I'd never read a Georgette Heyer book before. It was delightful! I'm not sure why I didn't give it five stars. Perhaps because I had to look up so man...moreI'd never read a Georgette Heyer book before. It was delightful! I'm not sure why I didn't give it five stars. Perhaps because I had to look up so many words! So many Regency era British colloquialisms! There were passages where I hadn't a clue what was being said! At the same time, I was in awe of what must have been some exceedingly serious research into the era.
When I checked into the copyright year I was also in awe. 1949 - the year I was born! 62 years old and this book could have been written yesterday. Again I was in awe. Timeless! The characters are vivid and strong. The plot, while not tremendously original now, still stands because of those characters. Loved it!(less)
This was good light reading, however, I really was looking for an explanation for the "magic" at the end. That didn't quite sit true to Eliz...moreThis was good light reading, however, I really was looking for an explanation for the "magic" at the end. That didn't quite sit true to Elizabeth's and Darcy's characters in my mind. It certainly isn't Austen, but then I wasn't expecting that. Enjoyable diversion.(less)
I like these books up until the endings. The just end. Punkt. No ends tied up. That leaves me dissatisfied and I tell myself I won't read another. And...moreI like these books up until the endings. The just end. Punkt. No ends tied up. That leaves me dissatisfied and I tell myself I won't read another. And then I do anyway. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I keep hoping the next one will be different. But it never is.(less)
Jo's books just get better and better! I am continually amazed at how she manages to create a French inflection into her characters' dialogue. It is s...moreJo's books just get better and better! I am continually amazed at how she manages to create a French inflection into her characters' dialogue. It is sentence structure I am sure, but I'm never really aware of it. It is also her ability to know her characters so well, that every movement and thought completes the picture of who they are.
To date, Justine's and Adrian's relationship is the most believable within the Spymaster series. And that couldn't be easy with such complex characters. Even their most intimate scenes seem complete and totally within character.
While I found this an interesting tale, the writing was disappointing and the plot was predictable. And I didn't find the cruelty entertaining. Not th...moreWhile I found this an interesting tale, the writing was disappointing and the plot was predictable. And I didn't find the cruelty entertaining. Not that I haven't read other things equally as cruel, but it was handled differently. It seems like it would be more entertaining to a boy of fourteen, maybe. I don't think I'll move on in the series.(less)
Excellent anecdotal account of the ending and post-war years of WWI, The War to End All Wars. At times I was on information overload and had to set th...moreExcellent anecdotal account of the ending and post-war years of WWI, The War to End All Wars. At times I was on information overload and had to set the book aside to embrace what I had read. But I think the abundance of these accounts and the pace of their presentation drew a more dimensional picture of the immense loss and desperation that birthed the following Jazz Age.
I've had a great interest in this period due to the fact that my parents lived through them. My mother was born at the very beginning of that war and my grandmother gave accounts of how they watched the frequent funeral processions passed down their street in Chicago with the coffins of both fallen soldiers and those who succumbed to the Spanish Flu. It was a frightening time to be a young family wondering who would be next to follow one of those coffins.
My father, then a young boy of about 9 or 10, was asked by his father who lay in bed with the Flu to post a map of Europe on the wall of his bedroom and keep track of the movements of the US soldiers with thumbtacks. My dad built wireless radios to keep track of the news for him. My dad was an enterprising kid who then sold them to other families in their small town of Donaldson, Indiana.
Luckily, no one from my immediate family succumbed to either war or Flu.
Highly recommended to those with an interest in this era.(less)
I'm really taken with this series! The main characters of Sarah Decker Brandt, midwife and nurse cum detective and Sergeant Detective Frank Malloy are...moreI'm really taken with this series! The main characters of Sarah Decker Brandt, midwife and nurse cum detective and Sergeant Detective Frank Malloy are irresistible. I've also grown quite fond of Sarah's neighbor, Mrs. Ellstrom.
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