George MacDonald Fraser has died. What a loss to fiction. When the first Harry Flashman novel was published in paperback, I picked it up off the paperback rack at the T. G. & Y. Store in Brownwood, Texas, attracted by the dandy cover. I read a couple of paragraphs and bought the book. Ever since that time, I've been a Flashman fan, reading each novel as it appeared in the U. S., either in hardback or paperback, whichever came to hand. I also thoroughly enjoyed The Pyrates, and I also liked Mr. American. When I read on The Rap Sheet about Fraser's passing, my first selfish thought was, "Now we'll never get the story of how Flashy fought on both sides during the Civil War." But now I'm just glad that he wrote the books he did and that I was attracted to that cover.
2 comments:
I'm sorry to hear that, Bill. I love Flashy and have also read a number of his other books, including the 3 about his Highland regiment post-WWII (McAuslan, etc.) and The Pyrates. At least I still have the last few to read.
Jeff M.
I read two or three of his Flashman books in 2007, and it was great to return to the series. I'm sorry there won't be any more, unless there's a trove of unpublished manuscripts lying about a la every other author who has died lately.
RIP George.
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