Customer Reviews

Lord Hornblower

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4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
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This book started out so well. After Horatio Hornblower's triumph in the Baltic, he is assigned an incredibly difficult duty. He is to take back a ship that has mutinied against one of the most brutal captains in the Royal Navy. The ship is only a few miles from escaping to France and recapturing it is going to take all of Hornblower's ingenuity.

When Lord Hornblower was dealing with this subject, I found it thrilling and captivating. But halfway through, it changes to Hornblower entering France and taking part in the rebellion against the tottering Napoleon. It was then that the novel ground to a screeching halt. Hornblower's attempts to deal with the crown prince of France are amazingly dull and his later guerilla campaign was unbelievable. Perhaps I was turned off by a developement with Bush halfway through that was abrupt and cold. But for some reason, the last half of his book dragged for me -- a situation I'd never experienced before in a Hornblower book.

I would probably still recommend purchasing this book if you've come this far. But don't get your hopes up. This is a low point in the series.

I'd like to answer the British Columbia readers question. There are 11 novels in C.S. Forrester's Hornblower saga. Additionally, at least one publisher has books that contain up to three of the novels in one volume. Interestingly, Forester didn't write the 11 books in chronological order. Consequently, some publishers elect to place numbers on the spine of each book to indicate where a particular title falls in the chronology. The current US printing (1999), by Back Bay Books, a division of Little Brown and Co., is not complete. At least the last three chronological titles (Commodore Hornblower, Lord Hornblower and Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies) will hit the shelves later in 1999. I can't wait. Each book stands on its own and every one is addictive.

C.S. Forester never fails to tell an exciting tale and 'Lord Hornblower', the 9th novel in the series, is one of the best. Centering on the time around the treaty of Fontainebleau and up through the hundred days and Waterloo, 'Lord Hornblower' has the recently made K.C.B. Hornblower dispactched to deal with a mutinous crew at sea. Eventually, the peace with France allows Hornblower to visit those who sheltered him there during the war. But when Napolean returns to lead France once again, Hornblower finds himself leading a band of partisans against the restored Emperor. This is the last Hornblower novel to take place during the wars and it is a more than fitting end to Hornblower's own battle with Napolean.

C.S. Forester had tremendous success writing 3 Hornblower novellas before World War II followed by Commodore Hornblower after the war. Lord Hornblower sees our hero through the completion of the Napoleonic Wars. While Forester would continue to write Hornblower novels, filling in details from Hornblower's earlier life, the later ones chronologically have the most suspense as the reader really doesn't know how successful HH will be. Still, while very good, Lord Hornblower is not his best in the series.

When created, Hornblower may have been unique as an action hero. Here was a man who, although he was brave, intelligent and daring, was plagued by self-doubt and guilt. Before deconstruction became literary vogue, Forester deconstructed the action hero. Forester's genius and inspiring message was in portraying Hornblower with such human weaknesses, yet having him rise to overcome them. In the best of the series Forester successfully balanced Hornblower's self-criticism and analysis with breath-taking naval action. Unfortunately, little of Lord Hornblower takes place at sea.

Lord Hornblower starts in fine HH tradition with the recently recovered Hornblower sent to France with a hopeless mission. He must persuade mutineers to turn themselves over so that they can be hanged. Can Hornblower get out of the quandary and brilliantly take advantage of opportunities? Of course he can. However, the book continues as Napoleon is forced to abdicate. The rest of the novel takes place on land. There is more action at the end when Napoleon returns in 1815 for the Hundred Days however the exploits don't compare to those of the past and the naval exploits are non-existent.

Lord Hornblower is perhaps the must introspective of the series and not a bad novel by any means. Less than optimum Forester is still better than most material available today. It just doesn't match up to the Captain Hornblower trilogy and Commodore Hornblower. There are no bad entries in the series but this one is the weakest. With the exception of Hornblower and the Atropos, it's also the most tragic. It's still worth the read.

I prefer more mainstream historical fiction like "The Triumph and the Glory" or "Cold Mountain" to tightly focused sea tales like Forester's Hornblower series. But the Hornblower books are SO WELL DONE that I just can't resist them. Lord Hornblower tops a very good list of Hornblower books, it, only Hornblower During the Crisis is nearly as good.

