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The Unknown Ajax
Miles from anywhere, Darracott Place is presided over by elderly Lord Darracott. Irascible Lord Darracott rules his barony with a firm hand. The tragic accident that kills his eldest son by drowning has done nothing to improve his temper. For now he must send for the next heir apparent--the unknown offspring of the uncle whom the family are never permitted to mention. He also summoneds his bickering descendants to the rundown family estate. Yet none of that beleaguered family are prepared for the arrival of the weaver's brat and heir apparent...
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
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4546 people want to read
About the author
Georgette Heyer
264 books5,399 followersGeorgette Heyer was a prolific historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth.
In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.
Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.
Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.
Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.
In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.
Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.
Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.
Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 962 reviews
April 22, 2019
One of my very favorite Heyer novels! The romance is understated; it's more a comedy of ... errors? manners? both? But it is an absolutely delightful book, with memorable personalities.
I've got to go 5 stars with this one. The Darracotts are bickering, dysfunctional family, governed by a tyrannical, irascible grandfather, Lord Darracott. They are forced to welcome the new heir to the family, Major Hugh (Hugo) Darracott from Yorkshire. They all expect him to be a low-class, uneducated and unsophisticated person, especially when he turns out to be a giant of a man with an innocent-looking face and a deceptively placid disposition, and Hugo decides to oblige them by exaggerating his country accent and appearing to be less than he is. <-------Hugo has kind of a wicked sense of humor.
The grandfather also decides to push a match between Hugo and Anthea, his 22 year old granddaughter (gotta keep the estate in the family!). Anthea is completely horrified by this idea, but Hugo assures her that she's in no danger from him since he's unofficially engaged to another woman.
One by one, the the members of the Darracott family begin to realize that Hugo is more than he seems to be. And when the family crisis that's been brewing finally explodes, well, let's just say is that it's fascinating to see how everyone reacts in the moment of crisis ... not to mention a climactic scene that was so hilarious I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. :)
The Unknown Ajax (the title is taken from a line in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida) has an intelligent, rational hero and heroine, which I always appreciate in a book. The secondary characters are great--they all seemed like real people to me. I loved that Hugo was self-confident enough to play a bumpkin when he realized that this family was already prejudiced against him, and only those who weren't too blinded by their snobbery to look closely at Hugo saw his intelligence, education and skills--until he chose to reveal himself fully. I also liked seeing this damaged, argumentative family learn to pull together.
This is a great comedy with just a little romance and a terribly funny but suspenseful climactic scene. One of my favorite Georgette Heyer Regency novels that I've read.
I've got to go 5 stars with this one. The Darracotts are bickering, dysfunctional family, governed by a tyrannical, irascible grandfather, Lord Darracott. They are forced to welcome the new heir to the family, Major Hugh (Hugo) Darracott from Yorkshire. They all expect him to be a low-class, uneducated and unsophisticated person, especially when he turns out to be a giant of a man with an innocent-looking face and a deceptively placid disposition, and Hugo decides to oblige them by exaggerating his country accent and appearing to be less than he is. <-------Hugo has kind of a wicked sense of humor.
The grandfather also decides to push a match between Hugo and Anthea, his 22 year old granddaughter (gotta keep the estate in the family!). Anthea is completely horrified by this idea, but Hugo assures her that she's in no danger from him since he's unofficially engaged to another woman.
One by one, the the members of the Darracott family begin to realize that Hugo is more than he seems to be. And when the family crisis that's been brewing finally explodes, well, let's just say is that it's fascinating to see how everyone reacts in the moment of crisis ... not to mention a climactic scene that was so hilarious I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. :)
The Unknown Ajax (the title is taken from a line in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida) has an intelligent, rational hero and heroine, which I always appreciate in a book. The secondary characters are great--they all seemed like real people to me. I loved that Hugo was self-confident enough to play a bumpkin when he realized that this family was already prejudiced against him, and only those who weren't too blinded by their snobbery to look closely at Hugo saw his intelligence, education and skills--until he chose to reveal himself fully. I also liked seeing this damaged, argumentative family learn to pull together.
This is a great comedy with just a little romance and a terribly funny but suspenseful climactic scene. One of my favorite Georgette Heyer Regency novels that I've read.
