Flashman Papers - Review - 2

Flash for Freedom! by George MacDonald Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Flashman continues his infamous adventures in the land of the free now and before getting there engages in a bit of slave trade himself, get chased by a group of Amazons of the Dahomey coast and lands in N'Awleans with the Captain of the slave ship, slightly more sociopath than Flashman himself. Kidnapped by the underground railroad and assuming a dead man's identity, Flashman manages to become a plantation overseer, murder accomplice and much more before returning to the mouth of Mississippi.

Flashman intrigues not just because of the bawdiness of the tale it tells but also because of the historical context of the tale itself. Here we come across the young Disraeli, Lincoln (who surprisingly plays a bigger role), Gladstone and many more. It is interesting to watch out for the subtle clues to the other celebrities of the era, like the famous Captain Horace Bixby, who had a apprentice named Sam Clemens a.k.a Mark Twain.

There are many such references and the oddity of a slave ship captain quoting endlessly from the Latin classics, Flashman's incognito and the crossing of the Ohio river (not very different from 'Uncle Tom's Cabin) are as amusing as the thoughts of Flashman himself.
Of course, the title of the book refers to the fact that Flashman is for his freedom and does not refer to the slaves at all. That political incorrectness is what makes this one and the series so good.

Overall, the book ends in a way dis-satisfactorily (at least to myself) and is supposed to be continued in the next installation. And if you are looking for a nice 'the good are rewarded and the bad are punished' kind-of ending, this is not your book (and for that matter, you can give the entire Flashman series a pass!).
View all my reviews
Flashman at the Charge by George MacDonald Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"You know, the advantage to being a wicked bastard is that everyone pesters the Lord on your behalf." - Flashman

Reading through the Flashman series, it is easy to get confused to pick a favorite. The humor of the book gets sharp by every book and the detailing of the events in the narrative gets better and better it becomes difficult to pick A favorite.

'Flashman at the Charge' is in a way the standard Flashman book. It starts off with Flashman trying his best to avoid getting into the Crimean war. But being the 'Hero of Afghanistan' it is difficult to dodge one's duty to the country. And hence, ships off to Crimea.

In the meanwhile, he picks up a rivalry with Lord Cardigan, whom he literally catches with his wife with his pants down. Being a peer and arrogant to boot, Flashman has to swallow his pride and work with the Lord in Crimea. Which makes him a caustic observer of the course of events starting with Balaclava to the Charge of the light brigade.

Flashman is captured by the Russians at this time and shipped off to a middle of nowhere in Russian wilderness. The middle part concerns Flashman's efforts in enjoying being the prisoner and avoiding the wild escape plans of his mate and school friend, East. After a tryst with the local lord's daughter, Flashman escapes and is caught again and is attached to the Russian army for the capture of Indus.

After escaping the Russians and with Yakub Beg, Flashman has his revenge and travels through Afghanistan into India. The story thus, in a way, sweeps wildly through the Central Asia during the 1850s and captures the history of the region.

Though the story by itself is enchanting, the history by no means, lags behind. Whether you are a serious history buff or a light reader, Flashman manages to tie these seemingly distant ends brilliantly.
View all my reviews
Flashman And The Angel Of The Lord by George MacDonald Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The problem with historical fiction is that it needs to have the right mix of history intermingled with the fiction without sounding ridiculous in the process. This installment of the Flashman papers suffers because the history part gets a little overwhelming with Flashman dangling in the midst.

And the great ensemble of the cast starting with the Governor of the Cape colony, Edward Grey to the (in)famous Allan Pinkerton, William Seward, more senators, Crixus from the Underground railroad, the Kuklos, Robert Lee, JEB Stuart and of course, John Brown and his puppies, as Flashman calls them. Not including the fictional cast, that is a lot of people to just keep track of their movements in the real history. It shows as Flashman gets into places when it is convenient and gets back when it is not.

That however, does not diminish in anyway the joy of reading another Flashman (mis)adventure. He is his usual self again, bawdy, cowardly, ready to run in a moment, bumbling his way into the great events that always have a knack of happening around him. John Charity Spring makes another appearance, packing Flashman back into the United States for just punishment for 'lusting' after his daughter, Miranda.

