Archivo

“Fraser’s Flashman: Scoundrel Time”

Hitchens’ review of George McDonald Fraser’s latest novel, Flashman and the Tiger, with ample commentary on the entire Flashman Papers. Here again, Hitchens has introduced an author and body of work that is totally new to me. Fraser’s series, fictional memoirs of a 19^th century globe trotting soldier/spy, takes his protagonist all through the key events of the British Empire in the mid to late 1800’s (sort of a “Zelig of high-Victorian imperial history.”)  One interesting point is that Flashman is not a hero at all but, “is a cowering impostor who prefers whoring and bullying to any risking of his skin on the thin red line” with Flashman’s participation in events “an unlucky accident.” Hitchens calls Flashman”…a sadist and a brute as well as a rascally coward and goof-off” and quotes Fraser himself as saying “…he can only display the courage of a cornered rat.”
Hitchens loves the books and they do sound like fun.

Good cover picture of the first novel.

New Learning: Funny quote from Fraser about Tony Blair, “Tony Blair…is not just the worst prime minister we’ve ever had, but by far the worst prime minister we’ve ever had.”

New word: poltroonish = cowardly