The General (C. S. Forester novel)


I recently came across 'The General', a novel by C. S. Forester of 'Hornblower' fame first published in 1936. I couldn't help noticing marked resemblances between its eponymous hero (if that is the word) and Clive Candy; I wonder if Powell and/or Pressburger were familiar with this book?

I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken.

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What similarities are there? "The General" is about the life of an Army officer from the Boer War through to WWI. It was written in 1936 so couldn't include WWII.

Steve

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You are correct: as 'The General' was written in 1936 it couldn't include WWII. However, its central character begins his British army career as a gallant young officer in the second Boer War, serves through the First World War and by its conclusion is a general, and marries a highly eligible heiress - all parallel to Clive Candy. (I've a notion they were both in regiments of lancers or at least cavalry too, though I may have misremembered that.) Aside from this, the two characters seem very comparable - blimpish, conservative, unimaginative, not particularly bright, but also utterly honorable, dutiful and courageous and, in some ways, rather attractive. However, my original question may well be unanswerable.

I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken.

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Well there's no mention of "The General" in either Powell's two large volumes of autobiography or in Pressburger's biography, but they were both very well read so it's always possible.

I'm a big fan of C.S. Forester as well as of Powell & Pressburger so I would be particularly interested in any connection.

Blimp was an original story by Pressburger but who's to say what sources or references he was thinking of as he wrote it.

But is there enough of a connection? P&P characters always have depth and a deep background. From Pressburger's biography showing us some of his notes we know that Blimp had a lot of similarities to Powell & Pressburger themselves, like a liking for the Western stories about "Old Shatterhand".

Maybe I should read "The General" and see if I can spot any other connections

Steve

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