After reading the novel, do you envy the life of a common sailor in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars? Why or why not? Would you rather be a seaman aboard Atropos or Collingwood's flag ship Ocean? Why?

What characteristics of Hornblower do you admire? What characteristics do you find less than admirable? Why do you think Hornblower is such an enduring character in the popular imagination?

In what ways is Hornblower an effective naval captain? How could he improve? What things does he do right, and what things does he do wrong?

Hornblower and Maria have been married for about thirty-two months at the opening of the novel; they have one infant son, and Maria is pregnant. By the end of the novel they have been married for about fifty-seven months and both of their children will shortly die from smallpox. How...