--- title: "Best Patrick O'Brian Words" description: "Patrick O'Brian, born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator best known for his Aubrey–Maturin sea novel series." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b084/author-patrick-o-brian-2283.jpg" --- ![Portrait of Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b084/author-patrick-o-brian-2283.jpg) # Patrick O'Brian (1914–2000) Translator United Kingdom **167** quotes in **649** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet Patrick O'Brian was a translator from the United Kingdom, best known for *Master and Commander*. ## Quick Facts About Patrick O'Brian Born December 12, 1914 Died January 2, 2000 Nationality United Kingdom Profession Translator Notable works Master and Commander Known for Aubrey-Maturin series Spouse Mary Wicksteed ## About Patrick O'Brian The series, set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, follows Captain Jack Aubrey and physician Stephen Maturin. It consists of 20 novels, beginning with Master and Commander, praised for detailed historical detail and authentic language. A partially finished 21st novel was published after his death with handwritten pages. ## Awards & Honors Commander of the Order of the British Empire ## Quotes by Patrick O'Brian · Page 5 > [Two weevils crept from the crumbs. 'You see those weevils, Stephen?' said Jack solemnly. I do.' Which would you choose?' There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/two-weevils-crept-from-the-crumbs-you-see-those-weevils-stephen-said/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/patrick-o-brian-2283_advantage_two-weevils-crept-from-the-crumbs-you-se_1278194.png) > [“If men were to consider what they were at - if if they were to look around them, and reflect upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/if-men-were-to-consider-what-they-were-at-if-if-they-were-to-look/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Consider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/888/patrick-o-brian-2283_consider_if-men-were-to-consider-what-they-were-a_1636004.jpg) > [“They played, not beautifully but deep, ignoring their often discordant strings and striking right into the heart of the music they knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/they-played-not-beautifully-but-deep-ignoring-their-often-discordant/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/patrick-o-brian-2283_fiction_they-played-not-beautifully-but-deep-ign_1039260.jpg) > [And she hates being managed - that is not the word I want. What is it, Maturin?' 'Manipulated.' 'Exactly. She is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/and-she-hates-being-managed-that-is-not-the-word-i-want-what-is-it/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Balls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balls/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/patrick-o-brian-2283_balls_and-she-hates-being-managed-that-is-not_434538.png) > [“there is here a striving, avid and worldly civilisation, of course; these huge and eager markets, to this incessant buying and selling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/there-is-here-a-striving-avid-and-worldly-civilisation-of-course/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Another world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-world/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc2/patrick-o-brian-2283_another-world_there-is-here-a-striving-avid-and-worldl_1539084.png) > [“It was quite unlike their friendly discourse of some days before, and presently Stephen grew sadly bored: lies or half-lies, he reflected,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/it-was-quite-unlike-their-friendly-discourse-of-some-days-before-and/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/patrick-o-brian-2283_friendship_it-was-quite-unlike-their-friendly-disco_238256.png) > [“Within himself Jack had not the slightest doubt of victory, but it would never do to let this conviction take the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/within-himself-jack-had-not-the-slightest-doubt-of-victory-but-it/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) [Jack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jack/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/patrick-o-brian-2283_jack_within-himself-jack-had-not-the-slightes_1421414.jpg) ## Patrick O'Brian by topic [Time (18)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/patrick-o-brian/) [Books (13)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/patrick-o-brian/) [Mind (11)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/patrick-o-brian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/#itemlist", "name": "Patrick O'Brian Quotes", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Two weevils crept from the crumbs. 'You see those weevils, Stephen?' said Jack solemnly. I do.' Which would you choose?' There is not a scrap of difference. Arcades ambo. They are the same species of curculio, and there is nothing to choose between them.' But suppose you had to choose?' Then I should choose the right-hand weevil; it has a perceptible advantage in both length and breadth.' There I have you,' cried Jack. 'You are bit - you are completely dished. Don't you know that in the Navy you must always choose the lesser of two weevils? Oh ha, ha, ha, ha!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick O'Brian" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/two-weevils-crept-from-the-crumbs-you-see-those-weevils-stephen-said/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/patrick-o-brian-2283_advantage_two-weevils-crept-from-the-crumbs-you-se_1278194.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/patrick-o-brian-2283_advantage_two-weevils-crept-from-the-crumbs-you-se_1278194.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/patrick-o-brian-2283_advantage_two-weevils-crept-from-the-crumbs-you-se_1278194.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Two weevils crept from the crumbs. 'You see those weevils, Stephen?' said Jack solemnly. I do.' 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On the poop above their heads, where the weary helmsmen tended the new steering-oar and Babbington stood at the con, the men listened intently; it was the first sound of human life that they had heard, apart from the brief Christmas merriment, for a time they could scarcely measure.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick O'Brian" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/they-played-not-beautifully-but-deep-ignoring-their-often-discordant/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/patrick-o-brian-2283_fiction_they-played-not-beautifully-but-deep-ign_1039260.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/patrick-o-brian-2283_fiction_they-played-not-beautifully-but-deep-ign_1039260.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/patrick-o-brian-2283_fiction_they-played-not-beautifully-but-deep-ign_1039260.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They played, not beautifully but deep, ignoring their often discordant strings and striking right into the…” — Patrick O'Brian", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And she hates being managed - that is not the word I want. What is it, Maturin?' 'Manipulated.' 'Exactly. She is a dutiful girl - a great sense of duty: I think it rather stupid, but there it is - but still she finds the way her mother has been arranging and pushing and managing and angling in all this perfectly odious. You two must have had hogsheads of that grocer's claret forced down your throats. Perfectly odious: and she is obstinate - strong, if you like - under that bread-and-butter way of hers. 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