"Have you read the Sharpe series ?" Topic

Recent poll on Bernard Cornwell books was an eye opener – didn't realise there were quite so many Sharpe novels. Anyone read 'em all? Audio books count (if not abridged).

1. I've read a few
2. I've read about half.
3. I've read most of 'em.
4. I've read all of 'em and am waiting for next one.
5. I haven't read any.
6. Who is Sharpe?
7. Not a wargamer.
8. I can't read.

4. I don't care if they are historically correct or not. I have found them to be a fun read.

Read them all, but did not enjoy the last few and am not particularly looking forward to the next one.

I have read all the books in the Sharpe series, as well as all his other historical fiction novels. They are soap opera for men and should not be taken seriously but rather as good fun.

We need a 9 !

9. Read them all, but did not enjoy the last few and am not particularly looking forward to the next one.

I'm a 1 by the way.

Many people say that : "20thmaine", they say, "you are a one."

2 After a while they seem all the same. I like the Saxon and HYW series better.

1 for me too

4 enjoyed them for the most part.

3. And I don't care that they all have basically the same plot.

10. Watched the TV movies instead of reading books.

3

I read some, but I quit a long time before Cornwall did.

Will there be a next one? I thought Cornwell had used up History.

I've seen some of the TV movies … I liked them …

I'm a 4. Is there word there maybe more coming out in the future?

3.

9, and I am not really looking forward to the next anything in any series. But I will probably buy a new Sharpe book if there is one.

4
But hardly his Normandy retirement will bring captivating adventures.
Meet Hervey in Turkey?

3. I read most of them but with increasing dissatisfaction. The stories became formulaic, predictable and uninteresting. I tried the first novels of a couple other Cornwell series and found them to be cookie cutters of the Sharpe series.

read 'em all. Agree with Ragbones. Now Hornblower…….and Aubrey……

I have read one. Not really for me, like all historical based stories the slightest flaw irritates and spoils my enjoyment (a flaw in me not the books).

x42

9

8 I thought. Figured their weren't going to be any "new" ones. The last few weren't quite as good, though I thought the early years stuff set in India worked pretty well.

Oops I mean 4. I can read. I just can't write.

10. And enjoyed them to boot! The books have too many words.

Read quite a few Sharpe stories but, as others have said, they got rather formulaic and I gave up. I have read one or two volumes in other series Cornwell has written but found several to be deeply unpleasant in dwelling rather too long and closely on certain sorts of violence and/or rather silly.

Nobody has said "flensed" yet.

3. I also prefer the Saxon series, also "Wildtrack" an early mainstream adventure novel, I think written before the Sharpe series.

PS I also prefer the Flashman series ! More history !

3. I mostly enjoyed them, despite being pretty formulaic. I thought the India stories were the best ones.

My favorite Cornwell books were The Archers Tale (though I didn't care for the other two books in the series) and The Fort, which I thought was great.

Read them all. They were fun.

3

Read them all

Yep. All of them. And most, if not all, of his other books also.

2.

I will buy more, when and if I find used copies. They may not be profound literature, but make good light reading with vivid villains you love to hate. By the way, I think Cornwell moved on from Sharpe many years ago, and I do not expect there will be any new titles in the series.

I read the "Sharpe's Rifles" series (eleven books? Ends with Waterloo). I enjoyed them quite a bit, but didn't fell particularly compelled to go back for seconds. It was a prime high-note stopping point.

1

5.

I have read them all, twice! I will read them all again.

4

4

Only 1 but saw all the tv series, its a fall back but slowly working on the Aubrey/Maturin series. Of these 2 certainly I am more geared to Napoleonic land warfare

10. Love Sean Bean as Sharpe. Will miss the ever-so-tender-hearted, Sergeant Hakeswill… "Oh, Mother…" Talking into his hat. RIP, Pete Postlethwaite. Cheers!

4

My first was Sharpe's Eagle.
I was intrigued by the cover art.
Sharpe has the wrong color facings, red.
Some weird flag was flying.
Cuirassiers (or Dragoons) in Odd uniforms were charging.
The girl clasped to his manly bosom had approved flared nostrils.
I almost passed it up as a Harlequin Romance but bought it anyway.

In a sense, they are Harlequin Romances, but for dudes. My money was not wasted. I paid a reasonable amount of money, and got the results I expected.

A 9 for me.

While not a Sharpe novel I was impressed by The Fort, which allowed a very balanced approach to the people on both sides.
The Sharpe series I initially liked-you could tell he'd read the right memoirs- but later far too much lazy use of cut and paste easy target baddies [lawyers, priests, posh chaps].

Big fan of Allan Mallinson's Hervey series..I don't know one end of a horse from the other but this felt more authentic.

5, but I'll give another thumbs up for The Fort.

3. They were good fun at the time.

4 formulaic but fun reading

A few. After a while it becomes repetitive.