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Flashman in the Great Game

The fifth Flashman novel takes place from 1856-58, and sends our “hero” back to where his career began: India. Poor Flashy is sent to investigate (and suppress) grumbling among the native ranks, but ends up smack dab in the middle of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. If you’ve made it this far into the series, chances are you are a fellow Flashman fanatic, so I won’t waste time preaching to the converted. I am happy to report that readers who enjoyed the first four books will not be disappointed.One of my very favorite things about the Flashman series is the well-researched history on display. While the books are enormously entertaining, I always end up learning something between the adventures and the laughs. This book was no exception, as I knew absolutely nothing about the 1857 rebellion, which was a significant episode in Indian history that marked the shift from East India Company control of the subcontinent to the British Raj. As usual, Flashman is thrust into the heart of major historical events, from the outbreak of mutiny at Meerut (native soldiers objected to new cartridges which they believed were greased with pig fat, the biting of which was against their religion) to the disastrous Siege of Cawnpore. There are the usual adventures and misadventures, both perilous and raunchy, that are par for the course in this series. There is plenty of humor on display as well, although I did notice a slight change in tone from earlier Flashman books. I have heard some readers say that Flashman softens a bit as the series goes on, and I detected a bit of that here. In the first book Flashy is a true bastard, but in this entry he’s…well, he’s still a bastard, but he’s a kinder, gentler bastard. He falls for the love interest much harder than in the previous novels, and there are a few times when he shows actual compassion for other human beings. Personally, this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book, but it was noticeable.Flashman and the Great Game closes with a fantastic (and very funny) surprise: (view spoiler)[Flashman is given a copy of Tom Brown’s School Days, the book that inspired Fraser’s series in the first place (hide spoiler)]
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