Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
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It's 1799 and young soldier Richard Sharpe and his battalion are preparing for the siege of Seringapatam in India. It's the first time Sharpe will really taste battle as they attempt to topple the Tippoo of Mysore. When a senior officer is captured by the enemy Lieutenant Lawford requests that Sharpe accompany him in a mission within the City to rescue his uncle. For Sharpe this is the ideal way to escape the grasps of his tyrannical Sergeant Hakeswill. It turns out though that Sharpe's problems are just beginning and he has to make certain decisions to aid the British invasion.
This is currently the first novel in Bernard Cornwell's series of books following the adventures of Richard Sharpe. Of course most people will be more familiar with the exploits of Sharpe on ITV starring Sean Bean. Until recently this had been my only experience of the series as well, but having quite enjoyed the TV series decided to start on the books. Despite it being a more recent addition to the series, Sharpe's Tiger takes the reader back to his first real battle.
The first thing that became apparent as I started to read this was Cornwell's attention to detail. He likes to give the reader a feel of what is really going on and I felt this added a hint of realism to his writing. The book is based on real events and he sums up the events during his 7 pages of historical notes at the end. All this seemed to add a real sense of anticipation to the story and had me hooked, unable to put the book down for the sake of another chapter.
Cornwell obviously has a real passion for the series and events of the book as his writing seems incredibly enthusiastic. At times it can get a little over descriptive and some of the descriptions certainly aren't for the weak stomached. There are few flaws to Cornwell's writing as he keeps the story flowing and fresh, making it much easier to read and enjoy. The plot of this book may seem familiar in parts as it was recently adapted for the latest addition to the TV series as Sharpe's Challenge.
I feel that while the stories are a real draw, the real appeal of Cornwell's novels is in fact the characters. In Richard Sharpe he has one of the most appealing characters I think he could have come up with. He has a real working class air to him. During this first novel he explores Sharpe's motivations and I really felt he gave a good insight into what makes his lead character tick. He also explores Sharpe's rank and relationships with those around him and I felt this brought a feel of more than just a battle to the story.
While Sharpe is obviously the main character, Cornwell also brings in a few other key characters. The tyrannical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill is probably one of the best. He quickly establishes him as Sharpe's enemy within the army and the relationship between the two adds to the tension at certain points of the story. I was impressed with the depth Cornwell went into with other fringe characters and unusually couldn't find any weaker characters.
Overall the Sharpe series has certainly grabbed my attention. This first book has been a very interesting read and held my attention throughout. At 371 pages it is a decent length and Cornwell seems to know what the reader wants from the story. I'm relatively new to the historical fiction genre but like Conn Iggulden, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of Cornwell and will certainly be going back for a little more.
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I've read all the Sharpe books and I thought this an excellent review of one of my favourites. If you're reading them in order you're lucky, because they weren't written that way and I have found myself tacking back and forth across the decades. A great series.
Advantages: Fills in some of the missing background to the "later" books, Pretty compelling read Disadvantages: Not as fresh as some of the others in the series.
Jun 22nd, 2006
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