August 3, 2022
17/11/14
If possible I enjoyed this rollicking tale even more on this umpteenth reread!
Like in many of her later books, GH is experimenting more with the genre. The unlikeable Vincent is very similar to some of GH's earlier heroes (the Duke of Avon comes to mind) & our hero, Hugo is on the surface a buffoon, but we the readers are subtlely made aware that he is more than that, as we watch him seeing how much he can get his haughty relatives to swallow! Richmond is also a more complex character than young men in her earlier works.
The romance & the attraction between Hugo & Anthea is well handled - in fact the whole novel just sparkles with GH's witty dialogue.
There are typos in this Arrow edition that I don't believe were in earlier books I read. For example Hugo is at one stage called Matthew Darracott, the book talks of Aunt Anthea - should this have been Aunt Anne? & some of the slang doesn't look quite right either - but GH was having a lot of fun with the Yorkshire dialect & I could be wrong on this.
2/5/17
Same as above except I just want to add what a superb character Aunt Aurelia is and how wonderfully GH tidied up all loose ends!
2/7/19
My third read since being on goodreads. Still 5★, even though this time I was a bit impatient with the (necessary) scene setting - I just couldn't wait to get to the meat of the story!
Also, I am reading the Regencies in chronological order with the Georgette Heyer Fans Group. Sylvester, Venetia The Unknown Ajax These three in a row, show GH absolutely at the top of her game!
3/8/22
My 4th reread since I joined Goodreads. This title is very popular with members of the Georgette Heyer Fans Group & it is easy to see why - who doesn't like a dependable hero with a great sense of humour!
If possible I enjoyed this rollicking tale even more on this umpteenth reread!
Like in many of her later books, GH is experimenting more with the genre. The unlikeable Vincent is very similar to some of GH's earlier heroes (the Duke of Avon comes to mind) & our hero, Hugo is on the surface a buffoon, but we the readers are subtlely made aware that he is more than that, as we watch him seeing how much he can get his haughty relatives to swallow! Richmond is also a more complex character than young men in her earlier works.
The romance & the attraction between Hugo & Anthea is well handled - in fact the whole novel just sparkles with GH's witty dialogue.
There are typos in this Arrow edition that I don't believe were in earlier books I read. For example Hugo is at one stage called Matthew Darracott, the book talks of Aunt Anthea - should this have been Aunt Anne? & some of the slang doesn't look quite right either - but GH was having a lot of fun with the Yorkshire dialect & I could be wrong on this.
2/5/17
Same as above except I just want to add what a superb character Aunt Aurelia is and how wonderfully GH tidied up all loose ends!
2/7/19
My third read since being on goodreads. Still 5★, even though this time I was a bit impatient with the (necessary) scene setting - I just couldn't wait to get to the meat of the story!
Also, I am reading the Regencies in chronological order with the Georgette Heyer Fans Group. Sylvester, Venetia The Unknown Ajax These three in a row, show GH absolutely at the top of her game!
3/8/22
My 4th reread since I joined Goodreads. This title is very popular with members of the Georgette Heyer Fans Group & it is easy to see why - who doesn't like a dependable hero with a great sense of humour!
October 17, 2019
Synopsis: Does the big lunk have a brain in his head, or will he be malleable clay? Inquiring minds, and greedy new family members, want to know.
It all comes together so beautifully. All of the moving parts, all the pieces of story that at first seemed like digressions, all the bits of characterization that seemed like they were perhaps just comic riffs... they all come together to create one of the most satisfying comic finales that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. What I thought was a loose and almost aimless plot was actually a virtuoso display by an author in full command of her powers. And an author who - despite her pleasingly tart wit and her penchant for mockery - proves to have a generous and kind heart, to all of her characters, even the most loathsome. The book is simultaneously a light, fizzy tonic and a master class in careful storytelling.
I loved the protagonist Hugo, especially his sly humor that parallels the author's own perspective on her cast. I loved the supporting characters, especially the surprisingly layered Claud, a popinjay and a lothario and a completely amusing young man who would not have been treated so sweetly in most other novels, and especially the exceedingly formal and correct Lady Aurelia, a formidable and entirely admirable woman who would perhaps have been an object of critique in many other novels. I loved that the servants had such a strong role in this story, the characters below stairs given as much attention as those above stairs. The passive-aggressive battles between manservants were a highlight - but the book is full of highlights. And most of all, I love Heyer: her light touch, her digressive but breezy storytelling style, the deadly wit on display, the genuine empathy.
