Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I’ve often thought of writing to you before with various questions about the Sharpe series. However, each time I’ve figured that I should wait until I’ve read a few more (I’m only on Trafalgar). But there have been two questions which have been nagging at me for a few weeks. The first, and more important: is Richard Sharpe a psycho/sociopath? While he certainly possesses empathy and a strange sort of morality, he kills freely and with little remorse or reflection. I like the character very much, don’t get me wrong, but this thought’s been bugging me since he described his need to kill during the action of the Siege of Seringapatam. I also tend to dislike everyone he kills, and to be honest most deserve it, but there’s just an ease with which he does it that makes me wonder.

The second: is Serg. Hakeswill supposed representative of a snake? Perhaps it’s my own projection, because I always picture him with slit eyes and no nose, but the adjectives used to describe him tend to be in the vein of “venomous,” “slithering,” and so on and so forth. If this is the case, is Sharpe supposed to represent a lion or some other “courageous” animal?

Just want you to know I love your books. I read the Fort first, and I got through it in a week or two. I’m not the biggest reader, but I always manage to go through your books at an incredible pace.

All the best,

Adrian Remnant