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[Amory]

Just picked up a copy and dove in. Gonna try to catch up tonight

 

[Vard]

Just picked up a copy and dove in. Gonna try to catch up tonight

Same, except for the "having dove in already" part. I'm looking forward to starting this.

 

[Amory]

I'm getting a huge kick out of the wording.

Spoiler

"I spied an officer walking under the trees with a lady, arm in arm. It was Bernier, and I looked to see what heifer he was ploughing with. In fact, she was no heifer, but a wicked-looking little black-haired piece with a turned-up nose and a saucy smile."

Awesome

 

[coldvein]

I'm getting a huge kick out of the wording.

"I spied an officer walking under the trees with a lady, arm in arm. It was Bernier, and I looked to see what heifer he was ploughing with. In fact, she was no heifer, but a wicked-looking little black-haired piece with a turned-up nose and a saucy smile."

Awesome

i haven't read that sentence yet! spoilers!

 

[Amory]

whoops, sorry bout that

 

[Salazar]

whoops, sorry bout that

Flashy's response to most women is wonderfully predictable, though. Lust, resentment, fury, disgust.

 

[Priz]

Starting late, but trying to jump into the book tonight and get caught up by Sunday.

Suggesting a Tim Powers book for a future book club read: either Anubis Gates (amazing, amazing book, one of those "I'll just read one more chapter..." and then 4 chapters later and it's almost 3am and your eyes are burning and you need sleep, you finally put it down), On Stranger Tides (favorite of all my friends of his works, and a fan of his at Disney got him a bunch of money as they used his great novel as the basis for their new Pirates movie. I cheered in the theater seeing his name in the credits on the trailer) or Last Call (really good and gets insane at the end. I haven't read the two follow-up books yet).

 

[bengraven]

Reading now, not sure if I can follow the weekly schedule. I always read ahead in school as well. Haha

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Three
Expulsions: 2 (well, sort of)
Ladies slept with: 4

Flashy is ice cold, holy shit. Sleeps with another officer's mistress, taunts him about it, then arranges a fixed duel when the guy goes after him! Fun times.

And the twist of the knife with Bryant. Gets the guy to essentially act as an accomplice in murder, then leaves him hanging. So, so cold. Odds Bryant pops up again to stab Flashy in the back?

Interesting to read the footnotes. Did Fraser deliberately leave some errors of fact in the main text, just for verisimilitude?

Also... since we're apparently talking about The Princess Bride in this thread too, anyone else think of the "mawwiage" scene whenever Cardigan started talking?

 

[nakedsushi]

Finally started this, but only about 5% in. So far, not a big fan of Flashy. I hope he gets some redeeming qualities soon.

Oh yeah BTW, if anyone is updating their Goodreads status, you can see everyone in the bookclubs' status here:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show_book/19035.NeoGAF?group_book_id=345568

 

[slider]

End of Chapter Three
Expulsions: 2 (well, sort of)
Ladies slept with: 4

Flashy is ice cold, holy shit. Sleeps with another officer's mistress, taunts him about it, then arranges a fixed duel when the guy goes after him! Fun times.

And the twist of the knife with Bryant. Gets the guy to essentially act as an accomplice in murder, then leaves him hanging. So, so cold. Odds Bryant pops up again to stab Flashy in the back?

Interesting to read the footnotes. Did Fraser deliberately leave some errors of fact in the main text, just for verisimilitude?

Also... since we're apparently talking about The Princess Bride in this thread too, anyone else think of the "mawwiage" scene whenever Cardigan started talking?

I remember the first time I read that and thought to myself "what an absolute bastard, I can't carry on reading this... I mean I've heard of anti-heroes but this is ridiculous!"

Glad I stuck with it though. The "history" alone makes them worth a read.

 

[Cyan]

Oh yeah BTW, if anyone is updating their Goodreads status, you can see everyone in the bookclubs' status here:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show_book/19035.NeoGAF?group_book_id=345568

Cool, just added myself. Damn, forgot I'd signed up for the 52 book challenge. I'm falling behind already!

