Reviews

Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester

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deegee24's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The second book in the Hornblower series, it has a more continuous plot than the first one. The main plot concerns Hornblower proving his leadership qualities as a junior officer during a British campaign against the Spanish in Haiti. The Haitian slave revolt is mentioned in passing but not dealt with directly. Much of the book is from the point of view of Bush, another officer who has more seniority than Hornblower but who recognizes him as a superior strategist and soldier. The book is plot-driven, but the main characters do develop gradually. The biggest flaw is with the late introduction of a female character, Maria, the daughter of an innkeeper and Hornblower's love interest. She isn't much more than a plot device here, though I suspect that Forester is setting up this relationship as a main plotline for the next book.

wispywasp's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

cseibs's review against another edition

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4.0

Good, old-fashioned storytelling. A rather ingenious twist in having the story told from Bush's point-of-view, not Hornblower's, and one that oddly gives you more insight into Hornblower's character.

cc_modeler's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition

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3.0

This book is a mixed bag, in which Hornblower's luck runs back and forth between bad and good. He has his first meeting with Bush, who turns out to be a loyal colleague and friend. But they're both initially subject to the tyranny of an insane captain.

After they get past that, the middle part of the book is mostly relatively cheerful, and Hornblower's career seems to be progressing well; until peace is declared and he finds himself unemployed in dire poverty in England. As the book ends, war is looming again, and his career begins to recover.

It's not a bad book, and it's an essential part of Hornblower's story, but it's not one of my favourites. He meets not only Bush but also Maria in this story; I find Maria rather tiresome, and she remains for the next five books (8 years of his life), mostly but not always offstage.