Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester (1950) – Horatio Hornblower Saga, Book 01 – Publication Order, Book 06
Me and the Mighty Sea
Having grown up in the US’s Midwest, I’d never been much a fan of the ocean or of tales about sailing. The closest I ever got to sailing as a kid was trolling across Wisconsin’s Stormy Lake in my grandpa’s fishing boat. Sea Admiral I am not.
I later moved to an island in the Pacific, however, and I slowly developed a love for the ocean, though it’s definitely a love borne out of fear. The ocean is deep, and it can be deadly, and I’ve never gone into it without feeling that undercurrent of unease. I’ve gone sailing—experiences that are both exhilarating and terrifying—and I absolutely adore snorkeling through coral reefs, though I’ve been dangerously battered by waves upon rocks, and I’ve been shocked to find that unanticipated currents had pulled me further into the depths than I’d planned.
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The sea can be a terrifying place, and I suppose I had to wait for my move to the oceanside to understand that truth before I could really appreciate books about sailing and the sea. I started with adventure books like Clive Cussler’s Pacific Vortex! (1983) but then moved into literature, like Joseph Conrad’s Youth (1898) and Typhoon (1902). Recently I’ve read others, like Alexander Green’s Scarlet Sails (1923) and Clive Cussler’s Sea Hunters (1996)—among so many others.
Horatio Hornblower had been one of those series that I figured I’d never be interested in. I recall my mom “taping” episodes from the Hornblower miniseries during the late ’90s, and I enjoyed their stories, but I never thought I’d enjoy reading them. When I found a stack of 12 novels at a garage sale this summer for $0.25 apiece, though, I couldn’t afford not to get them! They’re all sitting beautifully on my shelf, and I recently decided to try Book 1 on for size. I loved it, and I’m planning to read more.
It surprised me that at least this first book (maybe others, I’m not sure) is actually a collection of short stories published chronologically in the young seaman’s life. Horatio Hornblower is a mere 17 years old at the beginning of this book, and yet he’s also an officer seeking to earn the respect of the men aboard his various ships. Author C.S. Forrester tended to write his books out of chronological order, so although this is the first book about Hornblower’s earliest years on the sea, it’s actually the sixth book published in the series. My goal would be to read them in chronological order, so we’ll see how far I get.
The Short-story Chapters
The following is a brief summary of each of the stories in this book (my standard for short-story collections) with quotations included as they arise.
Story 01: “Hornblower and the Even Chance” – This being my first taste of C.S. Forester, I’m happy to find that his language is clear, though there’s the requisite shipping jargon we can’t escape in a book like this. It’s easy enough to figure out, even if I can’t picture an object or action in my mind. This first story, set in January 1794, is an exciting tale with crisp pacing and even a lilt of humor. Simpson is a sailor and a bully, to the point of making the new Midshipman Horatio Hornblower dream of suicide. He concludes that “kill or be killed” is his only escape, so at the next, most minor provocation, he feigns outrage and challenges Billy Simpson to a dual. The 50-50 odds give him an “even chance” of escape, which is better than any 17yo novice would get in hand-to-hand combat against the burly Simpson.
Story 02: “Hornblower and the Cargo of Rice” – In this next story, Hornblower (having obviously survived the dual!) takes his first, brief command of a French ship which the British have captured—and boy is he nervous! He attempts to hide his unease and act professional-like, but things go awry, and his first command of the ship Marie Galante is a major failure. I’ve got to be honest: it’s really quite nice to see our hero go through growing pains like this, actual failure and a genuine sense of inadequacy. It makes the history seem real.
Story 03: “Hornblower and the Penalty of Failure” – Hornblower experiences even greater misery than losing a ship when he’s captured by The Pique. Yet even as a prisoner, Hornblower turns a sneaky trick and saves his own men from their captors by setting the ship ablaze. Forester writes of a sailor’s fears:
The four elements of Aristotle, thought Hornblower, insanely, earth, air, water, and fire, were the constant enemies of the seaman, but the lee shore, the gale, and the wave, were none of them as feared in wooden ships as fire. (75)
In the end, he chooses to take no credit for his actions, treating it as a form of self-punishment for his failure—penance as it were—thus proving himself a man of integrity and character, despite his other flaws. About this, Forester writes:
He alone knew of his remissness in plugging that shot hole, he alone could decide on his punishment, and this was what he had chosen. This alone could re-establish him in his own eyes, and when the words were spoken, he felt enormous relief, and not one single twinge of regret. (79)
Story 4: “Hornblower and the Man Who Felt Queer” – That’s 1950s “queer” by the way. In this story, Midshipman Hornblower again faces his fears with courage, yet he’s also forced to kill someone along the way! It’s a story that shows that some loss is justifiable in war, or, as we’d say it today, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.”