 

[Maklershed]

Just got to a part where Flashman turned from a lovable lout to

Spoiler

a supreme asshole and a monster - where not only does he unapologetically claim to rape a woman but complains that it wasn't as fun as it is with a willing woman.

I'm still enjoying the book however. It's unlike anything I've read recently.

 

[coldvein]

flashman really is a bastard. i can't believe he screwed his buddy over like that. c'mon dude. it showed some cleverness on his part though, knowing that bryant would have to keep quiet about the duel whether he paid him or not. he thought that part through.

and i'm loving Cardigan. Fwashman!!! i've never talked to anyone that has that particular speech impairment, but it is hilarious. hope this guy sticks around for a little while at least.

 

[Salazar]

flashman really is a bastard.

In later novels, he encounters bastards of much greater bastardish intensity. That offsets, somewhat, his own bad form.

 

[coldvein]

In later novels, he encounters bastards of much greater bastardish intensity. That offsets, somewhat, his own bad form.

i'm really digging Flashman so far. can definitely see myself checking out further books in the series.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

End of Chapter Three
Expulsions: 2 (well, sort of)
Ladies slept with: 4

Flashy is ice cold, holy shit. Sleeps with another officer's mistress, taunts him about it, then arranges a fixed duel when the guy goes after him! Fun times.

And the twist of the knife with Bryant. Gets the guy to essentially act as an accomplice in murder, then leaves him hanging. So, so cold. Odds Bryant pops up again to stab Flashy in the back?

Interesting to read the footnotes. Did Fraser deliberately leave some errors of fact in the main text, just for verisimilitude?

Also... since we're apparently talking about The Princess Bride in this thread too, anyone else think of the "mawwiage" scene whenever Cardigan started talking?

Love the duel scene. Goddamn Flashy is such a manipulative and opportunistic prick. I've never really read a character like him or at least not the protagonist.

 

[Amory]

I really didn't think Flashman was all that bad of a guy. Opportunistic and self-centered, sure, but I think the fact that he totally acknowledges his faults goes a long way in making him a sympathetic figure, overall. Then I came to the part where he

Spoiler

is forced to either marry the Scottish girl (forget her name at the moment) or duel her uncle, and it's basically revealed that he's a total coward

and it rather disappointed me.

Btw cyan, how'd you come to choose this book? I had never heard of it before this thread.

 

[Tawney Bomb]

Going to try and find a copy of this today and catch up ASAP.

 

[coldvein]

Going to try and find a copy of this today and catch up ASAP.

shouldn't take you long, it reads really quickly..

p.s., cyan, you should put a list of next-month recommendations in the OP.

 

[Cyan]

Btw cyan, how'd you come to choose this book? I had never heard of it before this thread.

In an old reading thread, Flashman was talked about as a classic and enjoyable character. I put the first book on my reading list, but never got around to actually reading it. And it sounded like it would be fun, which I thought would be good for the first Book Club thread.

p.s., cyan, you should put a list of next-month recommendations in the OP.

Done!

 

[bengraven]

He's a great lovable asshole.

 

[nakedsushi]

Sorry guys, I'm calling it quits on reading the book. I'm about 1/3 of the way in and find myself hating the guy. There are too many good books with enjoyable characters for me to waste my time on this one.

I wouldn't call him a lovable asshole, just an asshole =(

I'm wondering if there are other NeoGAF women reading this book and what they're opinion of it is.

My review from GR:

I thought I would like the adventures of Flashy based on the first few pages. Who wouldn't like a story that starts off with being expelled from Rugby school for drunkenness?

Unfortunately, after reading 1/3 of the book, I can't continue. Flashy is an unapologetic ass! I'm usually fine with antiheros, but this one takes it too far. Flashy's treatment of women is awful and while this could be the norm for his time and his class, it doesn't seem realistic that women would just throw themselves at his feet like that.

