Sharpe's Honor (Richard Sharpe's Adventures, No. 7)

The scene where Sharpe rescues his lover, a onetime French spy, from a nunnery is the funniest writing in the series so far (eight books and counting). And when a fortuitous explosion frees him from the French, the description of Sharpe wandering away, drunken and dazed, from the burning castle is surreal.

For anyone who thinks Sharpe is a one-dimensional hero character, Sharpe's Honor shows Sharpe's many weaknesses: his inability to sidestep a ruinous challenge to his honor; his blind obsession with a woman who is at best, fickle, at worst, treacherous; his destructive self-pity.

This novel concentrates on the interior worlds of Sharpe and other characters more than earlier books have. It's illuminating to see the battle of Vittoria from so many viewpoints. And Cornwell continues to show that truth is stranger than fiction by taking incidents that really happened, such as the bizarre looting of the French baggage train, and weaving them into the story.

Sharpe's Honor is another strong entry in the series.


Great story.   September 1, 2002
 1 out of 8 found this review helpful

Excellent adventure reading. I liked all Sharp stories.


Entertaining though somewhat thin!   January 10, 2002
 6 out of 10 found this review helpful

This one's a fast-paced jaunt through parts of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars as the British Lord Wellington confronts and battles Napoleon's occupying forces in that country. Major Richard Sharpe, a lower class sort of guy who has worked his way up the military ranks through prior escapades and prior books, is here confronted with false charges and must prove his innocence through a secret excursion behind enemy lines. This is the stuff of great excitement. And yet I found much of it predictable and the character of the major and his "lady love" and the assorted villains all rather thin and one-dimensional. The series in which this book is placed apparently has a devoted following and this is not surprising for Cornwell has a light hand on the narrative helm and a keen eye for detail and for vividly depicting the scenes in which the tale takes place, especially in the heat of battle. But his villains are just too evil for my taste and his "good guys" too perfect. I was never in doubt, even for a moment, that the good major would work his way out of every predicament and move on, inexorably, to the next book. Maybe that's a hazard of a series like this. Anyway, it was well written if ultimately rather light reading.

SWM
author of The King of Vinland's Saga


A Good Story and Loads of Fun   August 27, 2001
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Sharpe's Honor by Bernard Cornwell is an exciting adventure story. Please note spoilers as follows. Major Sharpe is challenged to a duel by a Spanish General and is nearly hanged for his trouble. Later in order to exonerate himself he attempts to capture his accuser, the conniving and beautiful La Puta Durada. La Puta Durada (one of the neatest names in fiction) which means the golden whore, can vouch for Sharpe's innocence. Along the way he meets a psychopathic partisan named The Slaughterer, a malignant priest who wants to restore the inquisition, and Major Ducos a French spy-master. Even though there was plenty of adventure, I missed some of the minor characters, Major Hogan and Sargent Harper are practically no shows. I admit that this story does not measure up to the others in the Sharpe series. "Sharpe's Company", "Sharpe's Gold" or "Sharpe's Rifles" are better entries in the series and more exciting to read. However, "Sharpe's Honor" has its moments. The battle scenes are very realistic and surprisingly enough we are treated to more battle strategy. Normally in Cornwell's Sharpe books the point of view is from the main character Sharpe, but this time we are given several points of view of the battle and one of them (refreshingly enough) from the French side. But I must warn you the battle happens very late in the story and by then most of the plot lines have been resolved. One interesting item in the story is the prevailing theme that Sharpe should have no honor. Primarily because Sharpe came up from the ranks (starting out as a private and working up to a commissioned officer). The only one who thought Sharpe had any honor is Sharpe himself. "Sharpe's Honor" is fun and a good read.


Absolutely bloody brilliant   September 24, 1999
 2 out of 7 found this review helpful

The book was a mixture of hard hitting action, juicy subplots and romance combined with treachery and one mans love that can conquer all fear. The book was amazing, all Ive come to expect from the best author in the world-Bernard Cornwell.