Customer Reviews

Hornblower and the "Atropos" (Hornblower Saga)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

C.S. Forester creates an outstanding image of life aboard a Napoeonic-era British naval vessel, with a fascinating insight into the mind of the main character... Captain Horatio Hornblower. With assignments ranging from England to Sicily to Turkey, the crew of the Atropos must deal with everything from doldrums to privateers to political maneuvering... with words where possible, and carronade-fire when they must. To borrow an over-used term, it is a gripping tale and one that any lover of naval adventure *must* read.

I would put this chapter in the life of Horatio Hornblower in the same category as Mr. Midshipman Hornblower -- good, not great

The 5th book in the Hornblower saga concerns a number of events related to Horatio's first command as Captain -- a 22-gun sloop of war. But it doesn't get there right away. First, we get a rather slow segment of Horatio guiding a canal boat into London, then an even slower segment in which Horatio is put in command of Lord Nelson's funeral procession. Both segments are interesting historically but drag in the narrative -- a rare occurance for Forester.

Once we get out to sea, the story picks with Horatio's tour of duty in the Mediterranean trying to recover sunken English treasure. It reaches its pinnacle with the dramatic confrontation between Horatio and the Turks.

I'm not sure why this didn't grip me the way the other novels did. There are some very good things about it -- the interesting dynamic with a German prince stationed aboard the Atropos for example. But the story spend a lot of time wallowing in irons instead of the usual racing before the wind. Horatio's character is static -- his usual daring and courage subdued. And the ending is rather abruptly tacked on.

Still, I will recommend this book as a good part of the Hornblower saga. But it's far from the best.

In previous Hornblower novels as well as other fictional stories, C.S. Forester never failed to deliver an enjoyable story. Hornblower and the Atropos is an enjoyable story although perhaps not one of the strongest of the series. It is more a collection of short stories than a novel and perhaps can be enjoyed best in that light.

Hornblower and the Atropos begins with Hornblower, his pregnant wife and child travelling along the canals of England to Hornblower's new posting. The trip is interesting in its description of the canal system and for its exploration of Hornblower's character and his relationship with his wife. Otherwise it has little relation to the subsequent action in the novel.

When Hornblower returns to duty his first task is to plan and choreograph Nelson's funeral, which he does with his usual combination of dedication, competence and self-doubt. I think that the only reason to put this scene in the novel is to show that Hornblower's star is rising. I also wonder if it was written at the time of George VI's death and might have been poignant to the British readers of the day.

HH's next task takes him to Turkey to recover a sunken treasure without causing a diplomatic incident. On his return he must interrupt an attack on a convoy along the way playing cat and mouse with enemy shipping.

The final scene on his return is a powerful counterpoint to the opening scene. However, the whole is not greater than the sum of individual actions. Hornblower and the Atropos is an enjoyable collection of short stories told with CSF's great gift for storytelling. As a novel it is weaker than its chronological predecessors but still well worth the time spent reading it.

Although the episodes in Hornblower and the Atropos are tied together with a modest connecting story line, each one could just as easily be an independent short story about Hornblower's experiences on his way to, during, and after his assignment as captain of the Atropos, the smallest three-master in His Majesty's fleet. What positively distinguishes these stories are fascinating details of some of the most advanced technologies in the Britain of 200 years ago. You will learn about the new fresh water canals and tunnels used then to speed shipments of people and fresh market goods, underwater demolition and salvage operations, coordinating naval battles through signaling, repairing ships on station, turning a ship without using the wind, treating gunshot wounds, and how to administer a very detailed operation without use of telephone, telegraph, or radio. The book is well worth reading just for these details.

The book's main disappointment for me is the absence of the redoubtable William Bush who plays such an important an interesting role as Hornblower's foil and partner in most of the novels. I missed Bush. I think you will, too.

As occurs increasingly in the books in the series, Hornblower comes into contact with famous people of the day. Hornblower's success with the Hotspur has won him friends in the Admiralty, and even higher places.

You will enjoy this book much more if you refer to the maps in the Hornblower Companion as you read this book.

Much of the appeal of the Hornblower series is involved in the naval engagements. While this book will make it seem like all of that is going to be missed here, just be patient.

One of the most interesting parts of this book comes when Hornblower uncharacteristically makes a rather large mistake, and has to face up to the fact that he may have no honorable way out. This situation reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk describes how he handled the insoluble problem provided to each cadet at Starfleet Academy. Yes, there is always a way out.

