Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Mar. 4th, 2010 11:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anteros_lmcForester, C.S., (1951), Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, The Reprint Society, London.
Well I've done it, I've finally read some CS Forester. I finished Mr. Midshipman Hornblower last night.
I still haven't quite made my mind up about the writing. I initially found it hard to decide how far Forester had his tongue in his cheek. Several passages made me laugh out loud and I wasn't entirely sure if that was intentional. Occasionally Forester uses turns of phrase that would make a fic writer blush, e.g. "glazed of eye and stertorous of breath". Lets face it, stertorous is not an easy word for any writer to pull off! However in many other places the writing is witty, elegant and gripping. By the time I finished the book I had come to the conclusion that the humour is entirely intentional. I don't think I need to mention the "making a tongue of his whole body" business again ;) but I particularly liked Hornblowers progressive swearing in "Noah's Ark".
Obviously I felt there was a massive Archie shaped hole in "The Even Chance", Horatio just seemed horribly lonely and miserable without him, but I'll restrain myself from moping about the lack of Archie. However speaking of missing characters I felt that Hornblower himself was curiously absent for parts of this book. You don't get a great deal of insight into his character at all. I presume this is a result of the sequence the books were written in with Forester assuming considerable prior knowledge of his hero among his readers. Still, it's not always that easy to engage with such a slim character. Initially I just felt sorry for Horatio, towards the middle he kind of drifted off, however by the end I was getting really quite attached to him. Perhaps unsurprisingly I thought Pellew came across as one of the strongest characters despite the fact that he makes only occasional appearances.
Of the individual stories I thought "The Cargo of Rice", "Noah's Ark" and "The Dutchess and the Devil" worked best. "The Man Who Saw God" was certainly a ripping adventure but this was one where I definitely thought that Hornblower himself went missing in action.
A few other things that struck me...
Much is made of the fact that Horatio is tone deaf, however I am fascinated that he has an innate sense of rhythm. I don't think I've come across mention of this before:
Pellew's quite a natty dresser isn't he? And I'm not just referring to the famous pink nightcap:
Black Charlie Hammond had a poodle?!
So there you have it, a few thought from a first time reader. Now, where's my fabulously cheesy copy of Lieutenant Hornblower?
Well I've done it, I've finally read some CS Forester. I finished Mr. Midshipman Hornblower last night.
I still haven't quite made my mind up about the writing. I initially found it hard to decide how far Forester had his tongue in his cheek. Several passages made me laugh out loud and I wasn't entirely sure if that was intentional. Occasionally Forester uses turns of phrase that would make a fic writer blush, e.g. "glazed of eye and stertorous of breath". Lets face it, stertorous is not an easy word for any writer to pull off! However in many other places the writing is witty, elegant and gripping. By the time I finished the book I had come to the conclusion that the humour is entirely intentional. I don't think I need to mention the "making a tongue of his whole body" business again ;) but I particularly liked Hornblowers progressive swearing in "Noah's Ark".
"Hell," said Hornblower.
...
"Hell," said Hornblower again, and that was by no means the last time.
....
"Hell!" said Hornblower, actually stamping his feet on the upper gangway in his anger. "Hell and damnation!"
Obviously I felt there was a massive Archie shaped hole in "The Even Chance", Horatio just seemed horribly lonely and miserable without him, but I'll restrain myself from moping about the lack of Archie. However speaking of missing characters I felt that Hornblower himself was curiously absent for parts of this book. You don't get a great deal of insight into his character at all. I presume this is a result of the sequence the books were written in with Forester assuming considerable prior knowledge of his hero among his readers. Still, it's not always that easy to engage with such a slim character. Initially I just felt sorry for Horatio, towards the middle he kind of drifted off, however by the end I was getting really quite attached to him. Perhaps unsurprisingly I thought Pellew came across as one of the strongest characters despite the fact that he makes only occasional appearances.
Of the individual stories I thought "The Cargo of Rice", "Noah's Ark" and "The Dutchess and the Devil" worked best. "The Man Who Saw God" was certainly a ripping adventure but this was one where I definitely thought that Hornblower himself went missing in action.
A few other things that struck me...
Much is made of the fact that Horatio is tone deaf, however I am fascinated that he has an innate sense of rhythm. I don't think I've come across mention of this before:
At the first corner they stopped, and the drums rolled long and menacingly, and then they marched on again, beating out the previous rhythm. They were beating to arms, calling the men to their duties from their billets, and Hornblower, tone-deaf but highly sensitive to rhythm, thought it was fine music, real music.
Pellew's quite a natty dresser isn't he? And I'm not just referring to the famous pink nightcap:
Pellew favoured dark blue and white as the colour scheme for his boat and its crew...Do boats really have a "colour scheme"? Well, do they?
Black Charlie Hammond had a poodle?!
Black Charlie won't ever forget that I lost his pet poodle overside from the cutter in Port-o'-Spain when he was first of the Pegasus. Good-bye, gentlemen. Give my regards to the examining board.Who'd have thunk it?
So there you have it, a few thought from a first time reader. Now, where's my fabulously cheesy copy of Lieutenant Hornblower?
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no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 12:10 am (UTC)Apparently so. My "Making of Horatio Hornblower" book has this interesting tidbit...
"The idea of a naval 'uniform' only evolved in the mid-eighteenth century, and only applied to commissioned officers and midshipmen. Yet even in the nineteenth century, there were captains who paid for their officer's uniforms and dressed them as they liked. As late as 1820, the Captain of HMS Harlequin dressed his crew up as...harlequins."
