Emma Darwin, Indiscretion and Sharp's Rifles

You are probably at this point wondering what all three of these things have in common, but perhaps you are well acquainted enough with my literary tastes and odd fixations to know that the answer is the Napoleonic Wars. Emma Darwin's, yes a great-great ext daughter of Charles, novel The Mathematics of Love follows an ex-major of the south-essex rifles who served on the peninsula, miss Caroline Fortune's father is a rouges spendthrift paid off army officer in Jude Morgan's Indiscretion and of course anyone who watched Masterpiece Theater in the 1980's will remember the trials and travails of a young Sean Bean as Richard Sharp a solider raised from the ranks by Wellington.

My liking of the Sharp series predates and foreshadowed my current interest in the Napoleonic Wars. Each Sunday, Richard and his band of chosen men would face the French, defy orders from snobbish superiors, and win the heart of some woman all while saving the day. A teacher in middle school infuriated me by pointing out that Sharp's paramour Theresa, a Spanish partisan who kicked ass with him each week while riding a horse in fabulous leather pants, was completely historically inaccurate. Who cares for period accuracy? While, obviously not me back then, and still after watching the series again recently with M, as a cure for her law school blues, I can still put it aside.

What once seemed serious now has a wonderful camp value, Wellington's prosthetic nose is just too good to be true, and you can catch some performances from people who went on to much bigger and better things, ie Daniel Craig in what is probably they most appalling black wig!

I think Emma Darwin must be a Sharp's fan too, as her army officer is either a rip off, all be it better written, or a homage to Sharp. They both grew up in unprivileged circumstances, both are gallant towards women and most importantly of all were officers in the South-Essex riffles. I guess Emma could not resist their trademark green uniform jackets ; ) While the plot of the modern day half of the novel is a bit weak, if you have a affinity for the regency it is still an enjoyable read.

Indiscretion is just about the fluffiest and most fun read I have had in a long time. The spunky Miss Fortune seems to become entangled with trouble where ever she goes, but everything turns out well in the end and the journey there is an enjoyable romp. Morgan has thrown in all the stock characters, the beautiful but poor heroine, the acerbic and handsome rich young man (more along the lines of Tillney than Darcy), the kind relations, the old rich harpy, the young frivolous girl and the rouge who seduces her. There is nothing new here, but it is a charming rift on the tried and true and at least for me qualifies as the book equivalent of comfort food.