My main gripe with Flashman is not that he's a liar, a coward, a cheat, and misogynist. It's that he never gets his comeuppance. Things always seem to go for the worse, but then turn for the better for him. Considering this is only one book in a series of his exploits, my wish that he gets beaten to a pulp and dies will never come true.

My low opinion of the book isn't that it's written poorly. The prose is wonderful and I have to admit the first couple of mini-adventures gave me a chuckle or two, but I'm afraid the subject matter just isn't to my tastes. It reads more like male-fantasy. It reminds me of that asshole you always meet at parties who's always loudly bragging about his last lay.

 

[Cyan]

Sorry guys, I'm calling it quits on reading the book. I'm about 1/3 of the way in and find myself hating the guy. There are too many good books with enjoyable characters for me to waste my time on this one.

Sorry to hear that, but I get it.

It's the quintessential antihero problem, isn't it--do their few positive traits make up for the nasty shit they do?

In Flashy's case, his self-awareness and wry sense of humor are usually cited as the traits that cause readers to like him. But if that's not enough for you, if that just can't balance out his bad side, I can see you might have a hard time reading. So far I'm enjoying the read, though I'm not quite as far as you. We'll see how the guy holds up.

I'm wondering if there are other NeoGAF women reading this book and what they're opinion of it is.

Yeah, I'm curious about that too. His casual nastiness towards women might be more of a turnoff for them when reading. Was there a particular turning point for you?

 

[nakedsushi]

Sorry to hear that, but I get it.

It's the quintessential antihero problem, isn't it--do their few positive traits make up for the nasty shit they do?

In Flashy's case, his self-awareness and wry sense of humor are usually cited as the traits that cause readers to like him. But if that's not enough for you, if that just can't balance out his bad side, I can see you might have a hard time reading. So far I'm enjoying the read, though I'm not quite as far as you. We'll see how the guy holds up.


Yeah, I'm curious about that too. His casual nastiness towards women might be more of a turnoff for them when reading. Was there a particular turning point for you?

I'm usually okay with reading books with antiheroes, but the best part about those books is when they have to face their consequences. So far, I haven't seen that happen with Flashy. Ultimately, since he's a character that goes on to other books of the series, it's impossible for anything *really* bad to happen to him.

I do enjoy the prose and the storytelling. Maybe I'll try to read something else by the author. I just can't stand the main character.

I don't think there was really one turning point in Flashy's treatment of women that made me say, "Okay, that's it, I'm not going to read anymore." It was mostly just a build up. He finds women to bed almost everywhere that he goes, which I don't have much of a problem with, but the way he compares them to horses and the low opinion of them doesn't really endear me to him. From how far I've read, there's only one slightly "strong" woman in the book (Judy) and even then she never gets the last word.

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Four
Expulsions: 2 (fo' reals now)
Ladies slept with: 5

And Flashman begins to "reap the consequences of his folly." Ha! Make one little mistake and you get forcibly married and then shipped off to India. Amazing how quickly Flashy gives into pressure--both from Abercrombie and his dad. A coward indeed.

Still entertaining, so far. Eager to see what happens once he hits India!

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

My low opinion of the book isn't that it's written poorly. The prose is wonderful and I have to admit the first couple of mini-adventures gave me a chuckle or two, but I'm afraid the subject matter just isn't to my tastes. It reads more like male-fantasy. It reminds me of that asshole you always meet at parties who's always loudly bragging about his last lay.

I think this might be the intention of the author. The book is written as a memoir and Flashman strikes me as someone who would brag at a party at all the women he has slept with. Flashman is also an unreliable narrator. His moments of cowardice are either describe as moments of cleverness on the part of Flashman or he just didn't understand he was being a coward. I guess what I'm getting at is Flahman may not be as unresistable as he thinks he is.

I agree with you that his thoughts about women are deplorable. He treats rape as a minor inconvenience and only doesn't like it be he enjoys sex more when the women are into it. I'm sorry you couldn't stick with it but I totally understand why someone wouldn't want to.

