Sharpe's Waterloo

[zebra363]

I've fixed my problem with the TV version of Sharpe's Waterloo by reading the book. (You may ask what I'm doing reading one of the last books when I've just recently discovered the pleasures of chronological order, but people don't change their spots - or stripes! - that easily. I think I've skim-read more than half of the books already.) I'm

Comments

[sarren]

Ouch *g*

Sharpe's Tiger is my favourite too. I love seeing where he came from.

I also loved his relationship with Lawford here. I haven't read the later books but I think in the series doesn't Lawford later let him down, or betray him or something?

The scene that sticks in my mind is Sharpe, shirtless leaning against a well or something and Lawson is just absently ADMIRING HIS BODY.

[zebra363]

In Sharpe's Regiment, TV version (haven't read the book version yet), Lawford tells the men behind the scam that Sharpe has discovered it, rather than exposing them.

I can't think of the exact scene you mean, but in the first chapter, "Lieutenant Lawford, glancing at him, thought once again what a fine-looking man Sharpe was."

[sarren]

It's when they're in the enemy camp, on downtime.

[zebra363]

I shall seek and find.

[przed]

I've been enjoying reading about your Sharpe love. I've been parceling out the books to myself for ages and have just two to go. I couldn't help but comment on this...

The relationship between Sharpe and Lieutenant Lawford, who has to pretend to be a private, is fun and showcases Sharpe's intelligence and resourcefulness.For all that I enjoy Lawford in the early books, I did really want to slap him in Sharpe's Regiment for what he does to Richard. (And that's all I'm going to say, in case you haven't read that one yet.) Interestingly, though, I'm now reading Sharpe's Escape, which is earlier chronologically but one of the last ones Cornwell wrote, and in it Sharpe is becoming distinctly impatient with Lawford's favouring of an obviously incompetent officer with a better pedigree and a family relationship to Lawford. Even in Regiment, Sharpe seemed pathologically incapable of holding a grudge against Lawford for some pretty despicable (IMO) treatment, but here it's like Cornwell has retroactively decided that Lawford can be a bit

[zebra363]

I haven't read Regiment yet, but I know what Lawford did in the TV version. Once I've finished my mad initial scramble through the books (parcelling out is not something I've ever tried!), I'll be interested to pay close attention to the writing order and see how the characterisation changed.

I've watched The Soldiering Life a number of times recently as part of my full immersion process and enjoy it as least as much as I did before!

Congratulations on your one-year anniversary! She looks well and happy!)

[przed]

Lawford does the same thing in the book, but in the book you also then get Sharpe's mental gymnastics as he tries to convince himself that Lawford is still a good guy. (Me, I was screaming "Can't you see he's a self-interested git who's USING YOU!" But that might be just me. *g*)

Since I read the initial run of novels to Waterloo, and am now going back and reading the interstitial ones Cornwell's written in the meantime, it's interesting to see where he's playing with the characterisation a bit, where Sharpe's acting in ways that perhaps he wouldn't for a few years yet. It's almost as much fun as hitting the ones that were written after Bean started playing the role and seeing how Cornwell's version of Sharpe starts drifting ever further toward Sheffield.

Nifty that you're enjoying Soldiering Life. That was definitely my big love poem to Sean Bean vid.

And thanks for the congrats. She's definitely a happy girl.

[isiscolo]

I'm finding it very useful to have two sources of canon. When I don't like something in one, I just turn to the other version!

How very true for all the Age of Sail fandoms!

I haven't read any of the books - I ought to, I think.

[zebra363]

I suppose it's also true for Lord of the Rings, but I'm happy sticking with the movie version there

[isiscolo]

Oh, I adore the O'Brian books, but you do have to parcel them out because the style gets to be a little much. But! There is so much subtle humor and sly writing in them. They're fantastic. I recommend you give them another try.

I actually listened to the audiobooks of the Hornblower series, rather than reading them. (And OMG read by Ioan Gruffud! Who does an AMAZING job!) I remember - was it Lieutenant Hornblower that was from Bush's POV? That was great. There is also quite a bit of that sly and clever style that makes it perfectly clear when the characters are deluding themselves, or being deluded by others - I delight in that kind of thing.

[zebra363]

So many people I know love the O'Brian books that I know they're worth reading. I'll definitely try them again sometime. In fact, if I run out of Sharpe, they might do the job on the plane!

Lieutenant Hornblower is the one from Bush's POV, yes. Mostly, anyway - I'm not sure of the technical name for the parts that aren't! It's one of my very favourite books of all time. I just love the way Forester devotes so much time to Bush's accurate, perceptive interpretation of what he observes.

[imkalena]

Bummer! ;)

[zebra363]

*g*