FlashmanFlashman's lady
Flashman and the mountain of light
I realise I like to start off with how I come across the books I reviewed. For me, I find that I have a rather random way of selecting books to read, not unlike how I choose music. At the store, I stumble around a lot, scan what's available, and pick up books at random. I read the back of the cover, and the punchy accolades from reputable sources that go: "Stupendous!...beautifully written!" before I make the decision to buy the book or put it back on the shelf.
It's not the best process, but it works for me somehow.
I came across the Flashman series that way - at AMK library, I was wandering the book stacks when this series of brownish worn out books caught my eye. I picked one up, looked at the cheesy cover illustration, and was about to dismiss it as B-grade fiction when I noticed an accolade on the bottom: 'If ever there was a time when I felt that watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman' P.G. Wodehouse
That changed my opinion immediately, I mean here is one of my favourite, and quite possibly the funniest, authors saying that he likes this Flashman book! (I figured he does, although I still don't quite understand Wodehouse's sentence)
If you click on the wikis, you'll understand that the Flashman series is a fictional retelling of Harry Flashman, a rather slimy English hero in the 19th century. Slimy in the sense that he is a coward, a bully (to those weaker than him), and a whoremonger.
But after the initial discomfort of a story based on an antihero main character, I started to really enjoy reading the Flashman series as Fraser writes the stories based on real events and people. The notes provided at the back give additional historical information on the events described, and I'm fascinated by some of the colourful history of the British empire and the characters in that time. Through the first three books I've read, I've learnt about so many fascinating historical events: the disastrous Anglo-Afghan War, stubborn Borneo pirates, the cruelty of the Queen of Madagascar, and the ferocious First Anglo-Sikh War.
I'm pacing myself now (I just started on a new one), I don't want to finish this marvelous series so quickly.
8.5 out of 10 ninja stars.
It's not the best process, but it works for me somehow.
I came across the Flashman series that way - at AMK library, I was wandering the book stacks when this series of brownish worn out books caught my eye. I picked one up, looked at the cheesy cover illustration, and was about to dismiss it as B-grade fiction when I noticed an accolade on the bottom: 'If ever there was a time when I felt that watcher-of-the-skies-when-a-new-planet stuff, it was when I read the first Flashman' P.G. Wodehouse
That changed my opinion immediately, I mean here is one of my favourite, and quite possibly the funniest, authors saying that he likes this Flashman book! (I figured he does, although I still don't quite understand Wodehouse's sentence)
If you click on the wikis, you'll understand that the Flashman series is a fictional retelling of Harry Flashman, a rather slimy English hero in the 19th century. Slimy in the sense that he is a coward, a bully (to those weaker than him), and a whoremonger.
But after the initial discomfort of a story based on an antihero main character, I started to really enjoy reading the Flashman series as Fraser writes the stories based on real events and people. The notes provided at the back give additional historical information on the events described, and I'm fascinated by some of the colourful history of the British empire and the characters in that time. Through the first three books I've read, I've learnt about so many fascinating historical events: the disastrous Anglo-Afghan War, stubborn Borneo pirates, the cruelty of the Queen of Madagascar, and the ferocious First Anglo-Sikh War.
I'm pacing myself now (I just started on a new one), I don't want to finish this marvelous series so quickly.
8.5 out of 10 ninja stars.
