Hornblower and Bush--they even sound like the title of a porn film

[kindkit]

I've finished reading Lieutenant Hornblower, widely considered the slashiest of the Hornblower novels. This isn't surprising, since it's told from the POV of Hornblower's deeply enamored friend William Bush, he of the hand-caressing and stealth!snuggling.

Comments

[vilakins]

I saw the Bush/Hornblower pairing come up on AO3 this week, and actually looked to see if the fic was yours. :-)

I have only read one Hornblower book, a collection of stories about him as midshipman. Going by the number of fans of the series, I should try more.

[kindkit]

I haven't really felt the urge to write in this fandom (not yet anyway). The amount of research required is a little daunting, for one thing. But I never dare to predict what I might write.

The books aren't the best things ever, by any means, but I do find Hornblower as a character interesting as well as the complicated Hornblower-Bush relationship. I'm reading them about 80% for the slash and 20% for character-love; since you're not really that interested in 'shippiness, I'm not sure they'd be your cup of tea. (Incidentally, at least judging by the amounts of fanfic, I think most Hornblower fans are fans of the TV series, which is a lot of fun but changes a lot from the books, especially Hornblower's personality.)

[vilakins]

Really? I did like him being introverted and unsure of himself; did they change that? I suppose it's hard to get internal stuff across on TV. That book was very scrappy with separate stories in each chapter; I should try another. I've also been recced the Master and Commander books which I must try, because I did like the film a lot.

[kindkit]

TV-verse Hornblower is a much less screwed-up person, much more in conventional heroic mold, although he still has some of the self-doubt and insecurity (and I think we see him become more and more damaged as the TV series goes on). But, as you said, it's hard to get those kind of emotional issues even visible on TV, much less workable. And bookverse Hornblower can be deeply unlikable at times; I can understand them not wanting to risk that when making an expensive TV show.

If you want to see Hornblower at his most messed up (and in some ways, IMO, his most interesting) read The Happy Return (aka Beat to Quarters). That was the first book Forester wrote in the series and the first one I read; it's part of a loose trilogy with its sequels A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours, and I enjoyed all three.

You also read according to internal chronology, in which case the next book is Lieutenant Hornblower, which is quite good in many ways. But it's narrated from Bush's POV rather than Hornblower's, as I mentioned, and in my opinion it's

[vilakins]

I think reading Hornblower in the order it was written sounds the best. I'll give those three a try, thanks!

I have noted the Master and Commander books in my little notebook of recs so that I'll see them when I'm wondering what next to order from the library. I see the Aubrey-Maturin (official name?) books were written in chronological order, so that makes it easy. What the hell, I ordered the first one. :-)