Royal Flash, by George MacDonald Fraser (Flashman)

Royal Flash

George MacDonald Fraser

I saw Tom Brown's Schooldays* on PBS back when God was a child (or should that be Child?) so I knew who Flashman was. I also read The Reavers (reviewed here) and The Pyrates, so I knew to a point what to expect from George MacDonald Fraser. What I got was a fun read with some good laughs, but so absurd and hilarious as the latter two novels, but plenty intentionally derivative and full of historical cameos.

To get the historical and literary references out of the way, the factual historical figures are, among some minor celebrities, Baron Otto von Bismarck and Lola Montez. The latter was a notorious woman, a half Irish, half Spanish beauty who tried the stage abortively then wound up being the mistresses of quite a few crowned heads, or so it seems. (Her biography will be coming up in February on Random Biographies.) Not only does the Thomas Hughes novel about Tom Brown show up in this book, but you don't have to wonder if The Prisoner of Zenda comes to mind, because Flashman comes right out and says so. He takes credit for its inspiration as well as for the unification of the German states and the modern composition of Europe.

Flashman is recording his youthful escapades at the age of 81, in the early 20th century, so he may be forgiven for some questionable historical accuracy. In fact, one of the jokes for a historical novelist reading this book is that you find yourself noticing -- and then feeling silly about it -- all sorts of anachronisms. It's George Macdonald Fraser, you dolt, so of course it is off kilter. Time to relax.

In the beginning of the novel Harry Flashman meets both Otto and Lola while slipping away from a raid on a brothel. Lola takes to him right away, but Otto, not so much. He is ill used by both, and the use is mutual, nevertheless he jumps when she says "Come!" and has reason to regret it. He was just trying to get out of squiring his wife's sisters into London society, don't you know. He finds himself in a scheme to impersonate a member of the Danish royal family, which he does so well that the Dane's noble bride doesn't think twice about leaping into bed with him on "their" wedding night.

And, of course, it's all hush-hush and Flashman can't take credit for a bit of it.

The humor is more subtle than in the two novels mentioned above, is full of humorous cultural and pop cultural references, and is seated in Flashman's character, though, of course, he has none. Definitely an anti-hero of a lighter kind.

I will definitely read more Flashman novels. The crypto-history and genuine hysteria will be well worth it.

This book came to me from the National Library Services for the Blind as a digital talking book.

* I actually don't think the movie this link leads to is the same as the PBS series, but it could be worth a look to see.