Slashy book report: Lieutenant Hornblower
You know what's a sexy book? C.S. Forester's Lieutenant Hornblower is a sexy book, that's what. Like so:
Bush watched as Hornblower's capable fingers worked the parallel rulers across the chart; Hornblower had long bony hands with something of beauty about them, and it was actually fascinating to watch them doing work at which they were so supremely competent.
(What, that is totally sexy, don't try to deny it.)
I must admit, I didn't take much interest in Lt. Bush when I first watched the A&E films several years ago, mostly because I imprinted so hard on Archie Kennedy in all his adorable Jamie Bamber-ness. Which made it sort of a shock to read Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and find out that Kennedy only appears in two brief scenes and gets a grand total of, like, three lines.
After spending this entire book in Bush's head though, and observing Hornblower through his eyes, I totally understand why about 80% of the Hornblower slash I've ever seen recced was Hornblower/Bush. Because this book is really slashy. When Bush first meets our Horatio Hornblower, he's not sure what to make of him. There's all this tension with the lieutenants dancing around the subject of the captain's madness and what will happen if they stage a mutiny, and all the while Bush is trying to pin down Horatio's motives and attitudes.
Oh, and at one point Horatio takes a shower on deck:
It was an unusual request Hornblower made, and Roberts and Bush stared at him with surprise.
'But what about the deck, Mr. Hornblower?' asked Roberts.
'A hand can swab it off in two minutes, sir,' replied Hornblower, wiping his face and looking at the blue sea overside with a longing that was obvious to the most casual glance. 'I have fifteen minutes before I relieve you, sir -- plenty of time.'
'Oh, very well, Mr. Hornblower.'
'Thank you, sir,' said Hornblower, and he turned eagerly away with another touch of his hat, while Roberts and Bush exchanged glances which were as much amused as puzzled.
[...]
Hornblower was as good as his word; it was only two minutes before he returned, but now he was naked except for a towel draped sketchily round him. This was all very strange.
'Give away,' he said to the men at the pump handles.
They were dubious about all this, but they obeyed the order, and in alternate pairs they threw their weight upon the handles. Up -- down, up -- down; clank -- clank. The seaman holding the hose felt it stir in his hands as the water from far overside came surging up along it, and next moment a clear stream of water came gushing out of it.
'Turn it on me,' said Hornblower, casting his towel aside and standing naked in the sunshine. The hoseman hesitated.
'Hurry up, now!'
As dubiously as ever the hoseman obeyed orders, turning the jet upon his officer, who rotated first this way and then that as it splashed upon him; an amused crowd was gathering to watch.
'Pump, you sons of seacooks!' said Hornblower, and obediently the men at the pump handles, now grinning broadly, threw all their weight on the handles, with such enthusiasm that their feet left the deck as they hauled down upon them and the clear water came hurtling out through the hose with considerable force. Hornblower twirled round and round under the stinging impact, his face screwed up in painful ecstasy.
Buckland had been standing aft at the taffrail, lost in thought and gazing down at the ship's wake, but the clanking of the pump attracted his attention and he strolled forward to join Roberts and Bush and to look at the strange spectacle.
'Hornblower has some odd fancies,' he remarked, but he smiled as he said it -- a rather pathetic smile, for his face bore the marks of the anxieties he was going through.
'He seems to be enjoying himself, sir,' said Bush.
Bush, looking at Hornblower revolving under the sparkling stream, was conscious of a prickling under his shirt in his heavy uniform coat, and actually had the feeling that it might be pleasurable to indulge in that sort of shower bath, however injurious it might be to the health.
Yeah... So, then there's some seafaring, and adventuring in the West Indies, and Bush starts to bond with Horatio, and then there's another bit with him watching Horatio drench himself in water:
On the gun platform they were casting loose the remaining guns, and as Bush descended from the platform he saw Hornblower organising other working parties, snapping out orders with quick gestures. At the sight of Bush he turned guiltily and walked over to the well. A marine was winding up the bucket, and Hornblower seized it. He raised the bucket to this lips, leaning back to balance the weight; and he drank and drank, water slopping in quantities over his chest as he drank, water pouring over his face, until the bucket was empty, and then he put it down with a grin at Bush, his face still dripping water. The very sight of him was enough to make Bush, who had already had one drink from the well, feel consumed with thirst all over again.
OKAY THEN. Let's see, some more adventuring and stuff happens, there's some fighting and whatnot, and Bush and Horatio are basically BFFs by the end of it (there's some lovely hurt/comfort in there too.) AND THEN THIS:
A hundred pounds to spend, a couple days' leave granted by Captain Cogshill, and Hornblower at a loose end at the same time -- those two days were a lurid period, during which Hornblower and Bush contrived to spend each of them a hundred pounds in the dubious delights of Kingston. Two wild days and two wild nights, and then Bush went back on the board the Renown, shaken and limp, only too glad to get out to sea and recover.
LURID! That is a fic challenge right there, for reals. Tell me this has been done!
