Royal Flash

The recent death of George McDonald Fraser has brought a close (maybe permanent, maybe not?) to this delightful series of books. I have had the pleasure of following this series every since the release of the first book back in the sixties. The Flashman novels combine history (including substantial endnotes) with sex, action, adventure and the secret pleasure of enjoying the exploits of one of the most notoriously popular non-politically correct characters of 20th Century literature. Flashman is a womanizer, a coward, a scoundrel and a cheat, but in the novels, which are all narrated by Flashman himself, he is utterly honest with his readers. He is a man not proud of his faults, but certainly unabashed about them.

The Flashman novels show more could be dismissed as sensationalized light reading , but Fraser cleverly tied his character into most of the major events of the last sixty years of the nineteenth century, a Victorian Zelig or Forrest Gump. Flashman casually mentions this minor detail or that simple observation, then Fraser in his assumed role as editor of the Flashman papers meticulously explains in the endnotes how these mentions by Flashman confirm the truth of his narrative, since only if Flashman was there could he have known about this fact or that. Fraser's endnotes also round out the historic details of the narrative, giving background and elaboration to the history-as-I-lived-it tales told by Flashman. It all works wonderfully, even if you somewhat suspect that some details are being outrageously fabricated.

I very strongly recommend these books to anyone who has an interest in history and is willing to keep an open mind towards the womanizing and the language (the n-word appears quite a bit, but completely in character for Flashman). I would suggest the best way to read them is in order of publication. This doesn't follow Flashman's own life chronology, but the books published later often make reference to previous editions of the "Flashman Papers" and so is more fun for the reader to follow. show less

A cracking good follow-up to the first Flashman, Royal Flash follows the magnificent bastard Harry Flashman in Germany. The plot is an homage to the classic adventure story The Prisoner of Zenda, but it isn't necessary to have read this before enjoying Flash - I hadn't. Flashman is impersonating a Danish prince whom apparently he is the spitting image of (as like as two tits", as Flash puts it on pg. 135). If you can get past this rather unlikely coincidence, you're in for a treat as George MacDonald Fraser serves up a book bursting with adventure and laughs in equal measure. Naturally, Flash uses his new regal position to bed every comely chambermaid within grabbing distance, as well as a rather tasty duchess, and make a play at show more nabbing the crown jewels (not a euphemism). He's also just as cowardly as before, and a damn liar: yet again, readers will gawp at his shamelessness. It is bloody fantastic. Everything that was great about the first Flashman also holds true here, even if Flash himself isn't as able to cut loose as freely as he was in his romps through wild Afghanistan. Rest assured, he's still provided with plenty of opportunities to prove to Germany that he's the jammiest, most cowardly thieving scoundrel who ever lived." show less

Even though I didn't remember the plot of Flashman, the first book in Fraser's series, one detail came rushing back to me immediately when I started Royal Flash - Harry Flashman is definitely not short on ego. He's the same despicable cad he was in the first book. Within the first few pages of Royal Flash he describes himself as handsome, beloved, admired, and respected. And, like the first few pages of Flashman he winds up in the bed of a beautiful woman almost immediately. But, having said all that, he's still a coward, albeit a clever one at that. He says brazenly, "The world was my oyster, and if it wasn't my sword that had opened it, no one was any the wiser" (p 4). This time Flashy hass got himself in deep. As payback for an show more earlier embarrassment Harry is forced to pretend he is Prince Carl Gustaf while the real royalty gets over a bout of the clap. Only, here's the twist: he takes over for Carl on the eve of his wedding and has to marry the Irma, the frosty Duchess of Strackenz. He is assured the marriage is not binding due to his different religious faith (and the fact he is already married). True to Fraser style, all is not as it seems and Flashman finds himself in one pickle after another. show less

First of all, if you've never heard of the Flashman Papers please investigate. This is my second favorite series of books to read while lazing in the sun (the first is Patrick O'Brian's). What I love about these books in general, and Royal Flash in particular is Fraser's stunning ability to push his disreputable hero forward with plot that feels like the best of any tent-pole movie franchise. Sword fights, torture, mistaken identity (here, ol' Flashy reboots Anthony Hope's Prisoner of Zenda), fist fights, historical figures (Otto Von Bismark and Lola Montez in this one), a castle siege during a coup d'etat... BOOZE, SEX, VIOLENCE YOU GET IT ALL.

