Hello Bernard –
I’ve asked questions before and possibly they’ve been more of the norm of this Q&A section. But two came to me whilst watching the third series of The Last Kingdom. Oh, quickly I’ll slip in that I loved War of the Wolf. Still astounds me how you manage to keep it so vibrant and fresh after so many books. And poor Uhtred is now getting on in years. Anyway, both of my questions were actually borne out of watching the third series of The Last Kingdom.
- How good do you think the casting of Finan is? My opinion is that, out of all the casting, barring possibly Alfred, he is exceptionally cast. Apart from the fact he is more heavily “musculatured” than I envisaged, I was amazed at how well the actor fit the character, both in actions and physically. Which are your personal favourites.
- This one is more unconventional, especially for the sort of question I’d ask, but who do you think the love of Uhtred’s life is? On reflection, after so many books, with Aethelflaed still fresh in the storyline despite of her death, I’d have plumped for her. But after watching Alexander Dreymon’s excellent portrayal, it brought back to me how devastated Uhtred really was. He’s had so many, as he’s “loose” but they were probably the most two standouts in his life. I would really like to hear your thoughts.
Danny
Dear Mr Cornwell,
I think I should write to you to personally thank you for writing the Last Kingdom series. I, like countless others, was never a fan of historical fiction until this. You can never imagine how much fun it is for us to live through Uhtred and your imaginative, vivid stories and the exciting world in which you built. It truly enriches us in many ways. If I may be slightly dramatic, England should thank you as well. Why there is not much of an effort to uncover, learn and educate on the origins of England, I cannot understand. Surely there is nothing to be ashamed of or kept quiet about. Mmm let’s leave it as that.
After watching Season 3, I have a few things to ask or comment:
Who do you think is Uhtred’s favourite girl, if he has to choose one on the spot?
Brida, Mildrith, Iseult, Gisela, Skade, Aethelflaed, to name a few..
Maybe we should ask Alexander too! You should ask him if you have a chance! I know this is a highly inappropriate question that cannot be answered for obvious reasons, but still, millions of us do wonder. It’s your fault haha, you are partly to blame.
To make it less pointed, maybe the question should be, who does Uhtred dream of?
In the show, Alfred and Uhtred sat down and had a heart to heart talk in his chamber. If only you had made a cameo entrance then! Instead of Aelswith walking in, imagine if Bernard Cornwell the creator walked in and continued the discussion! This is a “what if”/alternate universe dream scene that would have blown our mind. This will be something like “Dinner/Table For Five”, also featured on Youtube. There is one where JJ Abrams, Mark Hamill, Stan Lee, Kevin Smith and Jason Lee sat down and shared stories. Sometimes these interactions are priceless.
The TV series is growing from strength to strength, despite virtually no promotional activities. The production budget had obviously increased, just look at the quality of the show. This is turning into a monster. Worldwide. Did you foresee that it will come to this?
Warm regards, destiny is all.
Ben
Malaysia
PS: Your books are flying of the shelves here as well, in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. We try to pick up your books whenever there is a new release.