regshoe

...dare I ask which is the worst?

Lord Hornblower, the final novel of the original run, and second-to-last in internal chronology. I can discuss why if you'd like, but just so you know, the discussion would mostly be spoilers.

Bush found his hand twitching—he had been about to commit the enormity of patting his captain’s shoulder, and restrained himself just in time.

Bush wants to pat his captain's shoulder SO MUCH. iirc, that's not the only time it comes up over the course of the series.

I also like the bit in BtQ where they argue about who is going to get some sleep, and Hornblower orders Bush to bed, and then Bush, not to be outdone, sneakily sends Hornblower's steward up to try to connive Hornblower into getting some rest, too. There's also the moonlit scene where Bush and Barbara confer on how admirable and tortured Hornblower is and coordinate who should take care of him.

—that sort of extreme emotional repression is generally a good basis for shipping. :D

It is! And there certainly is a lot of it in the series.

it's definitely validating in a kind of bleak sort of way.

Yup. Mind you, it's not the only reason people latch on to him -- there are also trans readings of Hornblower that some find compelling (based on how HARD Hornblower works at doing command/masculinity correctly, and how much he envies Bush for being a better Georgian Man than he is). And others come in via the TV show, wherein Hornblower is written to be a lot more likeable. It's a grab-bag of things, like any fandom.