Hi Bernard,
Firstly thanks for all the reading pleasure and knowledge you’ve given me over the years.
I’ve noticed you get a lot of questions and comments regarding the various TV adaptations of your books.I must declare here that I’ve watched most of the ‘ Sharpe’ episodes but by deliberate choice none of the ‘Last Kingdom’ series.I presume that when you sign away TV rights that you don’t have a great say in how the film are produced either by way of casting,plotlines etc.I realise that TV is a completely different medium than the written word and for a number of reasons the books cannot be fully replicated but it would drive me up the wall to see the ways my labours are dealt with.There is one positive aspect in that people watching the films may then go on to buy the books and enter your world and increase the numbers sold.I love your style of writing and I immerse myself completely in your character’s lives.To this end I find it very difficult to watch the screen versions.For example Sean Bean is a very fine actors and I really love and enjoy most of his films or TV works but I do not think he can ever be Richard Sharpe.I know you rate Sean very highly and as you know Sharpe far better than me maybe the problems on my side.To be fair to Sean I can think of no actor who could play Sharpe the way I envisage him.All of your characters and plotlines occupy a space in my mind and I’m really pleased they are there.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I very much look forward to your future projects
Best wishes
Keith
P.S. There is one way I can shoot down my argument.The late,great Pete Postlethwaite WAS Obadiah Hakeswill reborn.A truly staggering achievement