I'm bewildered Hollywood hasn't snatched this series up already especially considering show more Hollywood is exactly where I discovered these novels. True story, I used to work at a high end cafe in Santa Monica where I was friendly with Graham McTavish (big guy in every action film you've ever seen, look him up. He's great!). Well one day he came in holding a dogeared copy of Flashman that looked like it had been read many times over and in fact it had. He introduced me to the Flashman papers and told me it was a series he read through frequently from beginning to end. Well I tried the first and came away a little put off by all the good natured rape but as soon as I figured out Harry Flashman is a character I do not have to like in order to enjoy I unlocked a series of novels that has given me so much pleasure because not only are they truly fantastic adventure stories but the writing is deceptively good. Fraser manages to erase himself almost entirely in plots so well constructed they allow you to root against the hero, laughing at his failures while thrilling in his successes (however accidental) as you barrel down a narrative slope through to a satisfying finish.

These are so fun and Royal Flash is among the best of them. show less

First of all, if you've never heard of the Flashman Papers please investigate. This is my second favorite series of books to read while lazing in the sun (the first is Patrick O'Brian's). What I love about these books in general, and Royal Flash in particular is Fraser's stunning ability to push his disreputable hero forward with plot that feels like the best of any tent-pole movie franchise. Sword fights, torture, mistaken identity (here, ol' Flashy reboots Anthony Hope's Prisoner of Zenda), fist fights, historical figures (Otto Von Bismark and Lola Montez in this one), a castle siege during a coup d'etat... BOOZE, SEX, VIOLENCE YOU GET IT ALL.

I'm bewildered Hollywood hasn't snatched this series up already especially considering show more Hollywood is exactly where I discovered these novels. True story, I used to work at a high end cafe in Santa Monica where I was friendly with Graham McTavish (big guy in every action film you've ever seen, look him up. He's great!). Well one day he came in holding a dogeared copy of Flashman that looked like it had been read many times over and in fact it had. He introduced me to the Flashman papers and told me it was a series he read through frequently from beginning to end. Well I tried the first and came away a little put off by all the good natured rape but as soon as I figured out Harry Flashman is a character I do not have to like in order to enjoy I unlocked a series of novels that has given me so much pleasure because not only are they truly fantastic adventure stories but the writing is deceptively good. Fraser manages to erase himself almost entirely in plots so well constructed they allow you to root against the hero, laughing at his failures while thrilling in his successes (however accidental) as you barrel down a narrative slope through to a satisfying finish.

These are so fun and Royal Flash is among the best of them. show less

Our intrepid hero, Harry Flashman, is back for volume two of the Flashman Papers, a narrative of the life and times of one of the most ne’er-do-well wastrels to ever grace the pages of a published autobiography.

This installment picks up where the first volume left off; Harry returns from his Afghan adventures, quite the conquering hero and the toast of London. Soon, however, the bloom is off the rose and further adventures await, this time among the nobility of the continent. Soon, Flash matches wits with one of the greatest statesmen of the 19th century, Otto von Bismarck, and changes the course of European history as a result.

As in the original Flashman novel, our Harry is revealed as the premier coward and opportunist of his era; show more faults which he quite willingly admits and even boasts of. This passage, relating to his beautiful, vacuous wife Elspeth gives a glimpse into the Flashman psyche:

“At that moment I was overcome again with that yearning affection for her that I sometimes felt, in spite of her infidelities; I can’t explain it, beyond saying that she must have had some magical quality, something to do with the childlike thoughtful look she wore, and the pure, helpless stupidity in her eyes. It is very difficult not to like a lovely idiot.”

Uproariously funny and entertaining, this sequel is every bit the equal of the original. show less

We had moved here and this proved topical. It was a humid summer and the house was gradually coming together. I'd come home from work and then attend to some task, usually making quite the mess. I lack facility in such matters. I read a number of story collections that summer, I also read a Flashman. The novel's layered plot I found engaging, though not the execution thereof. Who can complain about a protagonist whose favorite verb is roger? Sure, the politics are incredibly reactionary and the pacing akin to genre norms. That said, I did buy a couple more more future diversion.