1950 Napoleonic naval fiction, sixth written but first by internal
chronology. The young Hornblower goes to sea for the first time.
After the ponderousness of the previous book, I found this a
refreshing change (and I imagine Forester's four-year break from
writing his most popular character did him no harm). This Hornblower
doesn't have to be Always Right with the author's hand on his
shoulder; he's allowed to make mistakes, and as a result he can be
humanised through his reaction to them rather than through despising
himself for being perfect.
It probably also helps that Forester feels less pressure to write
propaganda. Foreigners are still inferior, of course, but there is at
least some concession that some of them are good at what they do, and
even honourable.
Also, the ten chapters here mostly cover isolated incidents rather
than long developments of plot, and frankly I think Forester's a
better writer at this length, giving a matter the word count that it
needs (and with some bits of naval detail he hasn't previously used,
like a cutting-out expedition and a rescue during a storm) rather than
having to stretch it out to fill a novel.
I confess I was expecting a different resolution to Hornblower's
problem of parole: having sworn that he will make no attempt to escape
from his Spanish captors, he goes out on said rescue and finds himself
and his Spanish crew picked up by a British frigate. The Spaniards are
made prisoner of course, but Hornblower explains that he must return
to captivity. At which point I would expect an alert captain to place
him under arrest until the ship returns to England, so that he is
compelled by force to be taken along; but no, back he goes until he is
released. Such is life.
In any case, it's all highly enjoyable, for me much more than the
previous book.