As a romance the slow twists and turns of The Trumpet-Major intrigue exasperate and come to a bittersweet end. As a historically military tale the novel captures England's intense fear of Napoleon the "Corsican ogre" while also spotlighting the power and pageantry of the British royal forces. The Trumpet-Major combines quirky moments and gestures with mirth patriotism and melodrama and is especially enjoyable in this spoken form.