts of serveral books, and the book isn't just a re-hash of the movie.

[rhombus]

I agree. Start at the beginning and work you’re way through. I got the audio books narrated by Patrick Tull and listened to them during my commute. It’s a great way to make use of mostly empty time. I did them in sequence after reading one out of the middle and then seeing the movie. O’Brian “catches you up” if you come in in the middle but I think it’s a better experience to live with the characters serially as they experienced their lives.