Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Continuing with the historical adventures of Harry Flashman, the irreverent, racist and sexist cad - a truly remarkable asshole in the world of literature - it would be easy to write him off, but George Macdonald Fraser develops some pretty great writing chops the more this series goes on. Here, for the first time, he introduces some passages from Elspeth's perspective which is fun, though not exactly compensatory if anyone were looking for that. No, Harry Flashman is not a good guy and the writing perspective in these books is not at all redemptive. But I love them! I love them like I love Dennis Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It's the same pleasure reading these only they cover real historical events and when they are at their best Harry is utterly tortured for most of the story. They pull off quite a trick.
This entry isn't my favorite. It was interesting learning about Fuller Pilch, Alfred Mynn, and Nicolas Felix - all figures from the world of cricket I had never heard of (I don't know from cricket) and the passionate way Fraser writes about the game is compelling. The heart of this entry, however, concerns the story that kicks off with the kidnapping of Elspeth by a fictional pirate in disguise. That's when we meet The White Raja in Singapore (the introduction of James Brooke drove me to learn a little more about him, which I enjoyed) and later the big baddie in the form of Ranavalona I, the queen of Madagascar. I have to say, a lot of the relationship between Flashman and the queen felt like a retread of Flashman's relationship with Lakshmibai in Flashman and the Great Game. Since that was a better novel, using a similar structure didn't do this book any favors. Still, I'd be hard pressed to call this 6th entry in the Flashman papers disappointing. I've already bought in with the series and they always deliver what I'm looking for: a breezy, summer read.
This entry isn't my favorite. It was interesting learning about Fuller Pilch, Alfred Mynn, and Nicolas Felix - all figures from the world of cricket I had never heard of (I don't know from cricket) and the passionate way Fraser writes about the game is compelling. The heart of this entry, however, concerns the story that kicks off with the kidnapping of Elspeth by a fictional pirate in disguise. That's when we meet The White Raja in Singapore (the introduction of James Brooke drove me to learn a little more about him, which I enjoyed) and later the big baddie in the form of Ranavalona I, the queen of Madagascar. I have to say, a lot of the relationship between Flashman and the queen felt like a retread of Flashman's relationship with Lakshmibai in Flashman and the Great Game. Since that was a better novel, using a similar structure didn't do this book any favors. Still, I'd be hard pressed to call this 6th entry in the Flashman papers disappointing. I've already bought in with the series and they always deliver what I'm looking for: a breezy, summer read.
Between gales of laughter, scandalized gasps, amazement at the historical accuracy, and a fervent desperate wish that the Flashman papers were mandatory reading at “woke” event… well, as Flash would say, “I’m plum dead beat!”
Flashman books are one of my guilty pleasures. The main character is the ultimate anti-hero, and it is incredible to see how Flashman always comes out ahead even though he is a true scoundrel. I also like how the author adds many historical facts to the story and weaves them into the story of Flashman with fantastic skill.
This book focuses on a pirate war in Malaysia where he was trying to track down his kidnapped wife and a visit to Madagascar, where he was enslaved but escaped with his wife. As usual, he is a rogue but gets credit for being a hero and saving the day.
This book focuses on a pirate war in Malaysia where he was trying to track down his kidnapped wife and a visit to Madagascar, where he was enslaved but escaped with his wife. As usual, he is a rogue but gets credit for being a hero and saving the day.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had never read a Flashman book before, although I was familiar with the character and concept, i.e., Fraser’s lifting of a minor character from Thomas Hughes’ 1857 novel Tom Brown’s School Days and inserting that bully-turned-coward-turned-rogue-sometimes-hero into historical events of the 19th century. I term this kind of thing “faction”—fiction that uses historical fact as its background, different from historical fiction in that at least one character is unreal. In some books, like Tim Powers’ wonderful The Anubis Gates, not only are some of the characters fictitious, but fantastic events occur in the interstitial moments of history that do not impede what we know of the actual events.
I picked this particular novel up, even though it is the sixth in the series of a dozen books, because it had a section set in Madagascar, which I was travelling to at the time. What better way to learn history of a place than through an adventure novel? And, as far as the history lesson went, it works fine, as Fraser does an excellent job of capturing the time and place.
But I doubt this book would be publishable today. I mean, it’s still in print as a kind of legacy, but any new author who attempted to write in this manner would have a very hard sale in the current publishing climate. Why? Because Flashman the character, and by association, this book, is racist, misogynistic, and quite terrible. Yes, it matches up historically. He’s a white, privileged male who believes women are his for whatever urges he has, where people of color are at best second class citizens and often much worse, and where life is cheap.
And that’s a shame, because a book about an anti-hero who simply wants to live the good life but is forced into situations where he must at least appear to be heroic is quite humorous. This novel also leavens Flashman’s point of view with diary entries by his wife, edited by her sister, which helps broaden the humor considerably.
I enjoyed it, despite the issues above, but hesitate to read another.
I've been in need of cheering up the last few weeks—a combination of personal and national strife—and when you need cheering up, there's no man for the job like Flashy.
I think this is one of his best and funniest adventures yet, delivering all the exoticism, hair-raising action, and unvarnished cowardice one expects, with the surprise addition of his wife Elspeth as a key figure in, and commenter on, the drama. Elspeth, constantly described by Flashman in his memoirs as a "beautiful idiot" and "gold-headed filly without a brain," corroborates this assessment with a series of hilariously vapid, but somehow endearing, diary entries. (The acidic editorial comments of Elspeth's prudish, homely sister Grizel also never fail to get a laugh.)
As always, Fraser's research is meticulous, and his writing far more accomplished than some in the literary canon would be comfortable admitting. Flashman's Lady contains some truly outstanding descriptive prose and scene construction, as Fraser handles massive pirate battles, orgiastic Madagascaran feasts, and other set-pieces with aplomb, keeping all plates spinning at once: lush setting, frenetic action, dozens of characters, and our hero's singular perspective.
I believe this puts me exactly halfway through the series—hopefully by the time I finish, I'll be ready to start again.
I think this is one of his best and funniest adventures yet, delivering all the exoticism, hair-raising action, and unvarnished cowardice one expects, with the surprise addition of his wife Elspeth as a key figure in, and commenter on, the drama. Elspeth, constantly described by Flashman in his memoirs as a "beautiful idiot" and "gold-headed filly without a brain," corroborates this assessment with a series of hilariously vapid, but somehow endearing, diary entries. (The acidic editorial comments of Elspeth's prudish, homely sister Grizel also never fail to get a laugh.)
As always, Fraser's research is meticulous, and his writing far more accomplished than some in the literary canon would be comfortable admitting. Flashman's Lady contains some truly outstanding descriptive prose and scene construction, as Fraser handles massive pirate battles, orgiastic Madagascaran feasts, and other set-pieces with aplomb, keeping all plates spinning at once: lush setting, frenetic action, dozens of characters, and our hero's singular perspective.
I believe this puts me exactly halfway through the series—hopefully by the time I finish, I'll be ready to start again.
I read this about a week ago so I'm a bit hazy on the details. This is from the Flashman series and should be read in order. This book deals mainly with James Brooke the White Raja of Sarawak (a very interesting story in itself) and the mad queen Ranavalona of Madagascar. This is such an interesting story and she must have been quite the topic during contemporary times. I'm surprised that she isn't well known today. Basically you have a female Idi Amin on a large African island where the aristocrats dress like court Europeans and natives are killed mercilessly on a daily basis. Well worth the read just for the history on Madagascar.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sadly, the weakest of the Flashman series so far. This is the first one I did not whole heartedly enjoy.