 

[coldvein]

i'm still finding this book entertaining as hell. flashman continues to make me smile. can't believe he got married. so, are we thinking that he really cares about his wife at all? last sentence of the chapter seems to imply that he does. hmm.

and i can't believe nakedsushi threw in the towel on this. yeeeeeesh.

 

[nakedsushi]

i'm still finding this book entertaining as hell. flashman continues to make me smile. can't believe he got married. so, are we thinking that he really cares about his wife at all? last sentence of the chapter seems to imply that he does. hmm.

and i can't believe nakedsushi threw in the towel on this. yeeeeeesh.

Hah, of course he doesn't care about his wife at all. Didn't you read about how he tried everything to weasel out of that deal. I'm glad someone finally put him in his place. Although, I would have preferred some punches and bullets to be thrown in his direction.

Yeah, I threw in the towel and I'm proud of it =P Reading about his exploits was making me angry because I could be wasting my time on other books!

 

[Amory]

Hah, of course he doesn't care about his wife at all. Didn't you read about how he tried everything to weasel out of that deal. I'm glad someone finally put him in his place. Although, I would have preferred some punches and bullets to be thrown in his direction.

Yeah, I threw in the towel and I'm proud of it =P Reading about his exploits was making me angry because I could be wasting my time on other books!

There are several quotes from what I've read so far that suggest he does care about Elspeth, in his own way. At one point (right after they first have sex) he expresses an emotion as close to genuine affection as he's probabaly capable of when he talks about her innocence. He also gets defensive when his father implies he doesn't care for her. And I'm pretty sure when he's sulking about being forced into marriage, he reasons to himself that he can't think of any other woman he'd rather have as a wife.

He's still a dick, but he seems to have at least a vague concern for his new bride.

 

[Maklershed]

Flashman is such an asshole I had to laugh at one point ...

(Don't read unless you're done or very near the end)

Spoiler

I was laughing at the part where he miraculously survives the raid on Piper's Fort outside Jalalabad and Hudson's action basically save his life yet when Flashman wakes up he prays that Hudson has been killed so he can't tell anyone the truth about Flashman being an immense coward.

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Five
Expulsions: 2
Ladies slept with: 6

Flashy does have a way of screwing himself over, doesn't he? Now, through nothing more than a little honest diligent kissing up, he's off to Afghanistan. Ah, Afghanistan. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I actually hadn't realized how much the Brits were fucking around in Afghanistan. Is there any country they didn't screw with?

He's still a dick, but he seems to have at least a vague concern for his new bride.

It certainly vanished in a hurry!

I wonder if it wasn't more him being pissed off that his father saw through him. Hard to say for sure.

 

[bengraven]

End of Chapter Four
Expulsions: 2 (fo' reals now)
Ladies slept with: 5

And Flashman begins to "reap the consequences of his folly." Ha! Make one little mistake and you get forcibly married and then shipped off to India. Amazing how quickly Flashy gives into pressure--both from Abercrombie and his dad. A coward indeed.

Still entertaining, so far. Eager to see what happens once he hits India!

This is where I'm at right now. Motherfucking Abercrombie had him by the balls. Smug son of a bitch. hahaha I wanted him to actually duel the old man and win, though it's not exactly Flashman's style.

 

[Amory]

Glad we're going so slowly. I'm enjoying the book but having trouble finding time to read. Without even trying, though, I always seem to be in the right spot at each checkpoint.

 

[Salazar]

This is where I'm at right now. Motherfucking Abercrombie had him by the balls.

Hilarious moment. Puts Flashy in such a foul mood.

"Elspeth, this is my father's tart".

 

[Vard]

The story is pretty ridiculous so far but I'm enjoying reading it. I'm starting to dislike Flashy more and more though. Interested in finding out what sort of "explosion" he has to deal with in Chapter 6.