Be curious about all that is around you, and consider how it can be turned to new advantages . . . when you change your assumptions about what is most important!

Not a lot of action in this one. Still, it was interesting.

I guess that if you are following the career a a naval officer over his lifetime, there will be a point where he is not actually in the middle of the fight. This book was one of those.

Hornblower has been given a secret mission to recover the payroll of the invasion fleet of the previous year. There are four tons of gold and silver. The government is badly in need of fres cash. The treasure lies on the bottom under 110 feet of water inside of a ship that capsized and sank upside down.

To accomplish this mission, Hornblower has been given an expert in slavage and three pearl divers from India... Enough about the story.

The book was well written. The hardships of the officers and men of a small ship, far from home and away from the fleet. Good reading. This is a part of naval life that is seldom written about.

The fourth novel in the Hornblower series takes it's time getting started, but once the action is engaged it doesn't let go. The story begins with Hornblower and his family travelling to London where Hornblower has been called to organize the funeral of the victor of Trafalgar, Admiral Nelson. After saving a near disaster to his career, Hornblower is ordered to search for sunken treasure off the Turkish coast. Along for the ride is a German prince and his aide who have a lot to learn about seamanship. And finally, Hornblower must make a choice about whether to accept the office of post Captain in a foreign navy or 'in spite of all temptations to belong to other nations, to remain an Englishman.' The novel really doesn't pick up until after Hornblower leaves England but it soon gains momentum and doesn't stop. C.S. Forester is truly one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and 'Hornblower and the Atropos' will attest to that.

Hornblower and the Atropos (1953) is C. S. Forester's fifth Hornblower novel chronologically, eighth by publication. Captain Horatio Hornblower, age 29, takes command of the Atropos, the smallest ship in the navy suitable for a post-captain, but before he can sail for sunken treasure, he has to manage his pregnant wife, coordinate Admiral Nelson's funeral procession, and meet the king.

Hornblower continues to be his own worst enemy - he does not know himself. He continues to be heroic and ingenious, but always ascribes to himself the basest of motives, and he is typically wrong in his self-analysis. It is clear to the reader by now that he genuinely loves his family, but when his ship is found to be unready to sail, he considers all the time he has spent with them "wasted."

Much of this novel follows the pattern that Stan Lee used to make his Spider-Man comics so successful - there's always something. Nothing ever goes smoothly, and problems and complications are added with regularity. At the same time, Hornblower is still larger than life. He could fall down the stairs and capture a French frigate.

Hornblower and the Atropos has more humor and more action than the chronologically preceding books; it is also more episodic. And, for a change, this one ends with some unresolved drama. The character spotlight is shined on Hornblower only - Lieutenant Bush is missed, although he can't reasonably be expected to show up everywhere.

On the whole, Hornblower and the Atropos is an action-packed page-turner, and a solid entry in the Hornblower series.

Only Rustad's superb WWII novel The Triumph and the Glory can rival the C.S. Forester books for quality. If you love historical fiction like I do, you know what a truly enjoyable experience Forester's sea novels are, they are so real, so vivid, so beautifully written !

Hornblower is promoted to Captain, a post rank, and quick advancement for a young officer. As the youngest Captain he gets the duty of organizing a funeral parade for Lord Nelson, during which his grand barge springs a leak and disaster is narrowly avoided. He then takes his small ship Atropos to the Mediterranean where he executes a daring and tricky salvage operation under the guns of a suspicious foreign port captain. Hornblower always manages to stir up some action. One of the best part of the whole Hornblower series is the accuracy and detail with which the life aboard vessels is depicted. You can almost feel the deck pitch. Great adventure in a great series.

One of the things that C.S. Forester excels at is writing exciting plots. Despite having 11 books in the series, he keeps coming up with unique exciting situations. This book is perhaps the most unique of all that I've read so far. It begins with Hornblower traveling by canal boat and then planning the funeral procession of Admiral Nelson. But, the main focus of the book is the supervision of a diving expedition to recover lost treasure. As straightforward as that may sound, some interesting problems crop up along the way.

This book, like most of the others, is rollicking good fun. Of the six Hornblower books I've read so far, it's definitely in the top half. I loved all the opportunities this book provided to see Hornblower in unusual situations.