This is my third read this year by this author and the third 5 stars I've given one of her books. I am a cheap and miserly curmudgeon when it comes to doling out that precious fifth star. At this point, I am fully won over. Georgette Heyer is without a doubt one of my most admired authors.
It all comes together so beautifully. All of the moving parts, all the pieces of story that at first seemed like digressions, all the bits of characterization that seemed like they were perhaps just comic riffs... they all come together to create one of the most satisfying comic finales that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. What I thought was a loose and almost aimless plot was actually a virtuoso display by an author in full command of her powers. And an author who - despite her pleasingly tart wit and her penchant for mockery - proves to have a generous and kind heart, to all of her characters, even the most loathsome. The book is simultaneously a light, fizzy tonic and a master class in careful storytelling.
I loved the protagonist Hugo, especially his sly humor that parallels the author's own perspective on her cast. I loved the supporting characters, especially the surprisingly layered Claud, a popinjay and a lothario and a completely amusing young man who would not have been treated so sweetly in most other novels, and especially the exceedingly formal and correct Lady Aurelia, a formidable and entirely admirable woman who would perhaps have been an object of critique in many other novels. I loved that the servants had such a strong role in this story, the characters below stairs given as much attention as those above stairs. The passive-aggressive battles between manservants were a highlight - but the book is full of highlights. And most of all, I love Heyer: her light touch, her digressive but breezy storytelling style, the deadly wit on display, the genuine empathy.
This is my third read this year by this author and the third 5 stars I've given one of her books. I am a cheap and miserly curmudgeon when it comes to doling out that precious fifth star. At this point, I am fully won over. Georgette Heyer is without a doubt one of my most admired authors.
February 17, 2019
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
The Publisher Says: A past dispute...
When the irascible Lord Darracott's eldest son dies unexpectedly, the noble family must accept their estranged Yorkshire cousin as heir apparent. They are convinced he will prove to be a sadly vulgar person, but nothing could have prepared the beleaguered family for the arrival of Major Hugo Darracott.
A present deception...
His clever and beautiful cousin Anthea is sure there's more to the gentle giant than Hugo's innocent blue eyes and broad Yorkshire brogue would lead one to believe. But even she doesn't guess what he's capable of, until a family crisis arises and only Hugo can preserve the family's honor, leading everybody on a merry chase in the process.
My Review: Here is a charming late (1959) work by Regency writer Miss Georgette Heyer (1902-1974), whom I shall not dismiss by calling her a "romance writer." There is very little of romance literature in this work; it is, rather, an historical novel with two characters whose marital future is in no real doubt from the get-go.
Spirited, determined Miss Anthea Darracott is to marry her newly introduced cousin Hugh Darracott, called Hugo. His, well, nigh-on-as-nasty-as-bastardy common birth to a Yorkshire mill lass appalls and disgusts their mutual grandfather. Sadly, Hugo's stint on the Peninsula in the Napoleonic Wars did not result in his convenient death. As he is alive and has sold out his commission, Lord Darracott must needs attend at last to the distasteful yet needful task of acknowledging the man as his heir. The law says Hugo's the heir by virtue of being born to a son, long dead, whose birth preceded the living son Matthew's birth. Not one soul among the Darracotts is happy about this, least of all Hugo.
Until he meets Anthea.
A spoiled Corinthian, a gaumless follower of the Beau, a stripling with dreams dashed and hopes thwarted; an Earl's daughter, a ninnyhammer, and a faded gentlewoman; a damned nasty old baron, a staff of hicks, and a starchy Calvinistic revenuer round out the dramatis personae. Miss Heyer's reliable clockwork plot moves the pieces into proper alignment for our surprisingly dark doings to eventuate as inevitably as sunrise and sunset, given the people she's placed in our path. In the end, all is sorted, and there is no one more pleased than a reader whose purpose in taking this trip was to restfully go down a well-loved and intimately known river of lovely words:
thatchgallows
sackless hodgobbin
whopstraw
knaggy
stiff-rumped
A quick resort to From Old Books will acquaint you with these and many more delicious underknown and woefully unused English-language words. Except "sackless hodgobbin," which appears here for the only time I can find in the entire online world. An academic published a paper on Heyer's impeccable research in Schwa, a linguistics journal, beginning on page 57. She confesses herself overmatched by this beautifully obvious, dolefully obscure phrase. Now, you whopstraws, go forth and discover the original citation for it!