Lord Hornblower (1946) is C. S. Forester's tenth Hornblower novel by chronology, fifth by publication. Commodore Horatio Hornblower is sent to the coast of France to deal with a ship of British mutineers who have threatened to take refuge in France. Not content just to handle this problem, Hornblower also gets himself involved in a French occupation and guerilla warfare.

The earliest part of Lord Hornblower, where Hornblower is dealing with the mutinous Flame, is the novel's best. It features an unpredictable and creative resolution that hearkens to many of Hornblower's pre-captaincy adventures. When the book moves into France, however, it suffers. Land campaigns are still not Forester's strong suit, and he skips over lengthy time periods where quite a lot happens in order to fit this story into one novel. One of Commodore Hornblower's main problems was that Hornblower was well-removed from the action, and never in any real danger. Forester has corrected this here, perhaps to the extreme.

Hornblower, as usual, is wildly successful in his endeavors, although he benefits greatly from several very convenient plot devices and not a little bit of deus ex machina. And as severe and hard on himself as Hornblower is in most areas of his life, and as guilty as he feels when he perceives a failing in himself, it continues to be remarkable that he always drops his pants the first chance he gets, with no regard for anyone but himself. At least he never really has the decency to feel bad about it afterward.

It has become quite clear that the novels of Hornblower's earlier career are superior - both the stories and the man himself are considerably more interesting and likable.

This wasn't one of my favorite Hornblower books. He's stuck as an administrator for much of the book and I had trouble seeing him lead a bunch of partisans on land. I'd recommend this book only to people who have already read the other novels in the series.

This was another fine story. This book occurs late in the war, right before Napolean abdicates the throne the first time. Hornblower has been a lord for several months, however has been recuperating from an illness. He is sent on a mission to capture a brig that has mutinied and is threatening to surrender to the French.

Hornblower is successful in the mission and at the same time lands himself right in the middle of political intrigue in a major seaport on the French coast. He is able, with the help of several leading citizens, to capture the town and have it reaffirm the old French King as the successor to Napoloean when he is defeated.

Of course, Napolean is not to happy about this situation and he send an expedition to fight the rebelling city and throw the English back into the sea. Hornblower expects this and send to England for help. Who should arrive? None other than Captain Bush, Hornblower's close friend.

Bush sets off inland via a river to intercept the oncoming seige train and wreck it while it is still in transport mode. He is successful, but at a terrible price. Around that time, Bonaparte abdicates and is exiled. France is returned to the Bourbons. Hornblower sets off the visit the Compte de Gracae that helped him escape when he was captured two years before. During his visit, Bonaparte escapes and reclaims the thrown.

Hornblower is deep inland at this time. He helps a local partisan movement. However, his small group of 30 guerillas is hunted down by several thousand French soldiers. He is eventually captured and sentence to be executed. On the day befor the execution, word comes from Paris that Bonaparte has been defeated at Waterloo and has again abdicated. Hornblower is released.

Not a lot of sea fighting going on this book. Most of the action takes place ashore in France. A lot of political intrigue. C.S. did a fine job of depicting the political situation in France at the end of the war.

For those of you who want their Hornblower books to be all sailing and fighting action, then you may have to turn to other books in the series. For those of you who like a good mix of character-driven plot, romantic escapades, political intrigue, as well as good old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure, then this one is for you.

This novel starts like many of the others in the series, with Hornblower receiving orders to perform a particular mission, this time to investigate and deal with a mutinous ship/crew. And he sets out to it with purpose. However, he accomplishes that mission in fairly short order and, in typical Hornblower fashion, brilliantly recognizes the larger picture and seizes an opportunity to take the battle to the enemy with potentially war-wide consequences.

This novel is a very important one in the series as it wraps up several story lines, both personal to Hornblower himself as well as generally to the progress of the war against Napolean. The characters are swept up in the rapidly changing ebb and flow of the greater conflict; it is indeed the best of times and the worst of times all in the space of a few chapters. As we near the end of the Hornblower saga (chronologically at any rate), it just keeps getting better and better.

I have now read all but one of the Hornblower series, and there's not a clinker in the lot. This book is just as good as the others and I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite. Hornblower's combination of ingenious daring and wracking self-doubt make him one of my favorite literary characters. I do, however, recommend that the series be read in order, just to preserve the suspense.