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Read The Young Hornblower Omnibus (1998)

The Young Hornblower Omnibus (1998)

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Genre
Rating
4.26 of 5 Votes: 2
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ISBN
0140271732 (ISBN13: 9780140271737)
Language
English
Publisher
penguin books

The Young Hornblower Omnibus (1998) - Plot & Excerpts

I found I love the prose very much, which I didn't expect. There's lots and lots of wonderful adjectives, but the author doesn't ever lose track of the action he's telling, unlike, say, Tolkien. ;) It's very descriptive, but you hardly notice unless the author really, really wants you to feel the longing for the sea and the mental anguish his characters are going through. It happens a couple of times and it's always very powerful.I know nothing about sailing and sail ships. I just appreciate them for their beauty. But the text always takes care to explain what is going on at each moment and why a single is important and why you as the reader should care about this precise maneuver and that. The prose is not only very pretty, it is also very clear. Like, "here have this piece of information. And now I'm going to show exactly why this information is important and why you should care about this action. Have fun with the suspense!"I will definitely read more of this series.

Horatio Hornblower's naval career from midshipman to captain during the Napoleonic Wars, written from his perspective and that of his sturdy friend Lieutenant William Bush. Exciting and tense sea adventures contrast wth periods of dogged duty in harsh conditions eg as part of a naval blockade. Hornblower shows early promise as a strategic thinker who can lead others and this is confirmed by later success against Britain's enemies. His parallel journey to marriage and fatherhood and associated emotional development is dealt with honestly, increasing our understanding of his complex character. Absolutely super read.

What do You think about The Young Hornblower Omnibus (1998)?

Having read the Aubrey-Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian and have now started to read Hornblower. My preference is........... Hornblower. Purely for the reason that, for me, the variety within the plots are better. I enjoyed Aubrey and would recommend them for anyone, but, Hornblower is even more of a rip roaring yarn.The only thing is that, not being a sailor I find the descriptions of which sails are run out and when, difficult to follow. If was that much of a problem I could always look it up on the internet.
—Andy

A thoroughly good book; well written and well researched. it is obvious why/how he was the inspiration for Patrick O'Brien and the Aubrey series. These books are, however, more definitely action and concentrate much more on the naval aspects and the war fighting without the more complex relationships developed by O'Brien.Hornblower is clearly an exceptional naval commander but one who doesn't blow his own trumpet and it's interesting to see how his advancement only comes about through those who can see how good he really is rather than because he is pushing himself forward.I look forward to reading the subsequent books in the series.
—Alex

Seldom have I enjoyed a book as much as this one, even though I have read it before (a long time ago). Hornblower is an interesting character who appears human and flawed despite his desperate need to be neither. The pace of the book is excellent, jumping from action to action with interesting nautical detail thrown in (not that I can verify the authenticity, but it feels authentic). I'm looking forward to re-reading the rest of the series and counting my blessings for stumbling on this in e-pub format from my local library.
—Gavin

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