Heyer presents us with a few beautiful drawing-room farces among her scenes, but possibly the funniest moments (to my mind) were between Vincent the Corinthian and Claud the gaumless's respective valets. Crimpleshaw and Polyphant (respectively) are engaged in a vicious, take-no-prisoners battle for dominance in the servants' hall. Hugo's arrival, valetless, ignites a major set-to in their long-running war. Crimpleshaw wins the first skirmish by using his secret formula for blacking to give Hugo's (excellent quality) boots a whole new level of gloss. Polyphant's riposte, an attempt to provide perfect neck-cloth tying, is rebuffed by Hugo; then, horror of horrors, the first true test of the line, provision of a valet to Hugo, goes to Crimpleshaw by dint of having a nephew in need of a position!
Intolerable. The insult must be answered!
And so it goes, a side-show that was beautifully woven in to the main narrative of Lord Darracott's humbling at the hands of his maligned, unloved, and insulted grandson Hugo, yet in a way that provokes no smallest scintilla of opprobrium in the sensitive reader's breast. It is a come-uppance and a liberation; it is not, for all that, a set-down or slight. It is the ideal ending to the story Miss Heyer chose to adorn her plot with.
Make no mistake: It is the same plot. The dresses are different and the hero is called something new, but it's a Heyer Regency. Read it or don't; those of us susceptible to her gorgeously bedizened orreries aren't going to be affected. Read it, say I, for the simple and genuine pleasure of following a master craftsperson as she sets the pieces of her construction before you prior to throwing a cloth over them and voilà off with the cloth to reveal a perfect Georgian manor house.
Come in, you great clunches, the door's letting in the cold of reality! Stop awhile by the fire. It will warm you in places you'd forgot were cold.
The Publisher Says: A past dispute...
When the irascible Lord Darracott's eldest son dies unexpectedly, the noble family must accept their estranged Yorkshire cousin as heir apparent. They are convinced he will prove to be a sadly vulgar person, but nothing could have prepared the beleaguered family for the arrival of Major Hugo Darracott.
A present deception...
His clever and beautiful cousin Anthea is sure there's more to the gentle giant than Hugo's innocent blue eyes and broad Yorkshire brogue would lead one to believe. But even she doesn't guess what he's capable of, until a family crisis arises and only Hugo can preserve the family's honor, leading everybody on a merry chase in the process.
My Review: Here is a charming late (1959) work by Regency writer Miss Georgette Heyer (1902-1974), whom I shall not dismiss by calling her a "romance writer." There is very little of romance literature in this work; it is, rather, an historical novel with two characters whose marital future is in no real doubt from the get-go.
Spirited, determined Miss Anthea Darracott is to marry her newly introduced cousin Hugh Darracott, called Hugo. His, well, nigh-on-as-nasty-as-bastardy common birth to a Yorkshire mill lass appalls and disgusts their mutual grandfather. Sadly, Hugo's stint on the Peninsula in the Napoleonic Wars did not result in his convenient death. As he is alive and has sold out his commission, Lord Darracott must needs attend at last to the distasteful yet needful task of acknowledging the man as his heir. The law says Hugo's the heir by virtue of being born to a son, long dead, whose birth preceded the living son Matthew's birth. Not one soul among the Darracotts is happy about this, least of all Hugo.
Until he meets Anthea.
