Flashman in the Great Game: From the Flashman Papers 1856-1858

Rating:
Summary: Not a Flash in the pan...
Review: Flashman does it again. Perfectly non politically correct way to enjoy several hours of reading and regaling in the exploits of history's (sic) favorite ribald rogue. Two thumbs up and a hip hip hooray for Flashy's Indian intrigue.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely well-written story about the king of rogues!
Review: George Fraser is one hell of a writer. He writes with a combination of natural flair and minimal description (most historical novels tend to be quite long-winded when describing the events and places) that tells us all we need to know without dwelling upon it (notes in the back are there for those of us who are interested in more in-depth analysis though). Fraser has created one of the most interesting anti-heroes I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. Our "hero" is nothing short of a selfish and cowardly Englishman who is none-the-less gifted with an amazing linguistic prowess and an almost supernatural ability to survive. To give you a better idea of the type of character Flashman is, every time he meets a woman, for example, he will mercilessly assess what he likes and dislikes about her and then assess his chances of getting her into bed. He's even more ruthless when dealing with fellow Englishmen and the natives (the "n" word generally used to disparage people of African descent is used to describe the Indians, as the British apparently did, and is used in almost every other sentence, so if this bothers you, well you'll be a little uncomfortable for much of the novel) and his ability to cut through the pretenses of all the people he meets is astounding. We can't help but root for Flashman though because of one reason, he is brutally honest. Sure he feels that he's superior to the natives and thinks most of the Brits around him are pretentious blowhards with limited ability and the women are mere objects for his amusement, but he'll tell you this himself! No stiff upper lip and stoicism here. Flashman does not want the spotlight and he does not want to serve his country in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, the more he tries to not to do anything the more he is thrust into precarious situations. Along the way though, he encounters one woman who matches his ingenious ruthlessness with a shrewdness of her own, the Indian princess Lakshmibai. She matches him with her own sexual appetite and her own machinations. Flashman also has to contend with a Russian count who also happens to a sadistic spy, but you'll have to read the book to see what happens between those two.
Fraser's look at the British empire is oftentimes uncompromising and lacking in any attempt to glorify them. They are shown in this book warts and all and that's what I appreciated. Fraser uses Flashman to expose the absurdity of ALL the people in the novel. From ridiculing Indian superstition to proper English ladies willing to get it on with a native as long as he's not an "Indian" (Flashman's linguistic ability allows him to pose as an Afghan/Pathan tribesman and it's both thrilling and comedic to see him transform himself and try to maintain his identity while bedding an Englishwoman and an Indian prostitute during a life and death foray into enemy territory!). Flashman is one of those rare characters we can all identify with as he is not like the usual mold of perfect heroes with high principles and morals. He's simply a man who wants to amass as much wealth as possible and lay down with as many women as he can, while endearingly returning to his two-timing sexpot wife of course. And he ain't in love with her for her brain, that's for sure! Flashman will serve his country if you twist his arm and hold a bazooka to his head and he'll inspire the troops simply because he has no other choice. He'll even pretend to be a native and manage to attain not one iota of sympathy for them (there are moments where even Flashman has his lapses though, bless his cravenly soul). It's all about Flashman and he really couldn't care less about what anybody thinks. Finally a hero we call all relate to! I can't wait to read the rest of his exploits!

Rating:
Summary: Extremely well-written story about the king of rogues!
Review: George Fraser is one hell of a writer. He writes with a combination of natural flair and minimal description (most historical novels tend to be quite long-winded when describing the events and places) that tells us all we need to know without dwelling upon it (notes in the back are there for those of us who are interested in more in-depth analysis though). Fraser has created one of the most interesting anti-heroes I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. Our "hero" is nothing short of a selfish and cowardly Englishman who is none-the-less gifted with an amazing linguistic prowess and an almost supernatural ability to survive. To give you a better idea of the type of character Flashman is, every time he meets a woman, for example, he will mercilessly assess what he likes and dislikes about her and then assess his chances of getting her into bed. He's even more ruthless when dealing with fellow Englishmen and the natives (the "n" word generally used to disparage people of African descent is used to describe the Indians, as the British apparently did, and is used in almost every other sentence, so if this bothers you, well you'll be a little uncomfortable for much of the novel) and his ability to cut through the pretenses of all the people he meets is astounding. We can't help but root for Flashman though because of one reason, he is brutally honest. Sure he feels that he's superior to the natives and thinks most of the Brits around him are pretentious blowhards with limited ability and the women are mere objects for his amusement, but he'll tell you this himself! No stiff upper lip and stoicism here. Flashman does not want the spotlight and he does not want to serve his country in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, the more he tries to not to do anything the more he is thrust into precarious situations. Along the way though, he encounters one woman who matches his ingenious ruthlessness with a shrewdness of her own, the Indian princess Lakshmibai. She matches him with her own sexual appetite and her own machinations. Flashman also has to contend with a Russian count who also happens to a sadistic spy, but you'll have to read the book to see what happens between those two.
Fraser's look at the British empire is oftentimes uncompromising and lacking in any attempt to glorify them. They are shown in this book warts and all and that's what I appreciated. Fraser uses Flashman to expose the absurdity of ALL the people in the novel. From ridiculing Indian superstition to proper English ladies willing to get it on with a native as long as he's not an "Indian" (Flashman's linguistic ability allows him to pose as an Afghan/Pathan tribesman and it's both thrilling and comedic to see him transform himself and try to maintain his identity while bedding an Englishwoman and an Indian prostitute during a life and death foray into enemy territory!). Flashman is one of those rare characters we can all identify with as he is not like the usual mold of perfect heroes with high principles and morals. He's simply a man who wants to amass as much wealth as possible and lay down with as many women as he can, while endearingly returning to his two-timing sexpot wife of course. And he ain't in love with her for her brain, that's for sure! Flashman will serve his country if you twist his arm and hold a bazooka to his head and he'll inspire the troops simply because he has no other choice. He'll even pretend to be a native and manage to attain not one iota of sympathy for them (there are moments where even Flashman has his lapses though, bless his cravenly soul). It's all about Flashman and he really couldn't care less about what anybody thinks. Finally a hero we call all relate to! I can't wait to read the rest of his exploits!

