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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An amazing read. It was a nice change to have Hornblower in the Pacific and see how things were progressing there during this time period. I missed Bush though :-) Lady Barbara was hard to get used to though as Maria has been in the last 4 books, but the action more than made up for that.
This was the first-published of Forester's Horatio Hornblower series, taking place with Hornblower as a middle-aged captain following sealed orders that bring him to the Pacific coast of Central America and into the midst of a rebellion against the Spanish rulership of the Spanish-American colonies.
Faced with shifting alliances, a lunatic rebel leader with literal delusions of godhood, an English lady suddenly taken aboard as a passenger, and an outgunned battle against a Spanish ship-of-the-line, Hornblower battles his own insecurities as he guides his ship on its mission.
Those insecurities were the most fascinating aspect of the book. Hornblower feels the need to appear absolutely unshakeable to his men, when, in fact, just about everything shakes him to the core. He is exceptionally good at what he does, but no one is more aware than he is of how disaster is a mere change of the wind away at any moment.
The battle scenes were vivid and powerful, and there is something satisfying about the nautical jargon being thrown around in the midst of the mayhem, especially when it is Hornblower's forced-calm-and-casual, "Mister Bush, beat to quarters if you please, and clear for action."
The last third of the book is mostly devoted to a romantic subplot that plays heavily on Hornblower's anxiety, which makes perfect sense, but comes off as more awkward than anything else, and never really gets a full resolution. The ending felt a bit dragged out, with the best of the story left back in the Pacific as the captain and the crew of the Lydia make for home.
Faced with shifting alliances, a lunatic rebel leader with literal delusions of godhood, an English lady suddenly taken aboard as a passenger, and an outgunned battle against a Spanish ship-of-the-line, Hornblower battles his own insecurities as he guides his ship on its mission.
Those insecurities were the most fascinating aspect of the book. Hornblower feels the need to appear absolutely unshakeable to his men, when, in fact, just about everything shakes him to the core. He is exceptionally good at what he does, but no one is more aware than he is of how disaster is a mere change of the wind away at any moment.
The battle scenes were vivid and powerful, and there is something satisfying about the nautical jargon being thrown around in the midst of the mayhem, especially when it is Hornblower's forced-calm-and-casual, "Mister Bush, beat to quarters if you please, and clear for action."
The last third of the book is mostly devoted to a romantic subplot that plays heavily on Hornblower's anxiety, which makes perfect sense, but comes off as more awkward than anything else, and never really gets a full resolution. The ending felt a bit dragged out, with the best of the story left back in the Pacific as the captain and the crew of the Lydia make for home.
adventurous
medium-paced
I really like this book???? What a good. My poor precious Hornblower. Let me love him and let him be loved, and let him believe he deserves to be loved ; ;
But seriously, one of my favorites so far, by the end. Hornblower is ridiculously frustrating in the way only Hornblower can be, but somehow it's endearing. It helps that we get the perspective of other characters on him, to balance out his gloom and doom.
But seriously, one of my favorites so far, by the end. Hornblower is ridiculously frustrating in the way only Hornblower can be, but somehow it's endearing. It helps that we get the perspective of other characters on him, to balance out his gloom and doom.
An amazing read. It was a nice change to have Hornblower in the Pacific and see how things were progressing there during this time period. I missed Bush though :-) Lady Barbara was hard to get used to though as Maria has been in the last 4 books, but the action more than made up for that.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a great airplane read. Short chapters, lots of action, and quick paced. Most lists of books in the series put them in chronological order but I'm reading them in publication order. In the publication order, this is the first book. The character of Horatio Hornblower is not what I expected for an English naval captain. He's insecure in himself despite his obvious talents. The book offers detailed descriptions of life on a navy ship in the Napoleonic era as well as the lifestyle and expectations for navy men. Great book.