A spoiled Corinthian, a gaumless follower of the Beau, a stripling with dreams dashed and hopes thwarted; an Earl's daughter, a ninnyhammer, and a faded gentlewoman; a damned nasty old baron, a staff of hicks, and a starchy Calvinistic revenuer round out the dramatis personae. Miss Heyer's reliable clockwork plot moves the pieces into proper alignment for our surprisingly dark doings to eventuate as inevitably as sunrise and sunset, given the people she's placed in our path. In the end, all is sorted, and there is no one more pleased than a reader whose purpose in taking this trip was to restfully go down a well-loved and intimately known river of lovely words:
thatchgallows
sackless hodgobbin
whopstraw
knaggy
stiff-rumped
A quick resort to From Old Books will acquaint you with these and many more delicious underknown and woefully unused English-language words. Except "sackless hodgobbin," which appears here for the only time I can find in the entire online world. An academic published a paper on Heyer's impeccable research in Schwa, a linguistics journal, beginning on page 57. She confesses herself overmatched by this beautifully obvious, dolefully obscure phrase. Now, you whopstraws, go forth and discover the original citation for it!
Heyer presents us with a few beautiful drawing-room farces among her scenes, but possibly the funniest moments (to my mind) were between Vincent the Corinthian and Claud the gaumless's respective valets. Crimpleshaw and Polyphant (respectively) are engaged in a vicious, take-no-prisoners battle for dominance in the servants' hall. Hugo's arrival, valetless, ignites a major set-to in their long-running war. Crimpleshaw wins the first skirmish by using his secret formula for blacking to give Hugo's (excellent quality) boots a whole new level of gloss. Polyphant's riposte, an attempt to provide perfect neck-cloth tying, is rebuffed by Hugo; then, horror of horrors, the first true test of the line, provision of a valet to Hugo, goes to Crimpleshaw by dint of having a nephew in need of a position!
Intolerable. The insult must be answered!
And so it goes, a side-show that was beautifully woven in to the main narrative of Lord Darracott's humbling at the hands of his maligned, unloved, and insulted grandson Hugo, yet in a way that provokes no smallest scintilla of opprobrium in the sensitive reader's breast. It is a come-uppance and a liberation; it is not, for all that, a set-down or slight. It is the ideal ending to the story Miss Heyer chose to adorn her plot with.
Make no mistake: It is the same plot. The dresses are different and the hero is called something new, but it's a Heyer Regency. Read it or don't; those of us susceptible to her gorgeously bedizened orreries aren't going to be affected. Read it, say I, for the simple and genuine pleasure of following a master craftsperson as she sets the pieces of her construction before you prior to throwing a cloth over them and voilà off with the cloth to reveal a perfect Georgian manor house.
Come in, you great clunches, the door's letting in the cold of reality! Stop awhile by the fire. It will warm you in places you'd forgot were cold.
August 23, 2021
Since my Greek mythology is not up to par, I had to research who Ajax was. Apparently, he was very big and strong and brave, as is our Hugo in the book. He is called Ajax by one of his satirical cousins upon first meeting the giant. Hugo is the despised grandson of the Lord of the manor, Lord Darracott. Grandfather Darracott informs the family that this grandson is now the heir to the family fortune, after the untimely deaths of two who came before his ascension.
Hugo has never been acknowledged by the family, as his mother was a . . .gasp, weaver's daughter. As soon as he arrives, Hugo is spurned and ridiculed by the entire crew, except for a sweet Aunt, by marriage, and the servants who recognize quality when they see it. Hugo is not overly worried about it, as he has a delicious sense of humor and is not above fooling his snobby relatives into believing the worst of him.
This is delightfully fun and sweet romance with comedy and a bit of an adventure thrown in. I loved the gentle giant, Hugo and his big brain too.
Hugo has never been acknowledged by the family, as his mother was a . . .gasp, weaver's daughter. As soon as he arrives, Hugo is spurned and ridiculed by the entire crew, except for a sweet Aunt, by marriage, and the servants who recognize quality when they see it. Hugo is not overly worried about it, as he has a delicious sense of humor and is not above fooling his snobby relatives into believing the worst of him.
This is delightfully fun and sweet romance with comedy and a bit of an adventure thrown in. I loved the gentle giant, Hugo and his big brain too.
