I also love the TV series and the old movie, but when you read the books you might be shocked at how different both are.
What I like about Forester's books are how few there are. Hornblower ages as his career advances, and he is not always the nicest of people. Also, they well convey the boredom of life at sea, and in general. HH's adventures are few and far between.
Aubrey and Maturin, on the other hand, seem to be everywhere and do everything, and never have a dull moment. That said, O'Brians books actually are the more popular, and more highly praised. A recent article in Bookmark magazine was titled '101 Greatest Sea Stories'. They rated Aubrey/Maturin #4 and Hornblower #9. #1 was The Odyssey and Moby-Dick was #2.
Last edited by Sailor Steve; 08-14-06 at 06:13 PM.
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