Author of Flashman stories dies

[muriel_volestrangler]

The novelist George MacDonald Fraser, author of the Flashman adventure stories, has died aged 82, his publisher has said.

The popular books saw womanising anti-hero Sir Harry Flashman, fight his way around the British Empire.
...
The inspiration for Sir Harry Flashman came from the 19th century novel, Tom Brown's Schooldays, where the character features as the cowardly bully who torments the hero, Tom.
...
Despite being a vain, cowardly rogue, as well as a racist and a sexist, the character managed to play a pivotal role in many of the 19th Century's most significant events, always emerging covered in glory.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7169047.stm

Which means we'll never get GMF's explanation of how Flashman managed to get a commission in both the Union and Confederate armies in the US Civil War. :(

The books were the best way to get 19th century history, and it's highly debatable that the Flashman character is actually racist - see, for instance the discussion in The Guardian blog. The 'sexist' charge is harder to shake, though.

[YOY]

1. Ahhh...he was my favorite Megaman baddie

RIP Flashman!

[Virginia Dare]

2. RIP, the Flashman novels were fun reads...n/t

[Mist]

3. I'm very upset and depressed to hear this--but fare well, Mr. Fraser, and thank you

many, many times over for the joy you've given me with the Flashman books, and many others you've written. I'm truly sorry Mr. Fraser has departed, and yes, probably for selfish reasons. We need to know what Flash Harry did in the Civil War. I've been wishing Mr. Fraser to keep in good health for a while now--and I hope he, as a writer, would understand that that kind of reader selfishness is a high compliment to his wit and depth and sense of history shown in the Flashman books. His books were carefully foot-noted from original sources, and proved a jumping-off point for me in reading more about the 19th C. British Empire. I've got "Lights on at Signpost" on order from Amazon--a series of essays from Fraser's contrarian viewpoint. Damn, damn, damn, I'm so sorry he's gone.

[pscot]

4. The charge of sexism is a base slander

It's true that Flashy like women, but he was as often victimized by the predatory ladies he was attracted to. He also seems to have had what we would call an "open" marriage. The question of his wife's fidelity is a source of considerable anxiety at various times. There is no evidence of a double standard.

[oldhippie]

5. I'm really sorry to hear that................

I only just recently (two years) discovered the Flashman series, and read through them all. Sometimes I couldn't believe I was actually reading them, but always had to find out what fool thing he was going to do next. At times he made me scared, sad, and depressed. Other times he had me laughing so hard I thought my sides would split. I'm gonna miss him.