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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb,
By corene18@hotmail.com (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Black Ajax (Paperback)
I read Black Ajax in one sitting and cannot get it out of my mind. This is one of the most poignant, dazzling novels I have ever read. Far from being presented as a stereotype, Tom Molineaux comes across as a multi-dimentional, deeply moving individual. Such is the author's skill that the character of 'Black Ajax' is built up slowly and subtly, from a variety of points of view. The racial epithets, far from drawing attention to the 'shortcomings' of the book (there are none), serve to highlight exactly what Tom Molineaux was up against. His situation is treated realistically and with compassion.The characterization and structure overall are outstanding. Each character's voice is unique. The book's greatest strength lies in its utter lack of sentimentality. Fraser is clearly a writer of supernatural gifts.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brutal and Beautiful,
This review is from: Black Ajax (Paperback)
Tom Molineaux, ex slave and brawler turned bare knuckle prize fighter, lover and dandy living life to great excess in pre Victorian English high society. This is a true story told from the view point of various people who come into contact with Molineaux on his journey up and down the social ladder. These characters, ranging from a female conquest's butler to the Prince Regent are wonderfully constructed and brought to life by Fraser's gift for the language of the time as already seen in the Flashman Papers. Molineaux is a horribly misunderstood and manipulated character and the story of his rise and fall is both touching and poignant whilst remaining humourous, gripping and brutal. Each person and scene is beautifully constructed, Fraser's passion for the era is obvious. The prologue alone telling the story of a broken down pug on his last legs brings tears to the eye and is worth the price of the book alone.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff,
By A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Black Ajax (Paperback)
From one of my most favorite authors of historical fiction comes this tale of a freed slave coming to England circa 1810 to try and break into the prizefighting game. Apparently prizefighting was the sport back then, enjoyed by all levels of society. Fraser tells the story of the rise and fall of this one-time legend in a series of mock interviews with those surrounding him: his childhood love, his manager, his trainer, his patron, several foes, and misc. others. Just as interesting as the fighter's story is the variety in language and perspective given in each interview. The interviews are loaded with slang from the era, which is only partially decoded in the glossary, so it may make for heavy reading for some. The patron of the prizefighter is Harry Flashman's father, in a tie-in to Fraser's excellent long-running Flashman series.
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