August 31, 2022
3.5 ☆
In The Unknown Ajax, octogenarian Lord Darracott of Kent and Sussex counties dominates his family with a tight-fist and a hot-temper. His late wife had borne him four sons. When his eldest son Granville and Granville's son Oliver died in a drowning incident, Lord Darracott's moodiness worsened. It couldn't have been purely grief for he had disliked Granville. Months later, the domestic tyrant gathered the remnants of sons and their families to meet his new heir, Major Hugo Darracott. Second son Hugh had been Lord Darracott's favorite until he had married a "weaver's daughter." So when Hugh had written his father that he had a new grandson, Lord Darracott didn't bother to inform any of his offspring about their new relation.
The gigantic Major Hugo arrives on horseback, even though Lord Darracott had directed him to hire a chaise. His lack of ceremony and then his broad Yorkshire patois lull the family into all of their socioeconomic prejudices against the working classes. Lord Darracott wants to mold his new heir presumptive into a respectable future baron. He commands grandsons Vincent and Claud to influence Hugo's wardrobe and correct his lamentable Yorkshire speech. But even more outrageous, the despot orders his daughter-in-law to encourage her 22-year-old daughter Anthea to wed her cousin Hugo to keep things tidily within the Darracott clan.
But Major Hugo's "bovine countenance" doesn't fool everyone. And soon enough sharp wits are needed to deal with the dogged Lieutenant Ottershaw, a customs officer who suspects smugglers are using the Darracott estate.
Published in 1959, the prevailing theme of The Unknown Ajax was don't judge a book by its cover. It also seemed as though Heyer was tiring of her idle, young gentlemen characters (great, for so am I), as they made a very poor contrast with Major Hugo. While he had been raised as a gentleman, Major Hugo's personal fortune had come from his maternal line's business interests, which wasn't something the aristocracy esteemed. I see shades of Gervase Frant from The Quiet Gentleman in Major Hugo as well, but their stories are quite different. Both storylines however evolve into a mystery by the second half of the novel with romance as a barely present plot line.
“Does it ever occur to you, Mama, that my grandfather is a lunatic?”
In The Unknown Ajax, octogenarian Lord Darracott of Kent and Sussex counties dominates his family with a tight-fist and a hot-temper. His late wife had borne him four sons. When his eldest son Granville and Granville's son Oliver died in a drowning incident, Lord Darracott's moodiness worsened. It couldn't have been purely grief for he had disliked Granville. Months later, the domestic tyrant gathered the remnants of sons and their families to meet his new heir, Major Hugo Darracott. Second son Hugh had been Lord Darracott's favorite until he had married a "weaver's daughter." So when Hugh had written his father that he had a new grandson, Lord Darracott didn't bother to inform any of his offspring about their new relation.
[Hugo] stood six foot four in his stockinged feet, and he was built on noble lines, with great shoulders, a deep barrel of a chest, and powerful thighs. ...with his curly locks and his well-opened and childishly blue eyes, gave him an air of innocence at variance with his firm-lipped mouth and decided chin. He looked to be amiable; he was certainly bashful... He looked round, his own very blue orbs holding a comical expression of dismay and a deep flush creeping up under his tan.
The gigantic Major Hugo arrives on horseback, even though Lord Darracott had directed him to hire a chaise. His lack of ceremony and then his broad Yorkshire patois lull the family into all of their socioeconomic prejudices against the working classes. Lord Darracott wants to mold his new heir presumptive into a respectable future baron. He commands grandsons Vincent and Claud to influence Hugo's wardrobe and correct his lamentable Yorkshire speech. But even more outrageous, the despot orders his daughter-in-law to encourage her 22-year-old daughter Anthea to wed her cousin Hugo to keep things tidily within the Darracott clan.
"You sent for me to lick me into shape, sir, because you couldn't stomach the thought that a regular rum 'un would step into your shoes, if naught was done to teach him how to support the character of a gentleman."
But Major Hugo's "bovine countenance" doesn't fool everyone. And soon enough sharp wits are needed to deal with the dogged Lieutenant Ottershaw, a customs officer who suspects smugglers are using the Darracott estate.
Published in 1959, the prevailing theme of The Unknown Ajax was don't judge a book by its cover. It also seemed as though Heyer was tiring of her idle, young gentlemen characters (great, for so am I), as they made a very poor contrast with Major Hugo. While he had been raised as a gentleman, Major Hugo's personal fortune had come from his maternal line's business interests, which wasn't something the aristocracy esteemed. I see shades of Gervase Frant from The Quiet Gentleman in Major Hugo as well, but their stories are quite different. Both storylines however evolve into a mystery by the second half of the novel with romance as a barely present plot line.
