Hornblower and the Island
In 1817, Napoleon Bonaparte is exiled to the island of St. Helena. Since his incarceration, he has been making a fool of the current English governor. The war with France has ended; Lord Horatio Hornblower is now available for assignment. Because Hornblower is married to the sister of the Duke of Wellington, his wife is able to obtain a position for him away from his dull married life in England. As the new temporary Governor of St. Helena, Hornblower is instructed to make their famous prisoner toe the line and secure his prisoner’s position on the island from rescue or escape. As a fellow military man, he will soon befriend the ex-emperor, thus allowing the British government to rest easy and also assure the European Coalition that the emperor is being handled as a proper prisoner of war.
Because of the novel’s slow pace and the cardboard-like descriptions of the characters, I felt little empathy for them. Throughout the story, the characters would discuss Hornblower’s previous adventures as written by C.S. Forester. These discussions added very little to the plot, except those references to Hornblower and his two-year imprisonment in France. I also felt little compassion for Napoleon and his incarceration, considering the death and destruction he wrought throughout Europe. Except for the sudden illness of his son (which was predictable), the story had few suspenseful scenes. If a series is planned, I would probably not be interested in future books.
