Originally Posted by
gyronny
I think one needs to suspend modern attitudes and just go along for the ride. I was hooked before I even started reading, I thought the idea of taking the school bully from Tom Brown and making him a reluctant hero was brilliant.
Flashy is a braggart, a lecher a bully and a coward, but his saving grace is he has no illusions about himself.
I think it's just so funny, how he accidentally exploits Victorian sentiment and ends up a General and VC winner while remaining an arch cad.
That said, the books show an astonishing knowledge of the period and are informative without being dull or boring. There aren't many novels that have footnotes that I read and follow up on.
They can be read in any order, but it's best to stick to the chronological sequence, which was not the order they were published in
I'd try again, Kimbo and keep the tongue in cheek aspect firmly in mind. I hope you enjoy them, they're a rich and satisfying read.