 

[Salazar]

The story is pretty ridiculous so far but I'm enjoying reading it. I'm starting to dislike Flashy more and more though. Interested in finding out what sort of "explosion" he has to deal with in Chapter 6.

Once I accepted that he was a rotter beyond redemption, I grew quite fond of him.

 

[Dresden]

I thought nakedsushi might find this interesting:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3136519.ece

No doubt Kathleen also understood Flashman’s huge appeal to women. This may seem odd, given how casually Flashman uses his women – in the first book he descends to rape – but, according to the author Jilly Cooper, few girls can resist a cad. “Partly it is the same intrinsic maso-chism that drives men to get turned on by bitches and wicked ladies; and partly it’s because as a woman you always imagine that once you’ve bagged your cad you’re going to be the one that reforms his rake’s progress.”

Anyways, will finish the book today. Enjoyed it so far.

Wanted to nominate The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield for next month's club as well. I'm going to read it anyways, it'd be nice if it matched up with the club's goals too.

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Six
Expulsions: 2
Ladies slept with: 6
Cowardly escapes: 1

Love how Flashman opens by telling us he won't bother regaling us with what his travels were like, then does exactly that for three pages.

Side note: General Cotton mentions being expelled from Rugby School for mutiny. I was intrigued, so I looked it up. According to legend, students were angered by the headmaster making them unjustly pay for a broken window, and blew open his door with gunpowder. They burned desks and books, and retreated to a Bronze Age monument. The headmaster literally read them the Riot Act, and they were taken down by a group of British soldiers. Supposedly, Rugby School started emphasizing sports after this as a way to get some of that exuberant energy drained off.

Back to the main story. So, Flashy yet again accidentally talks himself into something he doesn't want to do. And we see how he acts when things get rough. Poor Iqbal, I rather liked him.

Finally, the crux of this chapter. The thorny part. Flashman is likeable enough that we overlook his cowardice, cheating, and general assholery. But in this chapter he rapes a woman. Is this a bridge too far? Is he irredeemable?

 

[Salazar]

The headmaster literally read them the Riot Act, and they were taken down by a group of British soldiers.

The 19th century public school—perhaps more than the 18th century public school—was by and large a horrific place. Boys were beaten to death by other boys—and charges were, on account of honour, typically not pressed. One was forced to toast bread for a senior boy with his hands, rather than with a fork, resulting in permanent and severe disfigurement. Shelley, in refusing to fag—that is, to play manservant to his seniors—at Eton was probably risking his life. The hand-toasting always been a remarkably telling anecdote for me. The bullying, swaggering temperament in Flashy (and in Ripping Yarns, too) massively understates—although it seems to exaggerate—the reality.

 

[TTG]

I'm usually okay with reading books with antiheroes, but the best part about those books is when they have to face their consequences. So far, I haven't seen that happen with Flashy. Ultimately, since he's a character that goes on to other books of the series, it's impossible for anything *really* bad to happen to him.

I do enjoy the prose and the storytelling. Maybe I'll try to read something else by the author. I just can't stand the main character.

I don't think there was really one turning point in Flashy's treatment of women that made me say, "Okay, that's it, I'm not going to read anymore." It was mostly just a build up. He finds women to bed almost everywhere that he goes, which I don't have much of a problem with, but the way he compares them to horses and the low opinion of them doesn't really endear me to him. From how far I've read, there's only one slightly "strong" woman in the book (Judy) and even then she never gets the last word.

I've mentioned before that my book is a collection of 3 from the Flashman series(a bit out of order, but not hard to follow). And I'm currently on the third one, so while I'll try not to mention anything in particular... I will touch briefly on the series as a whole:

He does have to face the consequences, both in terms of bodily harm and how certain characters(and women) treat him. There are a number of people who see through the reputation and charm(well the BS really) and treat him accordingly. And, not all of them are promptly killed soon after their discovery. Or they're simply assholes or amoral or just vengeful... well any number of reasons. The safety net is there, we know this because he's an old general writing memoirs, but that's a good thing. It's part of Flashy's character, the ability to always come out on on top and in good graces. But, as he readily admits himself, this fame and glory are meaningless when the dust settles.

