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bosermoki's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
elizabethk_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Wow... first off I loved the format of the vignettes of events over the 3 year appointment. I was wondering what Hornblower's amazing intellect could be used for in peacetime, and I was surprised at how much was going on despite the peace. It was good to see him as the hero and strategist up until the end. The closure between him and Barbara was more touching than I could have imagined. Overall, it left me wanting more. Thankfully, the second half of Hornblower During the Crisis awaits...
vasha's review
2.0
This book (the latest, according to internal chronology, of the Hornblower novels) makes a change from the focus on the Napoleonic wars so typical of British naval fiction. It takes place between 1821 and 1823, and although one of its five nearly self-contained sections features a band of fanatical Bonapartists convinced that the Empire can still be revived, in the rest Hornblower is largely concerned with maneuvering through Britain's delicate non-hostile relations with Spain and the US. Potential source of conflict is Britain's intention to suppress the slave trade (Spain hadn't abolished slavery yet), and the bid for independence of Spain's new world possessions (Britain had not yet officially recognized their independence but tacitly favored it).
Forester enjoys inserting notes about how life is changing on the brink of the Victorian age: for one thing, Hornblower attends a reception, not in a uniform and cocked hat, but in a black evening coat and top hat (which first became popular in the 1820s). The author hints at the way the Navy is about to change beyond recognition, with wooden ships very soon to be phased out, but Hornblower unsurprisingly doesn't imagine it. At one point, he leads fleet exercises to train young officers to fight a battle in ships-of-the-line, unaware that Britain will never again fight such a battle.
As I noted, this book is divided into five chapters which almost seem to have been written independently of each other. Although the fourth, concerning a rich young British manufacturer who purchases a sold-out-of-the-service warship for hidden reasons, is quite good, I'm afraid I have to express the opinion that the general quality of the writing in this book is slack. Forester overwrites Hornblower's mercurial emotions, having him repeatedly switch from happiness to despair in an exaggerated manner; some phrases are not well chosen; and although there are good plot ideas, they are not sustained in as interesting a manner as Forester ought to be capable of. So, although its setting makes a nice change of pace, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Forester enjoys inserting notes about how life is changing on the brink of the Victorian age: for one thing, Hornblower attends a reception, not in a uniform and cocked hat, but in a black evening coat and top hat (which first became popular in the 1820s). The author hints at the way the Navy is about to change beyond recognition, with wooden ships very soon to be phased out, but Hornblower unsurprisingly doesn't imagine it. At one point, he leads fleet exercises to train young officers to fight a battle in ships-of-the-line, unaware that Britain will never again fight such a battle.
As I noted, this book is divided into five chapters which almost seem to have been written independently of each other. Although the fourth, concerning a rich young British manufacturer who purchases a sold-out-of-the-service warship for hidden reasons, is quite good, I'm afraid I have to express the opinion that the general quality of the writing in this book is slack. Forester overwrites Hornblower's mercurial emotions, having him repeatedly switch from happiness to despair in an exaggerated manner; some phrases are not well chosen; and although there are good plot ideas, they are not sustained in as interesting a manner as Forester ought to be capable of. So, although its setting makes a nice change of pace, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
3.0
One of my favorite Hornblower novels!
I liked that he finally did one completely unselfish act in his life. When the hurricane comes and he ties Barbara to the mast, he wants to give up and sit down, but he stays standing up so that he can hold her and protect her from the elements. Not from pride (for once in his life), but out of sheer love for her.
I liked that he finally did one completely unselfish act in his life. When the hurricane comes and he ties Barbara to the mast, he wants to give up and sit down, but he stays standing up so that he can hold her and protect her from the elements. Not from pride (for once in his life), but out of sheer love for her.
with_drea's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories that were all very entertaining to read, but my favorite had to be the very last one. It's good to see Horatio with Barbara; it humanizes him-- a very necessary thing, given how much he tries to make himself like a statue. It would have been nice to have 'The Last Encounter' included in this, just to make a chronological reading easier, but I don't believe Forester had it written yet.
northern_gail's review against another edition
5.0
Wow... first off I loved the format of the vignettes of events over the 3 year appointment. I was wondering what Hornblower's amazing intellect could be used for in peacetime, and I was surprised at how much was going on despite the peace. It was good to see him as the hero and strategist up until the end. The closure between him and Barbara was more touching than I could have imagined. Overall, it left me wanting more. Thankfully, the second half of Hornblower During the Crisis awaits...
smcleish's review against another edition
3.0
Originally published on my blog here in November 1998.
Hornblower in the West Indies consists of five episodes from towards the end of his career, when he was an admiral and during a four-year term as Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies. Other than this background, and the fact that they are arranged chronologically, the stories are virtually independent; each one could certainly be perfectly comprehensible if read on its own. In these stories, Hornblower deals with an attempt to rescue Napoleon from St Helena (they take place around 1820), captures pirates, gets involved in Simon Bolivar's rebellion in South America that led to the independence of the Spanish colonies there, is kidnapped and survives a hurricane.
Hornblower's personal heroism is still there; much of the plot of these stories is set up to justify him being in situations where such an important and senior officer could display this characteristic. The short format (each section amounts to about fifty pages, so they are longish short stories) makes Forester skate over many of the strengths of earlier Hornblower stories and his characterisation of the character almost perfunctorily - the eccentricities which made him both human and more acceptable to modern tastes (such as his opposition to hanging and flogging, his famous daily baths and his tone deafness) are really only there as gestures. It is the earlier novels, dealing with his time as a captain, which are the strengths of the Hornblower series.
Hornblower in the West Indies consists of five episodes from towards the end of his career, when he was an admiral and during a four-year term as Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies. Other than this background, and the fact that they are arranged chronologically, the stories are virtually independent; each one could certainly be perfectly comprehensible if read on its own. In these stories, Hornblower deals with an attempt to rescue Napoleon from St Helena (they take place around 1820), captures pirates, gets involved in Simon Bolivar's rebellion in South America that led to the independence of the Spanish colonies there, is kidnapped and survives a hurricane.
Hornblower's personal heroism is still there; much of the plot of these stories is set up to justify him being in situations where such an important and senior officer could display this characteristic. The short format (each section amounts to about fifty pages, so they are longish short stories) makes Forester skate over many of the strengths of earlier Hornblower stories and his characterisation of the character almost perfunctorily - the eccentricities which made him both human and more acceptable to modern tastes (such as his opposition to hanging and flogging, his famous daily baths and his tone deafness) are really only there as gestures. It is the earlier novels, dealing with his time as a captain, which are the strengths of the Hornblower series.
guardyanangel's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories that were all very entertaining to read, but my favorite had to be the very last one. It's good to see Horatio with Barbara; it humanizes him-- a very necessary thing, given how much he tries to make himself like a statue. It would have been nice to have 'The Last Encounter' included in this, just to make a chronological reading easier, but I don't believe Forester had it written yet.
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