Customer Reviews

Flashman In the Great Game

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

Though the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser has been in print for decades, this is the first book that I've read. Ok, I've been inexcusably tardy; I've been busy.

As created by the author, the fictional Harry Flashman is an officer in the British Army during the reign of Queen Victoria. In FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME, Flashy, by this time a colonel, is asked by Prime Minister Lord Palmerston to go to India to investigate unrest among sepoy troops, a potential uprising perhaps being fanned by Harry's old nemesis, Count Ignatieff of Russia. After Flashman arrives, he's forced to go underground by assuming the identity of a native enlistee in the 3rd Cavalry, Bengal Army - just in time to become embroiled in the Great Mutiny of 1857.

Despite Flashy's growing reputation for heroism among the Army and Her Majesty's government, he's actually the greatest of cowards. His only interests are staying out of harm's way and having sex with as many women as possible. He's a rascal and a bounder of the first order. For female readers, Flashman is the man Mom warned about. For male readers, he is, perhaps, Everyman at heart. The charm of his memoirs, "The Flashman Papers", from which each book of the series is an excerpt, derives from the total honesty by which Flashy readily admits to his character deficiencies. It's only through canny opportunism, unwelcome circumstances, and luck that Harry's renown for derring-do increases with each installment.

The appeal of Flashy's rascality aside, the strength of these stories is apparently the historical research that Fraser did to create the backdrop for Harry's adventures. In FLASHMAN IN THE GREAT GAME, the event is the savage 1857 uprising of Indian troops against their British masters that resulted in massacres of whites - men, women, and children - at such places as Meerut, Jhansi, and Cawnpore. The British reprisal was merciless. And Flashy is there to tell us all about it, as well as explain the cultural and religious factors that contributed to the bloodbath. As an instruction about something I knew nothing about, Harry's narrative more than justifies the cost of the book. (OK, so I got it free from an email pen pal. But, you get my meaning.)

As I've no other Flashman novel for comparison, I was torn between awarding 4 and 5 stars. I settled on 4 as the safe option since that leaves room for improvement, which I may discover as I read additional volumes in the series. I do have to say, however, that I found Fraser's McAuslan trilogy more humorous and appealing, perhaps because the time, place, and protagonist are more contemporary.

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.

Midway through his memoirs of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, Harry Flashman ruminates: What beats me is the way people take it to heart -- what do they expect in war? It ain't conducted by missionaries, or chaps in Liberal clubs, snug and secure. But what amuses me most is the fashionable way views change -- why, for years after Cawnpore, any vengeance wreaked on an Indian, mutineer or not, was regarded as just vengeance. Now it's t'other way round, with eminent writers crying shame, and saying nothing justified such terrible retribution as Neill took, and we were far guiltier than the n-gg-rs has been. Why? Because we were Christians, and supposed to know better? -- and because England contains this great crowd of noisy know-alls that are forever defending our enemies' behaviour and crying out in pious horror against our own. Why our sins are always so much blacker, I can't fathom...

Sound familiar? It's exactly the sort of rant that we hear every day in reference to Iraq, and that coming from a sputtering red-faced right-winger makes me gnash my teeth. But wait? How are we to take this, coming from Flashman, by his own account the most selfish, self-centered, self-justifying scoundrel in British annals? And then, although we tend to forget, Flashman is a made-up character, a figment of his author's whimsy. Can it possibly be that Flashman's cynicism and racism express George MacDonald Fraser's own thoughts?

Flashman is the ultimate in "undependable narrators" of his own life, precisely because he maintains such a mask of candor. Is his self-mockery sincere, or another of his many poses? Was he really such a craven coward, or is he pulling our legs in some cantakerous old man's jesting? If he was really as indifferent to the suffering of others, so narcissistically lacking in empathy, then why did he suddenly choose to liberate the unknown mutineers, at the end of the book, telling them to scurry home and not get caught again? Is Flashman lying about his lies?

It's a tribute to Fraser's art that I ponder the true nature of his fantasy poltroon. This book, the fifth in the narrative, portrays the Flash as a far deeper psychological enigma than the earlier volumes, in which he was merely a comic blaggart. It's in this book that Fraser truly hits his stride as a descriptive writer, also. The depiction of mayhem and slaughter is vivid to the point of horror. Whatever the overlap between the author and his creature, this ranks as one of the most powerful anti-war novels I've ever read. Human nature is senseless slaughter, and those who release it, from whatever motives, are guilty of hellish crimes.

Harry's erotic adventures in The Great Game are less bawdy, less laughable, than in previous volumes. His tryst with the Rani of Jhansi is almost a perfumed love affair. In that way, I suppose some readers might be disappointed. Fraser's humor is spotted more stingily in this tale, also. What humor there is is rippingly funny, but the ghastliness of the Mutiny overshadows it. I have to take sides here, and declare my faith that Fraser fully intended this book as a resounding condemnation of the British Empire and its ravaging of Indian humanity. I hope I'm right. I'd hate to enjoy his writing so much if Fraser meant what Flashman says.

This may be my favorite of the Flashman novels. The images alone are worth the price: those of Flashman dashing about posing as a Pathan sepoy soldier, of the GloryThatWasIndia, of the murky origins of the Sepoy Rebellion . . . this has it all, adventure, humor, history. And so well written that you will stay up late into the night finishing it, as I did.

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.

This is Flashman's memoir of his time in the "Indian Mutiny" and it is an excellent read. Sir Harry's self bashing is a laugh riot as he explains to us his misadventures during this understudied part of Victorian history. Mr. Fraser's historical knowledge is impressive. We must thank him for using one of the funniest characters in all literature to explain events of great historical signifigance. Flash is stumbling in and out of mischief, bedrooms, battles, and dungeons, while on a secret mission for the queen and it is a pleasure to educate yourself through this anti-hero.

George Macdonald Fraser never ceases to amaze me with the wit, clarity and attention to historical detail of his Flashman series. In _Flashman and the Great Game_, he has truly outdone himself.

Begining as an agent for the Queen, Flashman is sent to India, where he soon finds himself embroiled in the 1857 Mutiny. The historical background and detailed information included is as delightful as it is impressive. That our Harry Flashman shows a more human side (being genuinely moved by the atrocities he "witnesses" by both sides) serves to add depth to the character. As a previous review mentioned, in this book Flashman is much more influenced by events than an actor upon them. In telling of the Mutiny, it works extremely well.

And finally, one also gets a feel for Fraser (through Flashman) as he writes, "you don't deserve it, you know ... not if its courage they're after .. but if they hand out medals for luck, and survival through funk, and suffering ignobly borne ... well, grab 'em with both hands" Written as by a true warrior, even if spoken through a scoundrel, poltroon, braggart and liar.

GMF has hit his stride with this book! Of all of the Flashman Series that he has "Edited", This is far and away his best work.
I highly commend it as it has it all, What with Flashy hiding, running , lying , fornicating his way thru one of Britains most horrible and bloody Colonial Wars The Sepoy Mutiny.
Flashmans observations and insight were steel on target. I highly commend this book as I have worn out several copies of it in the past 10+ years. Its a pity that some one does not get off their duffs and make a decent movie of this series. The one effort with Roddy Macdowell came close but not quite.
I just hope that we can read of Flashy's adventures in the War between the states that has been hinted at in the other books. I would buy in a second!

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!