Anyway, the first book is the most brutal of the three as far as Flashman being a piece of shit. Mostly, he's just a lovable coward, putting self preservation above any conviction or ideals, with a great sense of humor and a keen eye for people. But there's a genuinely bad streak to him, he will inflict damage to the ones he senses he has power over and we're not just talking about public shame. I think you're perfectly justified in being turned off at times and that's what the author obviously expects, but I'm really enjoying the books.

His treatment of women doesn't change. There's no more rape or violence to speak of... but it's just like anything else really. In the THIRD book, Flashy finds himself(involuntary) on a slave ship and he takes advantage of the "cargo", then towards the end teams up with a runaway slave girl to escape to the north. She's grateful and he comes as close as he can to feeling good about doing a good deed(not that he had any intention of doing so). Mostly, his romances are fun and aren't so serious, just like most of the book! I don't take it too seriously, shit I actually look forward to reading about the next squeeze and what peril it inevitably puts him in. And like I said, what goes around comes around, you'll find out soon enough if you keep reading.

The sense of humor is really some of the best I've come across, it's brilliant in parts. The characters are great and the historical settings are genuinely interesting. I'm probably a horrible person for cheering Flashy on in a lot of his misdeeds, but there it is.

 

[coldvein]

i have fallen astray on my flashman reading. i started reading the blade itself by joe abercrombie and it made me hate reading in general. i'll come back to flashman soon hopefully.

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Seven
Expulsions: 2
Ladies slept with: 6
Cowardly escapes: 2

From a Flashman low point to a high point--this is one of the great strengths of the books. Bringing us into the middle of history and helping us understand what went on.

The explosion hits, the Afghan uprising begins. And Flashy right in the middle of it. Obviously he survives, so even the tightest situations, as he's in here, don't hold too much worry. I mean, tough luck that he's been trampled and stab, but I'm sure he'll get better.

Interesting to see the historical figures in action. And the collapse is all too easy to believe in the way it goes down. Flashy says of General Elphy Bey "Only he could have permitted the First Afghan War and let it develop to such a ruinous defeat. It was not easy: he started with a good army, a secure position, some excellent officers, a disorganised enemy, and repeated opportunities to save the situation. But Elphy, with a touch of true genius, swept aside these obstacles with unerring precision, and out of order wrought complete chaos." I wonder if this is the general perception of him.

 

[Dresden]

Meant to finish it a few days ago, but I had to indulge the weeaboo in me.

Loved it. Ol' Flashy is a scoundrel and a brute, but I like him all the same. The events in Afghanistan were surprisingly emotional--

Spoiler

all of it was so fucking tragic. Damn Elphy and his crew of incompetents for that disaster. I can't blame Flashman for surviving, really. He might be a coward but as I read the book I knew I would've done the same thing. And he does suffer, all throughout, tortured, harried, and cuckolded. Hell, he even thinks he's falling in love at the end but that gets snapped in half as well.

Only three things really stood out as, well, contemptible. Him whipping the cook in Calcutta; the rape of the dancer (which he pays for later); and Hudson's fate. The last in particular hit me hard--amused as I was by Flashman's sudden introduction to heroism, how Hudson is so brutally forgotten was rather upsetting. Which just made me love the book more--it's so unsentimental; Flash is a lout but he's an eloquent, witty bastard. His resilience might not be that of a phoenix, soaring out of the ashes or some shit like that, but still, the dude perseveres, he survives, much like a mouse weathering a storm. Whatever.

Will hunt down the other books.

 

[Salazar]

I haven't seen the film version of Royal Flash, but it is supposedly a crumpling disappointment.

Shame, really. I would love it if somebody could make an adequate Flashy film or tv adaptation - though the age for it has probably passed.