Story 5: “Hornblower and the Man Who Saw God” – Horatio finds solace sometimes in what we call the crow’s nest, but in this story, he meets a man up there who’s “heard of God in the topsail and the Devil in the cable tiers.” This is the backdrop for a story in which Hornblower uncovers a gambling ring aboard his ship and, with his scant authority, tries to force the men to do what is right. Although Hornblower feels unprotected in their response, an attack occurs, giving everyone aboard ship a better perspective on their tiny squabbles in their even tinier confines. Perhaps that’s God’s way of speaking to them?
Story 6: “Hornblower, the Frogs, and the Lobsters” – It was during this story that I realized why some of the atmosphere of these stories seems so familiar. I’ve read some of Bernard Cornwell’s books before, like the Sharpe series set during the same time period and within the same British miliary. Their enemies and even battles are similar, but the key difference is that while Forester focuses on the British Navy, Cornwell focuses on the British Army. If I were more English than American, I’d probably be way more interested in eating both of these authors’ books up, but alas, it’s a history that only mildly interests me. Still, this story (the longest yet) provides insight into the inner workings and behaviors of soldiers and sailors alike. But oh! the war and devastation described! Terrible. It also clues us into the forgetfulness of war, that so many lives can be lost in a battle that has such little historical significance. About this sad reality, Forester writes:
Clairvoyant, Hornblower could foresee that in a year’s time, the world would hardly remember the incident. In twenty years, it would be entirely forgotten. Yet those headless corpses up there in Muzillac; those shattered redcoats; those Frenchmen caught in the four- pounder’s blast of canister—they were all as dead as if it had been a day in which history had been changed. And he was just as weary. (154)
Story 7: “Hornblower and the Spanish Galleys” – Here we’re introduced to the sleek yen inhumane galley ships powered by countless slaves chained to the oars. Reminiscent of those same ships used in Ancient Rome, the galleys are a force to be reconned with. Hornblower goes a touch crazy when he boards the galley and witnesses the brutality. He takes it over in a spout of mayhem. Following this battle, and because an admiral was killed in action, Hornblower gets his first promotion in the series, to acting-Lieutenant.
Story 8: “Hornblower and the Examination for Lieutenant” – Following his brief promotion to acting-Lieutenant, Hornblower chooses to seek official recognition by going for an interview (along with a horde of other sailors from other ships in similar circumstances) for promotion. Surprisingly, this chapter became a great story of action. Hornblower is “saved by the Bell” mid-examination when the Spanish attack their fleet with a round of fire ships. Hornblower fails to pass his examination but not for reasons you’d initially guess. I enjoyed this story a lot.
Story 9: “Hornblower and Noah’s Ark” – This chapter reminds me a lot of The Pirate Coast by Richard Zachs, a book I read many years ago, long before starting this book-review blog. In this story, Hornblower brings his ship to the African coast to pick up some animals but faces the Plague and is forced to sail under quarantine for three weeks following. Forester has a character note this interesting contradiction about Muslims while watching them from the deck:
There are very serious disadvantages about being a true believer. Who would want four wives at any time, especially when one pays for the doubtful privilege by abstaining from wine? (199)
Story 10: “Hornblower, the Duchess, and the Devil” – This final chapter is massive. Following Hornblower’s quarantine, he’s rewarded with the opportunity to captain a vessel that will take a Duchess back to England. On the way, he finds himself surrounded by enemy ships in the dense fog and is captured then imprisoned for two whole years. Even while waiting, however, he gains a promotion—this is during a period of history when even national enemies behaved in a civil, gentlemanly way with each other. Again, Hornblower behaves with courage and integrity in this story, setting us readers up to joyfully anticipate the many books yet to come.
©2023 E.T.