#cs forrester

[tinyshe]

Summer Reading:

Make a suggestion --

Walter Scott

or

CS Forrester

(and if you have a preferred title)

[darklingichor]

Hornblower and the Hotspur by C.S. Forester

I didn't like this one as much as the others.  Know why they tend to do chases in things like cars or speedboats? Because a sailed ship is *slow* and the Hotspur playing mouse to a French ship's cat, took too long!

I did like the character development of Hornblower. I like that for all he insists that he doesn't love Maria, it's clear that he does. It just isn't the stars in the eyes love he was expecting, and he can't express it in the lavish way Maria does, but it's there, he thinks of her often, is concerned about her feelings. He is introverted, didn't seem to have a very warm upbringing, and is very entrenched in the formal culture of The Navy, he is just not all that practiced in being affectionate.

Every time he interacts with or thinks about Maria it reminds me of Niles from Friaser speaking about his love for Maris:

"...it doesn't burn with the passion and intensity of a Tristan and Isolde. It's more comfortable, more familiar. Maris and I are old friends."

Now, Hornblower and Maria can't be though to be old friends, but if they were able to interact more I could see them being like this. More so really, since Niles is in denial and Maris is skilled at making his life hell.

I liked that we got to see more of Hornblower's leadership, problem solving and empathy. We even get a bit of his playful side as he is all but giddy at the fact that he knows orders that his crew doesn't know.

He is a pretty good leader, not willing to put his men through anything he wouldn't do himself. His empathy does have limits though. As much as he abores corporal or capital punishment, he does not do well with cowardice. His tongue is a far better wepon than the whip, in my opinion.

We also get his moods when he sulks over the fact that his eggs for the voyage are half rotten and the jam is his least favorite.

Anyway, because of the very slow burn action on the first part of the book I found this one harder to get through.

[darklingichor]

Hornblower and the Crises by CS Forester

Annnnd 50! Whoo! I made it! Now, I still have 6 weeks before the end of the year, so let's see if I can read six more, just 'cause!

Honestly, I might continue this next year. It was fun, and maybe I'll write about my frequent flyers, not just why I like them but sort of analyze them. I enjoy doing that.

Anyway, on with the book.

So this is the week to be all out of order. I skipped over the third book, "Hotspur", because the only unabridged version on Audible I could find switched narrators and the new dude sounded like he gargled with broken glass and gravel. Not the voice of our stoic and akward Horatio.

So, my plan is to circle back on that one and one other, and get the word on the page books.

Also, while this is the fourth book chronologically, it was the last book written and CS Forester died before completing it.

Because of course he did! The story sets up Hornblower to be a spy! The man pulled a Dickens and passed before the mystery and intrigue were filled out!

*Sigh*

Anyway, I read a review where someone said that this story doesn't add much to the series. I disagree, because even though we only get the bare bones of the second part of the plot from the author's notes,  I think it brings a good amount to the table.

I mean, Hornblower would make a great spy, from what I've read so far anyway.

He can school his expression, mostly, keep his emotions under check, he's cool headed and creative under pressure.

The author's notes lay out a crises of morals when Horblower wonders if it maybe wrong to be a spy. I think that would have been interesting so see how he worried around this moral dilemma.

I wish we had the whole story, but I think that as it stands, it adds quite a bit to the series.

The actual story had me wondering about if it were possible to be related to a fictional character.

Since I skipped "Hotspur"  I surmise that our now Commander Hornblower had to take over as acting Captain for the HMS Hotspur as Crisis begins with Hornblower preparing to turn over the ship to a new guy.

And he's just slightly bitter about it. Unfortunately, Bush encounters him just as that bitterness reaches escape volicity.

Because of this, what I like to call Asshole Autopilot was activated.

This is when a generally quiet, polite and mostly understanding person's resentment and anger bubbles up on a slow simmer and the harsh and cutting things they have spent a lot of time suppressing come out even as the person's better judgemt screams. Because they know they are being an asshole, they know that the person they are spitting venom at doesn't deserve it. It's almost like they can't help it (notice I said *almost*). Hornblower does what I have had to do more than once, wrestle the filter between my mouth and my brain back into place and make amends for being a jackass.

With the experience of the military, Hornblower is shuffled on to a for hire ship with another officer and a contracted captain who is a tad challenging

There's a point where he is lying in his hammock and more or less decides that he wants to spend as much of his day in bed because it would mean less time to actually think about life before he went back to sleep.

Yeah... That sentiment is damned familiar. I recognize the recipe.

Two parts depression, one part anxiety, one part anger, throw in a little sulking for a nice somber color and you have a very acidic elixir, that will annoy those around you even as it makes you nauseous.

And this is why I adore this character. See, in Lt. Hornblower, he runs the risk of being a Gary Stu; everything he tries turns to gold. I think this is mostly subverted because the outer shell that he presents to the world is shown to have a fair few cracks in it and Bush sees them. Plus, at one point it is stated that "Hornblower worked as hard to conceal his human weaknesses as some men worked to conceal ignoble birth."

I always think of Mary Sue and Gary Stu as being effortlessly perfect. Sort of takes away from it that we know he works so hard on it.

The fact that he is shown to be all too human even though he hates making any kind of mistake, makes him pretty relatable, at least to me.

However his pouting is interrupted when an enemy ship comes along.

Hornblower and crew ambush the other ship and take it to England. He is briefly able to meet with Maria and their young son before, with a promise of promotion, he is commanded to move along to the next assignment.

