What I've been reading

Lord Hornblower
by C. S. Forester

"Horatio Hornblower must rescue a man he knows to be a tyrant from the mutiny of his crew - a dubious chore, but one that leads Hornblower, with the aid of his old love, Marie, to the glorious conclusion of his own battle with Napoleon."

Despite not understanding any of the nautical or military content as usual, it's still a good yarn. It's obvious he can't be executed because a) he's the hero and b) there are more books, but how does he escape? I spotted the twist at the end for a change.

Relativity for the Layman
by James A. Coleman

"A simplified account of the history, theory, and proofs of Einstein's revolutionary conception of the universe."

With an endorsement by Einstein himself on the inside front cover, this was written in 1959, before any space exploration had taken place. A fascinating historical snapshot as well as a lucid and comprehensible explanation of the General and Special Theories. It includes the question of whether there could be a star so dense that light couldn't escape from its gravitational field...

The Gun
by C. S. Forester

"It is the time of Napoleon. The Spaniards are fighting a desperate, protracted, bitter and merciless guerilla war. Into the hands of a guerilla band falls a remarkable cannon, an 18-pounder that transforms the rebels into a besieging army."

Not a Hornblower saga, this small book relates presumably an imagined course of events within the framework of Napoleon's campaign in Spain, with Wellington fighting on the English front. The hero of the book is the eponymous gun, and the tales of its journey, its use and its demise are perfect reading for the traveller.

A House for Mr Biswas
by V. S. Naipal

narrated by Sam Dastor

"Born into poverty, then trapped in the shackles of charity and gratitude, Mr. Biswas loathes his wife and her wealthy family, upon whom he is dependent, and longs for a house he can call his own."

A long rambling book telling the story of the life of Mr Biswas - he is consistently called Mr Biswas even when he is a child - who is from an Indian family living in Trinidad. He is often touched by tragedy, many times through his own neglect or incompetence, and usually comes off worst in financial deals throughout his life. The book ends with his early death at the age of 46, but I was left wondering what was to become of his family, as he had failed to repay the loan on the house which is due any day.