Hornblower and the Atropos

[anteros_lmc]

Just before I went on holiday I read Hornblower and the Atropos. I have to confess that I didn't exactly rush to pick up Atropos as a couple of people had said they found it one of the least inspiring of the series, although I know others, such as ioanite, have said it's their favourite. On reflection I fall into the latter camp, I really liked Atropos :)

Sure the plot is rather bitty and episodic but somehow that doesn't matter. There is something unhurried about Atropos that gives the characters, particularly Maria and Hornblower himself, time to develop. Although the uncommented absence of Mr Bush is rather odd to say the least.

I particularly loved the canal scenes at the beginning and, having once attempted to navigate a 52 foot narrowboat along a very twisty contour canal with way too many bridges, I can sympathise with Hornblower! And I could also recognise the rare feeling of peace he experiences at the tiller.

It was all very lovely; Hornblower had the feeling that he did not want this moment ever to end. This was happiness, as his earlier feelings of well-being changed to something more peaceful, just as the surface of the river had changed below the eddy.

Although I must say that I am shocked that a man of Hornblower's standing and a captain to boot should treat the waterways with such disrespect!

He took Maria's platter and his own, and stepped out into the bows of the boat in the darkness. It was the work of a moment to give the platters a quick rinse overside; the work of another moment to drop overside the sausage from his pocket,

Littering the water ways, tsk, shocking behaviour!

Nelson's funeral procession is a glorious piece of farce. Forester's writing is brilliant here, he builds the humour slowly and slyly until by the time the funeral barge springs a leak I had almost slid off my seat laughing.

Of course the main action takes place in Marmaris Bay, (which also happens to be where the Grand Turk aka The Bloody Indy was built I believe) and I loved the technicalities of the salvage operation and the preparation of the underwater explosives. And of course you just know that things can't possibly continue going smoothly in Hornblower's favour for long.

The other scenes that have really struck with me are Hornblower's meetings with Collingwood. The image of Collingwood smiling wistfully at the daffodils and hyacinths growing in his cabin is so very touching.

He walked over and tilted up a daffodil bloom with sensitive fingers, looking down into its open face. "They are beautiful, aren't they? Soon the daffodils will be flowering in England — some time, perhaps, I'll see them again. Meanwhile these help to keep me contented. It is three years since I last set foot on land."

There is only one thing about Atropos that I remain undecided about and that's Maria. I find her quite a troubling character. She is often so pitiful that I squirm when reading but at the same time there is a steeliness to her core that could rival her husband. Forester certainly created a fascinating and ambiguous character in Maria.

One last reason I am very fond of Atropos is that I read most of it on a trip to London when I met up with nodbear and esmerelda_t and it will always remind me of that lovely afternoon by the Thames!

Comments

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

It's really interesting to read your thoughts. I'm stalled in Atropos myself, although Navyboy is telling me to just skip it and move on to the next one. We'll see how things go. I miss Mr Bush though.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I hate not finishing books myself but if it's holding you up from reading the rest of the series then by all means skip it!

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

That's what's stopping me - I sort if feel that I have to read it for completeness and to be fair to the book. I guess I've just been too distracted lately.

[sarlania.livejournal.com]

That scene with Collingwood is additionally poignant if one understands a bit about the man's character and history, and the fact that he never did get to go home to England again and see his beloved wife and children =(

And yes, Maria. At first glance she seems to be the silly, vaporous female but, as you say, there's that extra dimension to her character that's really fascinating. The fact that she still persist in her marriage with Hornblower even though it is quite clear that she knows he doesn't love her... that's what really wins her over for me.

Her portrayal in the TV series was just irritating!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

he never did get to go home to England again and see his beloved wife and children
Indeed. That's what makes it so touching and memorable. I think in general CSF writes all the historical admirals well; Cornwallis, Pellew, Collingwood.

At first glance she seems to be the silly, vaporous female but, as you say, there's that extra dimension to her character that's really fascinating.
I think Maria is an excellent example of Foresters gift for creating complex and ambiguous characters.

Her portrayal in the TV series was just irritating!
I vaguely remember Maria in the series, I've only watched the last two episodes once ;)

[venusinfurs90.livejournal.com]

Ah, Maria. I do feel bad for the lady - she seems so universally disliked and while her pitiful-ness is squirm-worthy I seem to find her considerably more sympathetic than I do Lady Barbara. I don't quite know what it is about Barbara that rubs me the wrong way (I think it's the treatment of her black maid in The Happy Return and I know, I know, historical context but urgh. Good old fashioned colonialism is something I find very tough to swallow. Especially when the author seems to think it's ok - even if at the time the author wrote it, it probably was ok).