Next, there's something of a court room drama and then the concept of spy craft is introduced. Sadly, the narrative ends there, as I said.

This book included a short story about Hornblower in is later years, An Admiral, and Lord, he is reflecting on his happy life, and worrying about what could take it away (natch) when someone claiming to be Napoleon Bonaparte ("Boney" being long dead at this point) comes asking for a ride to a train station.

This story was cute and made me smile.

All in all, not a bad fiftieth book!

[darklingichor]

Lt. Hornblower By CS Forester

So has this been the longest week in the history of time keeping, or what?

I don't think I would have stayed sane if not for the fact that I don't have cable.

Anyway, on with the book!

Chronologically the second in the Hornblower series, I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. This one is told mostly from the perspective of Lt. Bush who will become Hornblower's best friend (or so I've gathered since I am mostly reading these in sequence, but they weren't written that way).

As much as I love the adventure of these stories I'm also seeing them as a facinating lesson in characterization and the skewed lens of human perspective.

In Midshipman, we see Hornblower as self-conscious, self-critical, anxious, and moody (the last which is a side effect of the first three). We also see the sharpness of mind and the mastery of problem solving coming up. Hornblower himself mostly sees what he precives as his failings while the reader can see the whole picture. Lt. Hornblower, being told from Bush's perspective starting at the moment they meet, means that we have a member of the audience, essentially, in the book. What Bush sees is a smart, careful and moral young man. Although, we are told that Bush operates on mostly a subconscious level and just sort of accepts that he has grown to trust and admire the jr. Lieutenant.

Hornblower, ever guarded with his emotions appears as stoic and collected as ever, only shows his inner anxiety to Bush a couple of times.

First when he heated cannon balls too much and they warped to the point where they wouldn't fit into the gun they were using. He berated himself so much for not thinking of that detail about a piece of equipment that he'd only just taught himself to use that Bush, wrestling with protocol, felt the need to be tell Hornblower to ease up on himself.

The next time it was when, having hit a rough patch, Hornblower fretted about the feelings of a woman, Maria, who would end up being his wife.

Bush is surprised that Hornblower worries like he does and at his moodiness. Part of that is because he, himself, is so even keeled but another part is that how Hornblower sees himself is not how others see him.

This is true for so many people. Because you are too close to you. What happens when you look closely at something? You see the flaws. Look even closer one flaw in particular is going to seem all encompassing. However, take a step back, look and you can appreciate the whole.

The story itself is quite a ride starting the mystery that is never quite solved because Hornblower knows how to keep his mind running and his mouth shut. Continuing on to battle, promotion, whist, and marriage.

Seriously I'm loving these books!

[darklingichor]

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by CS Forrester

I came across this book when reading a list of recommendations for adventure novels.

I remember there being this Horatio Hornblower miniseries on A&E when I was a teenager that seemed to be advertised every five minutes or so while I was trying to watch Biography. I remember thinking, for some reason, that it must be like Moby Dick. Bunch of boats and a serious tone to the commercials. I had attempted to read Moby Dick and it was so boring (I have tried since then and my opinion has not changed).

When I came across this prequel come first in the series, I was in a bit of a slump. I know that's weird considering I'm reading and or listening to a book a week, but nothing's really caught and held me since

"All Those Explosions Were Someone else's Fault."

So, I gave it a shot (and my last audible credit).

This book is so cool!

There's a lot of nautical stuff that I don't understand but that doesn't take away from how much fun it is to get lost in these stories.

I also couldn't believe how relatable a 17 year old British Midshipman from the 18th/19th century can be!

I saw a lot of my self in Fangirl when reading Cath's anxiety. But I see even more of myself in Hornblower. Because, as serious as anxiety is, it can lead to some funny shit. Like worrying about how foolish he might have looked when flinging himself from a ship, or over thinking whether or not to say aye aye because people really talk like that?

I remember falling at work and even though I landed hard on my knee and broke a vase, my major concern was that I had said "Goddamn it!" In earshot of one of our chaplains.

I am forever rolling my eyes at myself and you get the impression Hornblower is doing that as well. Because anxiety can be distressing, crippling and horrible, but it can also be freaking annoying and you just have to be like: "Do it live and act like you know what's going on." Then you might find that you do know what's going on, or you learn along the way.

Hornblower adopts a smooth and stoic additude while inside he feels like an ackward mess. Who can't relate to that?

The book, which is a collection of episodes, runs from the time Hornblower steps aboard his first ship, The Justinian, and runs up to his promotion to Lieutenant (don't think that's a spoiler since the next chronological book is titled Lieutenant Hornblower).

Each episode is pure adventure. Most are self-contained and with a set goal.

Get the cargo here.

Carry out this plan thusly.

And then weird stuff happens that makes the simple a to b impossible, and Hornblower has to work it out.

There are also a few episodes where you get to see Hornblower handle some  of aformemtioned weird shit and have his inner monologue be something like " 'Kay... This is insane... Now, how would someone who has seen crazy stuff before handle it?"

I had so much fun with this book and no little part of it was the narration by Christian Rodska.

He reads with humor, even putting a laugh in his voice when something in particularly ridiculous.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to dive into the series, but keep in mind: this is an old book (published 1950) about an even older time period. There are some descriptions and things that are offensive when viewed from a modern perspective. I know that there are times I have a hard time finding that reader's distance when a book has these elements. It's a small section of I remember right, but I feel like I should be honest, lest someone get blindsided.