Hornblower During the Crisis

Rating:
Summary: Classic Forester
Review: I usually stick to more mainstream historical fiction like "The Triumph and the Glory" but Forester IS Forester so I always find time to read his magnificent Hornblower books. Hornblower During the Crisis isn't the best of the lot, but it is still very good indeed.

Rating:
Summary: buy them all. Don't fight it.
Review: If you don't, you'll wish you had. These things might go out of print and catch you one book short.

Rating:
Summary: buy them all. Don't fight it.
Review: If you don't, you'll wish you had. These things might go out of print and catch you one book short.

Rating:
Summary: Depressing
Review: If you're reading Hornblower through for the first time and have grown to love the experience, this final piece of the story is a big downer. Not because of the story, just because it was obviously on Cecil's plate when he died and it looked like he had a ways to go before he was done.

I guess the good news is there have been no attempts to write more Hornblower books by no-talent hacks.

Someone once told me they cried a little the first time they finished the Lord of the Rings because they knew they would never read it again for the first time. That guy was an idiot, but I sort of know how he feels after reading Hornblower During the Crisis.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting to fans, other steer clear
Review: It's hard to write a review of a Horatio Hornblower book that is less than superlative. But I must in this case.

Hornblower during the Crisis is probably only of interest to Hornblower fanatics. It is the incomplete (and unedited) beginning of a story Forester was writing when he died -- matched up with two short stories about Hornblower.

None of these stories are very good. I'll avoid revealing plot details as all three hinge on unlikely and rather obvious plot twists. The main story, which tells of the events between Hornblower leaving the Hotspur and the Battle of Trafalgar, drags a bit and stops right when it was going to get interesting. The next tells of an event in Horatio's early history -- an unpleasant one that seems to contradict his character. The last is an encounter near the end of his career and is rather amusing but not exciting in the least.

Again, this book might be worth buying if you are interested in completing a collection (although, even then, the price is ridiculous). But casual readers should steer a course to the other ten novels.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting to fans, other steer clear
Review: It's hard to write a review of a Horatio Hornblower book that is less than superlative. But I must in this case.

Hornblower during the Crisis is probably only of interest to Hornblower fanatics. It is the incomplete (and unedited) beginning of a story Forester was writing when he died -- matched up with two short stories about Hornblower.

None of these stories are very good. I'll avoid revealing plot details as all three hinge on unlikely and rather obvious plot twists. The main story, which tells of the events between Hornblower leaving the Hotspur and the Battle of Trafalgar, drags a bit and stops right when it was going to get interesting. The next tells of an event in Horatio's early history -- an unpleasant one that seems to contradict his character. The last is an encounter near the end of his career and is rather amusing but not exciting in the least.

Again, this book might be worth buying if you are interested in completing a collection (although, even then, the price is ridiculous). But casual readers should steer a course to the other ten novels.

Rating:
Summary: Young Lieutenant, New Post Captain, and Admiral Hornblower
Review: Let me begin by clarifying what this book is before you purchase it.

The beginning is the first 30-40 percent of a novel that C.S. Forester was working on at his death called, Hornblower During the Crisis. The events take place immediately after Hornblower and the Hotspur.

Next comes a short story (or very brief novella, if you prefer) called "Hornblower's Temptation" which deals with his first posting as a young Lieutenant on the Renown. The action takes place after Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and before Lieutenant Hornblower.

Finally comes another short story (or very brief novella) called "The Last Encounter." It deals with the time during which Hornblower is already a lord and an admiral.

"Hornblower's Temptation" deals with Hornblower's assignment to take control of a prisoner who is being court-martialed for desertion. The story is pretty grim, but contains all of the elements of the better Hornblower stories. A difficult challenge is presented. No obvious solution exists. Hornblower finds a good way out, and overcomes mental and moral hurdles to succeed. I would advise no one to miss this story. It is good background for later stories where Hornblower must find a way to do the right thing without fully disclosing what has taken place.

"Hornblower During the Crisis" has many attractive elements. The story deals with Hornblower's experience in handing over the Hotspur to his replacement after Lord Cornwallis promotes him to Post Captain at the end of Hornblower and the Hotspur. On the way back to England, Hornblower fights as improbable a naval battle as you can imagine, and in an unexpected role. As a result of his quick thinking, important information is developed which he takes to the Admiralty. While there, he helps devise a remarkable scheme for influencing the French. The book ends at that point. You then get 164 words of author's notes on how Mr. Forester planned to finish the novel. The finished parts of the novella are reasonably polished. Forester probably would have added more details to the beginning to make it more interesting and dramatic. The parts in London look like they are fully developed.

