Flashman (2 Viewers)

[Harrytheheid]

Folks, I can't help myself from doing this, I'm only posting this in an attempt to share some of the fun. This also is copied and pasted from Wikipedia.

In outline there are some similarities to the Thomas Berger novel (and movie) Little Big Man, in which a 121-year old man recounts his numerous adventures and escapes in the Old West. Mark Twain also wrote a short story, Luck, about a highly decorated English general in the Crimean War who was a total idiot, but whose misadventures always ended in success.

The half-scholarly tone has occasionally led to misunderstandings; when first released in the United States, ten of 34 reviews published took it to be a real, albeit obscure, memoir. Several of these were written by academics—to the delight of The New York Times, which published a selection of the more trusting reviews.[1] MY ITALICS HtheH and I have mentioned this in previous posts.....

For the purposes of American publication, Fraser created a fictional entry of the 1909 edition of Who's Who. This lists Flashman's laurels as: VC, KCB, KCIE; Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur; Congressional Medal of Honor; San Serafino Order of Purity and Truth, 4th Class; and a lot of heartfelt thanks. In addition, he is listed as a major in the Union Army during the American Civil War in 1862, and a colonel in the Confederate Army the following year. (It is referred to in the narrative of Flashman and the Redskins that Flash did indeed fight on both sides during the American Civil War, changing sides half-way through, though all conversations with Ulysses S Grant in that book suggest that this was a cover for espionage work.)

 

[jazzeum]

I've just taken my first foray into Flashman and am reading Flashman and the Mountain of Light. I'm assuming, based on Harry's prior posts, that his notes are real.

 

[Harrytheheid]

I've just taken my first foray into Flashman and am reading Flashman and the Mountain of Light. I'm assuming, based on Harry's prior posts, that his notes are real.

Yup, the GMF footnotes refer to real events and people. (As are Flashy's adventures....

)

Enjoy the read.
H

 

[aujj65]

Well on my way to finishing 'Flashman at the Charge' and must admit that it took a while to get use to the 'Victorian' style of writing, but have throughly enjoyed it so far.

Jeff

 

[Louis Badolato]

There is an American attempt to knock off the concept of Flashman (a cowardly whoremonger who becomes a famous officer in spite of himself, providing insights into real history via fictitious adventures), although not nearly as well written -- The Fenwick Travers series. If you are interested in turn of the century American military misadventures, they are a reasonably fun read.