Flashman gets abducted, first by the underground railroad, then by the Kuklos and then again by Pinkerton's agents. So, he kind of becomes a triple agent in the midst of John Brown's group preparing for raiding Harper's Ferry. What happens next is classic Flashman as he tries his best to run from the raid, only to find himself sucked more and more into the middle of it. Of course, he finds ways to end up in bedrooms in the middle of the raid.

Fraser obviously is enamored by John Brown, the man. Though Flashman says the darnedest things about him, Brown comes out of the book with a halo around his head. Of course, the man deserves it for swaying the opinions of the country with his raid.

My only regret is that Fraser never wrote the Flashman volumes on his service with the Union and Confederate armies. That would've been something.

View all my reviews

Flashman Papers - Review - 1

Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where do I start? I was not sure how I missed this book for so long. There is a reference to it in William Darlymple's 'The return of the King' and I searched and got it (I mean all the books). Just finished the first one.

Harry Flashman is not your typical hero, he is not even your typical anti-hero. He is the embodiment of all that was bad in the British officer of the 19th century. In addition, he is also a 'toady', a very cowardly person. How he ends with everlasting glory in the battle field is a story told as humorously as possible with probably the most analyzed and accurate historical details.

Flashman is forthright in his dealings and puts things plainly as he sees it. He buys the commission, rapes his father's mistress, sells his first Indian slave girl because she has stopped to be 'fun', has an opinion on everything that goes around in the army and in British empire, manages to land in the thick of the things every time and in spite of himself, ends up as a hero of the said empire.

The humor in the novel is outrageous and absolute fun to read, if you don't mind the colorful language. Fraser has a knack of pun and wit and there is a description of Queen Victoria (described as 'plumpy' but okay below the neck!). There is nothing sanctified in the novel and there is no comeuppance for our hero (though there is a lapse on his wife side which he is ready to overlook as long as he gets the money).

Overall, a very good read and it is impossible to not hate and like Flashman.

 Flashman's Lady by George MacDonald Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second of the series (chronologically) though written sixth. Starts with an elaborate description of a Cricket match at Lord's and picks up from there. There are bookies threatening Flashman with ruin and he escapes to Singapore and escapes the killers only to see Elsbeth kidnapped by the pirates of Borneo. Forced into the rescue by the White Rajah of Sarawak, he ends up in Madagascar ruled by a ruthless queen Ranavalona.
There are some moments of absolute chicanery by H. and places he feels badly for Elsbeth, though calling her all kinds of name through the book. The hero of Afghanisthan finds the going difficult entangling with all kinds of villains from London bookies to Chinese black faces to the Borneo pirates.
Witnesses the many facets of tortures in Madagascar and become part of a coup unwittingly and bolts from the place at the first chance.
Very interesting read..

Royal Flash by George MacDonald Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading the 4th book in the list (chronologically) I am yet to get tired of Flashman. Here he lands in the midst of the 1848 revolutions and becomes a pawn in the hands of the young Otto Bismarck, who has just embarked on his quest for an unified Germany. Flashman makes an enemy out of him while in England and Bismarck repays him by calling him to Prussia (through Lola Montez, who seems to be a remarkable lady in the mold of Flashman himself) and put him in a la 'Prisoner of Zenda' situation. Except that our hero is not as brave or gallant as Rudolf Rossandyll and hence wriggles out of all that is thrown at him.

There is no war here but only intrigues, betrayals and back stabbings. Flashman, by his uncanny resemblance to Price Carl Justaf of Denmark, replaces the price before his marriage doing the bidding of Bismarck. What follows with both the Germans and Danes trying to murder him makes for an interesting story. Here as in the other Flashman novels, Flashman is in the thick of the action and at one or two places he acquits himself neatly.

Fraser's writing is full of scathing social comment on the mores of the Victorian England and at one point, Flashman muses on the moral hypocrisy that pervaded the kingdom after the ascent of Queen Victoria which is quite hilarious but also thoughtful. For some reason, Fraser keeps picking on the queen and the consort Albert, probably for the same reason.

I have the movie as well and was waiting to finish the book before watching it. But I can see why this book was chosen to be made into a movie as it involves not too many locations or major wars and hence easy to be made.

Overall, all I can say after finishing the fourth title, is 'Gimme more'!!