If you are like me, the best parts of Hornblower stories are where he has crises of conscience. Hornblower During the Crisis promises just such crises in the 164 words, but does not deliver them. As a result, most people will see this novella as less than a full Hornblower novel. It is too bad, because the concept was a sound one . . . and I would have enjoyed reading the end. I graded down the book accordingly.

As to "The Last Encounter," this story is intended as irony without any testing of Hornblower either intellectually or morally. It is a piece of fluff. Be sure not to read this story until after you have finished the whole series. It contains references to other characters that will spoil your enjoyment from reading the books ahead in the chronology of Hornblower's fictional life.

Should you read this book? If you like Hornblower, I say "yes." I slightly prefer reading it in order to reading it in the end of the series. For me, the right solution was to read all but "The Last Encounter" in chronological order . . . and then reread those sections and read "The Last Encounter" at the end of reading all of the other books.

If this were your last day on earth, what unfinished business should you do today? How would it improve your life and the lives of others if you do that unfinished business anyway? Imagine, for example, how much more rewarded C.S. Forester's readers would be if he had completed a thorough outline of the rest of this story before he died. That would have taken no more than a day . . . and the benefits would have been enormous.

Rating:
Summary: Half a story is better than none.
Review: Like all the Hornblower books we see our hero in many unconfortable positions, from the Court Martial of his successor to finding himself a junior officer in a battle situation after years of command. Unlike the other Hornblower books we are left with an incomplete story. It seems to me that this drop doesn't change a thing.

Most people who read Hornblower will know their Navel History and will be able to put the pieces together, (on more than one occasion Forester talks about Hornblower's fellow captians putting the pieces together from a brief statement in a report.) and the reader can do it without problem.

The two short stories that follow are both of high quality. (I was very disapointed that we didn't see the story of Barry McCool in the lastest Hornblower movie.) His encounter with McCool and with Napoleon III were both well written and interesting.

Unless you are reading the series in chronological order (don't forget to read the McCool story AFTER Midshipman Hornblower then put it away till you finish Hornlober and the Hotspur) this book should probally be read last. I wouldn't buy this book first, but I wouldn't recommend missing it either.

Rating:
Summary: good, but unfinished leaves you wanting more
Review: like most of the reviews the book is unfinished, which I thought was unfortunate. i really love reading about HH. i find his thoughts and thought process intriguing and his outlook on others who are involved in his life. CS Forester really gives you a feel for this charactor and puts you in his mind.

"Hornblower During the Crisis" is only 117 pages. i enjoyed it and have read all of the novels up threw "Crisis". im reading in chronological order. so i was dissapointed for it to end so quick. it is your typical HH novel, he starts out sailing and then the frogs show up, HH comes up with an idea and ofcoures it works out for the better. ends up in england with some important papers from boney. he gets promoted to captain only if he goes on a spy mission he came up with, that is where the book ends. a shame, i really wanted to see HH as a spy.

"Hornblowers Temptation" - is the first short story. it comes after "Midshipmen Hornblower" although one review said it came after "Lieutentant Hornblower", the reason is because Mr.Bush is not on board and captian sawyer is still alive. good short story, i agree with some reviews that the character is not like the HH we know. he does things for his own conscious , and not for king, for county. also this mentions that they have gone to the west indies, but in "Lieutentaunt HH", he remarks to Bush how he has never seen some sort of fish which are only in the west indies. good short story, if u like HH series then you will like this, although we are not use to this softer side of Horry.

"The Last Encounter" - this makes no sense with the HH books. his wifes is named Barbara, who he loves and can't keep his eyes off of, his only child is named Richard and he likes wine or "port" as they call it. never the less is was an ok read. i think forester wrote this just for fun. the story is about a man who comes to the door and says he someone famous and dead. HH is like whatever, but helps him anyway. not bad, i didn't really like it because it didn't hold true to Maria and his 2 kids.

this is a decent book, i wish it was finished, it really leaves you dangling. the only regret is the price $15, which are the prices for completed books. we should pay half this since we are getting half a story.

Rating:
Summary: The last book in the series...
Review: Or is it? The incomplete story, 'Hornblower During The Crisis' seems to be set just after 'Hornblower And The Hotspur'. The story was never finished and the ONE page of notes at the end DO tell you how the story turns out but doesn't have much in the way of details. It would of been nice to see a dozen pages or so of the author's notes.
The next two stories, 'Hornblower's Temptation'(which seems to be set after 'Lieutenant Hornblower') and 'The Last Encounter', which is the very last tale about him, are both short but complete. They show us a very interesting view of Hornblower's inner thought process when he was young and when he gets old.
So in a way it does end the series, but also shows him during earlier periods of his life.