Hornblower and the "Atropos"

The author makes you feel like you now understand more what life was like in the early 1800's. And the reader does an excellent job with the various voices and accents and making you feel the excitement and tension.

After hearing my first Hornblower auido book narrated by Nicolas Coster, I knew that I had to hear more. I discovered the C. S. Forester wrote 11 books in the series. I tried the first after hearing that Gene Roddenberry modeled his Captain Kirk on Hornblower. I've been able to get three unabridged Hornblowers by Coster, and I'm on the search for more. Meanwhile I bought all the paperback versions so read when I can't listen. I recommend both Hornblower and Coster wholeheartedly!

All of the Hornblower books are excellent and this one is no exception. Forrester is a master of his craft and his detailed knowledge of how the British navy worked and how ships were sailed make the action believable and convincing.

Unfortunately this audio book is spoiled for me by the narrator who has a slow and mournful delivery that sounds like a vicar on Valium preaching a long and boring sermon.

The other books in this series are read by Christian Rodska who does a much better job.

The reader, Nicolas Coster, really captures the feel of the time period for me with his unhurried, stately manner. (He displays an excellent range of character performance as well). I'm only disappointed that Audible does not carry other Hornblower books read by Mr. Coster.

I ADORE the Hornblower stories. I HATED this version. I never thought I'd say this about this novel, but I couldn't finish this audio. The narrator sounds almost asleep. Hornblower's voice is lost in mush.

I'm a huge fan of C.S. Forester's Hornblower series - I have them all in print, and was working my way through the audible version in series order. It was going swimmingly!

Then they changed Narrators. Disaster. Mr Coster's tone reminds me of someone reading a bedtime story - it is soft, even, and the volume lowers steadily throughout the sentence. Imagine "he parried the blow, then hacked and hacked again, fighting for his life" being read in the same tone as "lullaby, and good nite..."

I'm sure his melodic drone is great for some stories (Copperfield?), just not this one.

I have really enjoyed the Hornblower series, some have been taken aback that this title has a different narrator. I find the pace of this reader the issue and felt much better about the listen after setting the narration at 1 1/2 speed thus matchin the pace of the other books.

The story is good but the reader is so phlegmatic that I had to stop. He makes me sleepy.

Plot. Love the series.

Different reader. This one reads like a bedtime story. No excitement.

The reader.

He did everything right, Mr. Coster butchered it in his reading.

Christin Rodska

It wasn't the book it was the reader.

I'm sure there are books Mr. Coster has read that he did a fine job with, This wasn't one of them.

I am sure that Mr. Coster is an excellent performer. he certainly has a trained voice. however, after listening the the previous books by Mr. Rodska, it was a surprise and it took me almost to the end of the second book to get used to the very slow cadance in his p e r f o r m a n c e ...

escape from the turkish bay

Christian Rodska

no. i will not take up deep sea diving any time soon..