#mr midshipman and lieutenant are my other faves

[johnbly]

i have finished reading all the hornblower books and now must grapple with that fact

[marryat92]

I'm now finished with Peter Simple, which was a strong early Marryat novel, and far more polished than anything he wrote in his early career except for my problematic fave Frank Mildmay. (I absolutely adore that book and think reviewers never give it enough praise; please please talk to me about Frank Mildmay.)

Peter Simple is not autobiographical in the way that Frank Mildmay is, but it clearly takes inspiration and plot points from Frederick Marryat's real life. There are the now-familiar naval battles on the Mediterranean coast and prize-taking of the late Napoleonic wars (with a Lord Cochrane expy called Captain Savage), and much time is spent in the West Indies.

Both books are written in first person POV by the title character, which I think helps to keep Marryat's fourth wall-breaking habits in check. Peter Simple starts out as comically naive, but as time passes he becomes remarkably more competent and worldly-wise. He learns to stand up for himself without being arrogant or overbearing. Frank Mildmay, on the other hand, is a spiteful, jealous, and obnoxious brat from day one, as much as he whines about being corrupted by his naval service. (It's obvious that Marryat regretted making his most autobiographical character such a rogue, and he expressed plans to re-write Frank Mildmay although he never followed through.)

Whereas the reader is well aware of Frank Mildmay's beauty, humble Peter Simple doesn't dwell on his appearance. Most of what we know about his looks is that he makes for a very pretty girl, and young Peter attracts a lot of attention when disguised in female clothing. Mildmay and Simple are probably equally emotional— which is to say very emotional. They both have a habit of responding with tears when someone is kind to them after an ordeal. (I honestly love this depth of feeling in Marryat heroes.)

In a way, Frank Mildmay and Peter Simple read like different fictional versions of their author: scoundrel Byronic hero Marryat, and wholesome himbo Marryat. (Peter even gets a hated older brother named Tom, just like Frank! R.I.P. “Tom,” always getting killed off.) While Peter Simple predates Marryat’s acquaintance with Charles Dickens by almost a decade, it feels satisfyingly Dickensian in that a number of minor characters return at the end of the book with happy resolutions to their stories. (The opposite of The King’s Own, which appears to set up redemption arcs only to kill everyone off.)

I prefer Frank Mildmay as a character to Peter Simple, but Peter Simple the novel was more informative about day-to-day life in the early 19th century Royal Navy. Both books have an axe to grind about the unfair promotion of unqualified officers with powerful connections, even as their heroes benefit from “interest.” Mildmay is the son of a man “of considerable property” who secures him a place as a midshipman, and Peter Simple is the grandson of a character literally named Lord Privilege.

Another interesting point of comparison between Frank Mildmay and Peter Simple is the treatment of illegitimate children. The philandering Frank is shook by the tragedy of his illegitimate son Eugenio, and he’s almost murdered by the Bahamian girl living in “familiar intercourse” with him. It’s perhaps surprising that wholesome Peter Simple encounters a more positive representation of illegitimacy. The boatswain Mr. Chucks is proud to be the illegitimate son of a first lieutenant: “I had rather be the bye-blow of a gentleman, than the ‘gitimate offspring of a boatswain and his wife. There’s no chance of good blood in your veins in the latter instance, whereas, in the former you may have stolen a drop or two.”