There's a fic in there somewhere.
As for my first thoughts in reading Mr. Midshipman Hornblower...I had planned to read the books in chronological order, but wound up reading this one last. Also, I had a) watched the miniseries about five times by then, and b) listened to Ioan's abridged audio version of it, so it wasn't exactly "new". But the only real memories I have of reading it were being reluctant to finish it, because it was really the last Hornblower book (that biography of him doesn't count), and it was, in essence, the last time I'd ever get to experience something new with Horatio (the series had officially been canceled by then). I think I got through most of the other stories in two days, but then lingered for another three days or so before finally reading "The Duchess and the Devil".
My other memories of reading it revolve around a weird little fic I was writing at the time to accompany the stories, featuring Horatio's long-lost (twin) brother and the girl they were both lusting after...but that's probably not worth talking about.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 12:23 am (UTC)I knew about the evolution of naval uniform but that's just bizarre! Definitely a fic in there, as you say.
Also, I had a) watched the miniseries about five times
Only five? ;) I certainly have a strong impression of many of the characters not only from the series but from a wide range of fic, including bookverse, that I've read over the last six months.
I can fully understand your reluctance to finish The Dutchess and the Devil if you read this book last. Several other people have mentioned deliberately leaving one story unread as they can't bear to finish the series.
Thanks for sharing your memories. I'm now off to bed to dream of Horatio as Harlequin (and Archie as Columbine?!) :D
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 01:43 am (UTC)I gotta say that I found MMH a bit ... dry and not so much to my taste. Outside of Pellew in his PINK NIGHTCAP OMG, and the whole insanely depressive suicidal HH. MMH and HH's depressive personality though is a really good setup for LtH and the appearance of MR BUSH. And YO watch how things change. ;) XD
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 10:15 am (UTC)I suppose we should all be grateful that Pellew didn't coordinate his crew with his nightcap ;) TBH it was the use of the term "colour scheme" that struck me as rather incongruous. If he'd said livery or uniform I wouldn't have batted an eyelid.
the whole insanely depressive suicidal HH
Archie would never have let him get away with all that moping. Sorry, I'll fetch my coat... ;)
the appearance of MR BUSH. And YO watch how things change
Four chapters in to LtH and things are fair hotting up! I was on the edge of my seat on the underground this morning. So far Mr Bush is definitely showing more signs of personality than Mr Hornblower!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 05:04 am (UTC)Ahhhhh Pellew...... how I adore him.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 10:18 am (UTC)I finally came to that conclusion but it took me a while!
reminds me of a passage in a later book where HH is almost jumping on the deck
The bit you remember follows directly on from the lines I quoted:
"He was dancing with rage, he observed with some curiosity. But with his fighting madness at the boil there was no chance of his yielding without a struggle, and his mental convulsions resulted in his producing a scheme for action. "
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 09:46 am (UTC)Love the thing about the Harlequins though!
The book, yes, well you know what I think. :P
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 10:22 am (UTC)No _way_ I can imagine Horatio believing himself to be quite dapper but with no senses of fashion at all. Archie however has effortless style. After all, tartan never goes out of fashion ;)
The book, yes, well you know what I think. :P
I do indeed, and I'm inclined to agree with you by and large ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 05:33 pm (UTC)Archie I imagine is quite the expert on breeches, but he's more interested in what's in them I suspect. I suspect Archie has one of those tartan hats, with the fake red hair attached.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 06:21 pm (UTC)Look, we were talking about fashion, lets leave Horatio's fetishes out of this!
Archie I imagine is quite the expert on breeches, but he's more interested in what's in them
Rubbish! He merely appreciates fine tailoring....
I suspect Archie has one of those tartan hats, with the fake red hair attached.
Of course he does! He's Scottish isn't he? ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 11:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 12:03 pm (UTC)I shall look forward to reading O'Brian, although partner has made off with the O'Brian books he bought me for Christmas. Tsk!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 12:44 pm (UTC)CSF = fangirl
no subject
Date: 2010-03-05 01:08 pm (UTC)This could be good timing. I have to move house soon, perhaps I can pick up some decorating tips?
aka The Honeymoon Hotel.
Don't tell me Bush and Hornblower wear pink nightcaps too??!
CSF = fangirl
You may have a point... ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-03-15 11:38 am (UTC)Apart from that, I felt that HH was awfully detached from himself. That quote Anteros mentioned exemplified it
"He was dancing with rage, he observed with some curiosity." For someone of my temperament, "observing" one's behaviour "with some curiosity" is wery strange!
In re Pellew and interior decorating, I *do* have to share the following links with you all, Not to mention the brilliant characterisations for everybody else! They're from the HH fanficton archive. A very valuable resource.
http://www.hhfic.com/
Enjoy!
http://www.hhfic.com/pippsdoc.html
http://www.hhfic.com/pippslt.html
http://www.hhfic.com/pippsprize.html
http://www.hhfic.com/pippsroyal.html
http://www.hhfic.com/mrpippsfrance.html
http://www.hhfic.com/saves.html
no subject
Date: 2010-03-15 02:28 pm (UTC)Definitely. I really felt that Hornblower was just absent for large parts of the book. If he was an actor I'd accuse him of phoning in his performance! I've just finished reading Lieutenant Hornblower so more thoughts on this shortly.
Thanks for the hhfic.com links. I spent many happy months here last year. In fact this is where I read my first ever fan fic. Awwww! I haven't read the Mr Pipps pieces though so thanks for the rec. I'll read them while I wait for my copy of Hornblower and the Hotspur to arrive from ebay :)