Left to my own devices I would totally transcribe the last forty pages of the book here too, but really, just go read it. I finished the book on a train and was grinning like an idiot the whole time. So adorable!
Bush watched as Hornblower's capable fingers worked the parallel rulers across the chart; Hornblower had long bony hands with something of beauty about them, and it was actually fascinating to watch them doing work at which they were so supremely competent.
(What, that is totally sexy, don't try to deny it.)
I must admit, I didn't take much interest in Lt. Bush when I first watched the A&E films several years ago, mostly because I imprinted so hard on Archie Kennedy in all his adorable Jamie Bamber-ness. Which made it sort of a shock to read Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and find out that Kennedy only appears in two brief scenes and gets a grand total of, like, three lines.
After spending this entire book in Bush's head though, and observing Hornblower through his eyes, I totally understand why about 80% of the Hornblower slash I've ever seen recced was Hornblower/Bush. Because this book is really slashy. When Bush first meets our Horatio Hornblower, he's not sure what to make of him. There's all this tension with the lieutenants dancing around the subject of the captain's madness and what will happen if they stage a mutiny, and all the while Bush is trying to pin down Horatio's motives and attitudes.
Oh, and at one point Horatio takes a shower on deck:
It was an unusual request Hornblower made, and Roberts and Bush stared at him with surprise.
'But what about the deck, Mr. Hornblower?' asked Roberts.
'A hand can swab it off in two minutes, sir,' replied Hornblower, wiping his face and looking at the blue sea overside with a longing that was obvious to the most casual glance. 'I have fifteen minutes before I relieve you, sir -- plenty of time.'
'Oh, very well, Mr. Hornblower.'
'Thank you, sir,' said Hornblower, and he turned eagerly away with another touch of his hat, while Roberts and Bush exchanged glances which were as much amused as puzzled.
[...]
Hornblower was as good as his word; it was only two minutes before he returned, but now he was naked except for a towel draped sketchily round him. This was all very strange.
'Give away,' he said to the men at the pump handles.
They were dubious about all this, but they obeyed the order, and in alternate pairs they threw their weight upon the handles. Up -- down, up -- down; clank -- clank. The seaman holding the hose felt it stir in his hands as the water from far overside came surging up along it, and next moment a clear stream of water came gushing out of it.
'Turn it on me,' said Hornblower, casting his towel aside and standing naked in the sunshine. The hoseman hesitated.
'Hurry up, now!'
As dubiously as ever the hoseman obeyed orders, turning the jet upon his officer, who rotated first this way and then that as it splashed upon him; an amused crowd was gathering to watch.
'Pump, you sons of seacooks!' said Hornblower, and obediently the men at the pump handles, now grinning broadly, threw all their weight on the handles, with such enthusiasm that their feet left the deck as they hauled down upon them and the clear water came hurtling out through the hose with considerable force. Hornblower twirled round and round under the stinging impact, his face screwed up in painful ecstasy.
Buckland had been standing aft at the taffrail, lost in thought and gazing down at the ship's wake, but the clanking of the pump attracted his attention and he strolled forward to join Roberts and Bush and to look at the strange spectacle.
'Hornblower has some odd fancies,' he remarked, but he smiled as he said it -- a rather pathetic smile, for his face bore the marks of the anxieties he was going through.
'He seems to be enjoying himself, sir,' said Bush.
Bush, looking at Hornblower revolving under the sparkling stream, was conscious of a prickling under his shirt in his heavy uniform coat, and actually had the feeling that it might be pleasurable to indulge in that sort of shower bath, however injurious it might be to the health.
Yeah... So, then there's some seafaring, and adventuring in the West Indies, and Bush starts to bond with Horatio, and then there's another bit with him watching Horatio drench himself in water:
On the gun platform they were casting loose the remaining guns, and as Bush descended from the platform he saw Hornblower organising other working parties, snapping out orders with quick gestures. At the sight of Bush he turned guiltily and walked over to the well. A marine was winding up the bucket, and Hornblower seized it. He raised the bucket to this lips, leaning back to balance the weight; and he drank and drank, water slopping in quantities over his chest as he drank, water pouring over his face, until the bucket was empty, and then he put it down with a grin at Bush, his face still dripping water. The very sight of him was enough to make Bush, who had already had one drink from the well, feel consumed with thirst all over again.
OKAY THEN. Let's see, some more adventuring and stuff happens, there's some fighting and whatnot, and Bush and Horatio are basically BFFs by the end of it (there's some lovely hurt/comfort in there too.) AND THEN THIS:
A hundred pounds to spend, a couple days' leave granted by Captain Cogshill, and Hornblower at a loose end at the same time -- those two days were a lurid period, during which Hornblower and Bush contrived to spend each of them a hundred pounds in the dubious delights of Kingston. Two wild days and two wild nights, and then Bush went back on the board the Renown, shaken and limp, only too glad to get out to sea and recover.
LURID! That is a fic challenge right there, for reals. Tell me this has been done!
Left to my own devices I would totally transcribe the last forty pages of the book here too, but really, just go read it. I finished the book on a train and was grinning like an idiot the whole time. So adorable!