I actually picked this up and finished it in one sitting. Yes I had no real option as I couldn't move, but it was still one of those books that kept tugging you in and making you want to get to the next bit of the story.
Synopsis
The second of Flashman's "memoirs" sees him back from his adventures in Afghanistan, now hailed as a hero despite all his evidence to the contrary. But he can't stay still for long and is soon embroiled in a scheme so nefarious and devious that Sherlock Holmes would have required all his legendary skills to unravel it. But Flashman being Flashman, he somehow sneaks his way out of trouble and still manages to add a few more notches to his bedpost.
Review
I really love the style of these stories. By presenting them as edited memoirs it allows Fraser to place Flashman into real life historical scenarios and have him take part without unduly influencing events. Flashman is more of a narrator of history, presented through his own eyes and his adventures. By using the medium of a set of annotated memoirs, Fraser is able to add flesh to the story where he needs it but where it would be implausible or illogical for Flashman to provide.
Flashman is still deplorable as ever, though care must be taken not to judge him out of his context. By the standards of the time he is your typical "well-bred" Englishman; rude, egotistical, misogynistic, racist and fully convinced of his own superiority. However, I find myself drawn towards him and his adventures, mainly because this a period of history that has always fascinated me but also because Fraser is able to make Flashman a loveable anti-hero when the occasion demands.
Once again Fraser's historical accuracy and subtle way of seamlessly working Flashman into the events of the day works splendidly. Flashman encounters (amongst others) real-life personalities Otto van Bismarck and Lola Montez and there is no hint of implausibility about these meetings. They are thoroughly believable and don't in anyway detract from the story.
These stories are not in any way shape or form masterpieces of fiction nor towering epics that will have you coming back time and time again. But they are very good in their own right and within the genre they sit, I think this is another cracker.
Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5
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