Rating:
Summary: Simply the best blend of history and fiction possible.
Review: History is boring? Not if it's written by George MacDonald Fraser. India comes alive in a way most authors can only dream of, and you can taste the chapattis. I didn't think Fraser could top Flashman at the Charge, but he has done it. Read this book! Imagine a world without fiction, or worse, a world without Harry Flashman? No thanks, I'll keep them both.

Rating:
Summary: Does anyone else find Flashman's character inconsistent?
Review: I mean, these are really funny and informative books, and I enjoy them immensely. But my suspension of disbelief keeps getting caught on this nagging question, like a hangnail on a toe beneath a flannel sheet on a cold winter's night: Would Flashman, this veritable cad, mountebank, coward and utterly selfish human being, actually have the sensitivity to observe and report these scenes in such detail as he does? An example of what I mean occurs in this book, where Flashy describes the Moss Troopers torturing and then hanging some sepoys whom they meet on the road, and then making bets on which one will die last as the victims thrash out their lives in the air. Why does Flashman bother to describe such scenes at all? It's true it's important to the story, but from the point of view of character, your really meaningful scoundrels would simply deny that such things had happened at all.

Rating:
Summary: Flashman at the Mutiny
Review: In 1856, Flashy is once again dragooned - this time not as a direct result of some peccadillo on his part - by Palmerston himself to go to India and keep an eye on possibly mutiny brewing there, fomented by Flashy's old nemesis, Count Ignatieff. Like all the other Flash books, this is a thoroughly researched piece of historical fiction, from the personalities of the great (and not so great) commanders of the day, down to the details of the daring exploits of the (not so) common soldier. Like its predecessors, this book is rife with wit, debauchery, wry observations on war and empire, and a few laughs at our hero's expense. This volume does, however, depart from the other books in two ways, in my opinion. The first is tone: where before I got the sense that Flash was so selfish and sadistic he was removed from the carnage he witnesses, in the Mutiny I got the sense that Flash (or Fraser, unable to hide himself behind his character) was moved by the massacres. Flash lets emotion creep in to the point of not just leaping in to rescue (!) a British couple, but to ruminate on the morality of the British retribution. Secondly, in this book Flashman is more propelled along by events rather than(even unwillingly and unknowingly) influencing them, as he has before, goading Raglan into ordering the charge of the Light Brigade or managing to repel Russian invasion of India, for example. All this is simple observation, not criticism; the quality of Flashman's exploits here in no way disappoints.

Rating:
Summary: best Flashman book so far
Review: In my opinion, far and away the best book in the Flashman series. The character has a depth and complexity that Fraser reaches for but doesn't quite achieve in the other ones. (This is not a criticism: I'd rate virtually all of them at 5 stars too.) Here though you get the whole thing: chance, prevarication, puffery, but a hint of whimsy and (by the end) a vague but heartfelt sense of loss that just doesn't come out elsewhere. I think it's a tremendous achievement, the one Flashman book that I'd rank up there with stuff like the Aubrey/Maturin series.

Rating:
Summary: Flashy at his best
Review: It starts with a Royal invitation to visit the Queen ("Vicky") in gloomy Balmoral, Scotland. It quickly degenerates to attempted murder of Flashy by Ignatiev (a revenant from "Flashman at the Charge") during a hunting "accident", and thus seamlessly (crafty chap, Fraser!) to being sent off to India as political officer investigating rumors of mutiny. No matter what Flashy does to avoid active service (and what and how he does it defies description!) the Mutiny does happen and he is in the thick of it from all sides: in and out of besieged cities, in and out of disguise (from bazaar ruffian to British officer and gentleman, which he boasts as his longest-standing disguise!) in and out of prisons and palaces, even in (briefly) and out of love, an extreme rarity.
The historical background is faultless, with all the detail expected of Fraser's merciless pen. Other readers appeared upset over the Mosstrooper incident, but it fits well - the times were quite terrible, and Flashy (and Fraser) does not try to hide them. Flashy always starts his musings with a promise of honesty and "at ninety, with money in the bank and booze in the house" he has no reason to do otherwise.
This could serve as an introduction to Flashy's adventures for a beginner, but for the devoted fan it is a read-and-reread treat.

Rating:
Summary: History as it should be written
Review: This book and "Flashman at the Charge" represent the summit of the Flashman series. The author is deeply involved in Indian history and Flashman is in top shape as political agent, soldier, lover and major domo. The death of his school mate Scud East even provokes Flashman into (possibly) showing his own feelings.

Rating:
Summary: An absolute masterpiece of fiction
Review: This is a SEVEN-STAR BOOK! The quality of the writing, the incredible characterization, and the marvelous story-telling make this the best book I've read in the past seven or eight years. If you have not read any Flashman books, this will be an incredible treat, although one note: this book (and the whole series) is not for the intellectually limited. The smarter you are and the more knowledge you have, the more you'll love this magnificent fiction. No one writes this well, not Jim or Jamie Harrison, not Jane Smiley, not John Irving, not Joyce Carol Oates; no one tells the story better. Please read these books; they are masterpieces of fiction, and are actually somewhat important, especially as a question concering the value and morality of self-knowledge. Just magnificent.