I think it's especially annoying because CS Forester does make Horatio go on and on about how wonderfully capable and practical and gracious a woman she is, and honestly? She's alright, but she's not all that fantastic. She has the amount of common-sense and practicality I'd expect from any normal human-being, no more. (But then I suppose she is a woman, so at the time this may have been perceived as extraordinary). But it's not hard to be considered wonderful and capable when the only other example of the feminine sex is Maria.

Oh wow. <.< That turned into a long ranty rant. I don't hate the Lady B (I do even upon occasion find her hilarious - she certainly knows how to wind Horatio up) but meh. I don't know. I think this may also have to do with how The Happy Return was the first book Forester wrote and it really shows - it's almost feels like a parody of his writing at times, he's certainly improved a great deal since then (as can be seen from all the books dealing with HH's youth). The battle scene with the Natividad is really well-written though. Gripping stuff.

((Long comment is long and ranty and pointless and possibly spoiler-ish for you. Sorry. XD I may like Lady B better as I go on - just haven't had the heart to continue yet, what with the next book starting off with HH being an appallingly insincere husband and obsessing over Lady B. I'll get over it eventually. XD))

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Hehe! You should have saved long comment is long and ranty for later in the week when I'll be posting a review of The Happy Return! :D

I think the thing about Maria, is that while I admire the way CSF has created a character that has considerable complexity and ambiguity below the surface, at the same time I still feel rather uneasy about her portryal.

So far I'm rather fond of Lady B because she is the only one who gets to wind Hornblower up ;) But yes you're absolutely right about her treatment of her maid. These books are certainly "of their time", to put it politely, and certain aspects of them do make me wince.

I don't hate the Lady B....
....you just think she's distracting HH from his boyfriend ;)

[venusinfurs90.livejournal.com]

You should have saved long comment is long and ranty for later in the week when I'll be posting a review of The Happy Return! :D

Oops! Guess I was rather premature there with my Lady B rant. XD

And yeah, Maria is a character that does tend to make me feel that way too. But actually I think it might be Horatio's perception of her that's most cringe-inducing. Sad though it may be, I guess I can see myself in dumpy Maria and it kind of horrifies me that someone could fake love and affection that well while actually harbouring little other than seriously contemptuous feelings. (But then this is Hornblower and who isn't he contemptuous of? Himself included).

I don't hate the Lady B....
....you just think she's distracting HH from his boyfriend ;)

XD Well, that too. Though actually I'm usually quite fond of official love-interests, if only because they provide so much in the way of bitterly angsty un-requited love and jealousy. (Me? An emotional sadist? Noooo. Of course not. I just like to see my boys suffer a bit, that's all.) XD

[vespican.livejournal.com]

Hi!
I've come by this post and associated comments via a rather long and winding road (canal?). I feel I should point out that THE HAPPY RETURN (BEAT TO QUARTERS in the US) was Forester's first Hornblower book. It was not his first book to be published, however.
Dave

[venusinfurs90.livejournal.com]

Hello! :)

And thanks for that - I hadn't realised Forester had written other books before The Happy Return. =) But I suppose what I said still stands considering it was his first Hornblower book: in the latter books the characters seem much more well-rounded and developed whereas in The Happy Return they occasionally feel like caricatures of themselves.

Also welcome to the comm ^^

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Hi vespican! Thanks for dropping by to comment :) Forester was indeed a very successful and popular author before he published The Happy Return. Although I haven't read it, I knew Forester as "the guy who wrote The African Queen" long before I ever read any Hornblower. I'm inclined to agree with venusinfurs90 though. Much as I enjoy The Happy Return the characterisation is a little blunt.

[vespican.livejournal.com]

Hi!
I've come by this post and associated comments via a rather long and winding road (canal?). I feel I should point out that THE HAPPY RETURN (BEAT TO QUARTERS in the US) was Forester's first Hornblower book. It was not his first book to be published, however.
Dave

[ioanite.livejournal.com]

I am SO glad you liked this one. As noted, it's my favorite in the series, precisely, I think, because it's fun. Action and angst are all well and good, but everyone needs a bit of silliness in their life, even Hornblower. Plus, treasure hunting. How can you go wrong with that?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I liked this one very much indeed! :) Tbh I'm not quite sure why I enjoyed this so much. There was something about the pacing of the individual episodes that I really liked.

And yeah the treasure hunting is great, it reminded me of working with underwater archaeologists years ago!