 

[coldvein]

alright, finally got caught up! i've been enjoying the book since page one, but now that it has moved into afghanistan and is dealing with actual political/military events it has improved quite a bit for me. i've been prompted to do some research on these historical events. really good stuff here, made even more interesting by the fact that my country is currently involved in a pointless war in afghanistan. loving flashman's accounts of the afghan people, what the culture is like with the warlords etc. sounds alot like what afghanistan is today.

and i learned a new word:

Poltroon \Pol*troon"\, n. [F. poltron, from It. poltrone an idle
fellow, sluggard, coward, poltro idle, lazy, also, bed, fr.
OHG. polstar, bolstar, cushion, G. polster, akin to E.
bolster. See Bolster.]
An arrant coward; a dastard; a craven; a mean-spirited
wretch. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

Poltroon \Pol*troon"\, a.
Base; vile; contemptible; cowardly.
[1913 Webster]

which Flashman uses to describe himself. ha.

as for the rape thing.... ehh. definitely the lowest Flash has sunk so far. interesting to note that he goes into far greater detail dealing with other crappy stuff that he's done, like screwing over his buddy at the duel scenario..he'll explain how and why he did that and why he thought it was justifiable, but the rape scene is really just two sentences..like "i raped her, done" and he moves on. why is that?

loving the pacing of the book as well. i'm yet to feel as if i'm stuck at a dull part..it seems like every couple of pages there is something interesting or funny happening. i also like the pace at which we're reading the book. this is the kind of book that i would normally read in a day or two, but i like spreading it out. i'm sure some people have jumped ahead, several may have already finished..i like the milestone schedule. i've got other books going, but if i'm not really digging them or feel stuck in them (looking at you joe abercrombie), i can always go to my daily Flashman. it's like i'm in college again, except the book is fun! i would encourage everybody to stick with the milestones, especially as we go forward into other books.. but to each his own, i guess.

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Eight
Expulsions: 2
Ladies slept with: 6
Cowardly escapes: 2

Game over return of Gul Shah. Ruh-roh. Sort of knew he'd have to turn up again. That scene was pretty tense despite knowing Flashman has to survive--in the heat of the moment you kind of forget that.

And of course, Flashman falls into the oldest mistake in the book when a mysteriously powerful person you don't know is talking to you. Ha!

Doubt we've seen the last of Gul Shah. Flashy's shitty actions have consequences after all, hey? Well, I suppose that's how he ended up in Afghanistan in the first place.

as for the rape thing.... ehh. definitely the lowest Flash has sunk so far. interesting to note that he goes into far greater detail dealing with other crappy stuff that he's done, like screwing over his buddy at the duel scenario..he'll explain how and why he did that and why he thought it was justifiable, but the rape scene is really just two sentences..like "i raped her, done" and he moves on. why is that?

The in-character explanation would be that he doesn't get too in depth in descriptions of sex anywhere. The narrative explanation is that it'd just be too brutal. He'd be completely unlikeable for the rest of the book.

 

[Cyan]

End of Chapter Nine
Expulsions: 2
Ladies slept with: 6
Cowardly escapes: 3

I've said it before, but the historical stuff here is really fascinating. I read up on it a bit, and it looks like Elphy Bey really was that dumb. Amazing.

Sure, it's easy to stand here 100-some years later and say that his mistakes were obvious, but they kind of were. Especially the effects of his indecisiveness/inaction on morale. Incredible that he did nothing after the assassination of multiple British officials in Afghanistan... nothing but capitulate to every demand Akbar Khan made.

So yeah, Flashy's view of Elphy as ineffectual and worse than useless is borne out.

Having done my reading up, I know what's coming next for the British once they get under way. Which leaves the question, how the hell will Flashy survive this?

 

[Vard]

I'm still on chapter 5. :|

 

[coldvein]

Having done my reading up, I know what's coming next for the British once they get under way. Which leaves the question, how the hell will Flashy survive this?

some miraculous and extremely timely acts of god, no doubt.