Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, by C.S. Forester

(Originally posted to Instagram on April 11th, 2024)

When I read these older books, I try to give a warning about the olde timey (racist and/or homophobic) sensibilities you’ll experience if you decide to read them yourself. I think it’s fair, so nobody gets blindsided. So here it is: very low opinion of Spanish sailors and the Spanish Navy in this book. In a Napoleonic Wars era British Navy book, I expect them to be jingoistic against the French, but this took me by surprise. So there’s your warning.

The premise is about as simple as it gets. Horatio Hornblower has begun his career in the British Navy as a midshipman, despite the fact that he is way too old by the standards of the day (most midshipman start before their teenage years, according to the book). He also struggles with seasickness, gets bullied by other midshipmen, deals with the difficulties of command, and struggles with being taken prisoner by the Spanish. The story is presented in a “chapter-as-short-story” style, where it’s less one continuous tale and more a series of snapshots from Hornblower’s early career.

A fantastic adventure story about life on the high seas through the eyes of a green sailor learning the ropes, sometimes literally. Hornblower himself is a fantastic protagonist. Riddled with flaws (he’s gangly and weak-bodied, he gets seasick easily, he’s shy and gets flustered constantly, etc.) Hornblower is so honest and forthright that you desperately want him to succeed despite his constant parade of terrible luck.

There is a lot of olde timey sailing nomenclature in this. Topmasts and mizzens and poops (you heard me) and all that stuff. I didn’t understand much of it. But if you relax your brain and just go with it, this is the epitome of a high seas sailing adventure. Definitely check it out.