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Title: Uneven
Review: This is a rip-roaring naval adventure from start to finish, no mistake. But I also find it one of the most problematic in the Hornblower series. For one thing, the action seems much more episodic (and, as a result, much more easily resolved) than in previous installments. But the big concern is that Hornblower is perhaps at his most unlikable in this book. His deeply flawed character has always been one of his most intriguing aspects. But here, he crosses the line into self-absorbed whining, IMO. He doesn't feel as developed as he does in the earlier books, no doubt because this one was written second. Forester seems to have gotten to know his character better as he went, which lends an interesting, but still unfortunate, sense of unevenness to this otherwise enjoyable book.
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