July 7, 2025
An absolutely delightful comedy of errors!
August 7, 2022
It’s hard for me to write a review of The Unknown Ajax without drooling and driveling. You see, its hero, Hugo Darracott, is my dream guy, and every time I reread this book I drool all over him yet again. And I can see no faults in this novel, no matter how many times I read it, so critique is impossible for me; all I can do is sing its praises.
At least I can tell you a bit about it, in case you have the misfortune never to have read it. The Darracotts are an ancient family living in a remote coastal corner of Sussex in a year shortly after the Battle of Waterloo. Their fortunes are on the decline and they feel very inbred: they live far outside the world and are both dominated and warped by an angry, manipulative patriarch. The family is numerous but each one is sharply drawn, so the reader immediately feels familiar with them and the family dynamics.
They have gathered to meet the unexpected Darracott heir—the son of a member of the family cast off decades earlier for marrying beneath him. They assume the heir will be an underbred rube, and so he appears to be—though the alert reader will soon observe that his words are not to be taken at face value. He bursts on the family like a breath of fresh air, and soon he is figuring out all the dysfunction and the secrets.
Unlike many of Heyer’s novels, this one never goes to London; basically all the action takes place within the walls of the Darracotts’ house. Perhaps because of the rural estate setting, we see more of lower-class characters than some of her high-society books allow for. And a surprising amount of the story is narrated from the point of view of servants—a hint that the beliefs and practices of the aristocratic characters are open to challenge.
The plot is intricate and unusually heavy on action and suspense, considering the setting. The characters are also complex and psychologically plausible. As with all the Heyer Regencies, it is hilarious; the reader is in a constant chuckle. But it is also deep in its portrayal of human frailty, of the harm we can do to one another and how to heal it.
I have never met a popular fiction I found more pleasing and satisfying than this one.
At least I can tell you a bit about it, in case you have the misfortune never to have read it. The Darracotts are an ancient family living in a remote coastal corner of Sussex in a year shortly after the Battle of Waterloo. Their fortunes are on the decline and they feel very inbred: they live far outside the world and are both dominated and warped by an angry, manipulative patriarch. The family is numerous but each one is sharply drawn, so the reader immediately feels familiar with them and the family dynamics.
They have gathered to meet the unexpected Darracott heir—the son of a member of the family cast off decades earlier for marrying beneath him. They assume the heir will be an underbred rube, and so he appears to be—though the alert reader will soon observe that his words are not to be taken at face value. He bursts on the family like a breath of fresh air, and soon he is figuring out all the dysfunction and the secrets.
Unlike many of Heyer’s novels, this one never goes to London; basically all the action takes place within the walls of the Darracotts’ house. Perhaps because of the rural estate setting, we see more of lower-class characters than some of her high-society books allow for. And a surprising amount of the story is narrated from the point of view of servants—a hint that the beliefs and practices of the aristocratic characters are open to challenge.
The plot is intricate and unusually heavy on action and suspense, considering the setting. The characters are also complex and psychologically plausible. As with all the Heyer Regencies, it is hilarious; the reader is in a constant chuckle. But it is also deep in its portrayal of human frailty, of the harm we can do to one another and how to heal it.
I have never met a popular fiction I found more pleasing and satisfying than this one.
May 13, 2023
April 2023 Still as captivating
I've been using Rachael Hyland's book Heyer Society - Essays on the Literary Genius of Georgette Heyer to guide my re-reads and am working my way through those titles in the chapter on Heroes.
Love Hugo, the deceptive giant of a man.Banter throughout is first class. After 40 years plus I still adore Heyer. I'm sure I've read her titles way more than three times each, but I've read so much over the years it's all a bit of a blur. Still a bit sad that when I made the rash decision to downsize my books I sent off my complete Heyer pb collection to the local charity shop. Still if someone was introduced to Heyer through that act then that's a plus.
August 2020
I've been using Rachael Hyland's book Heyer Society - Essays on the Literary Genius of Georgette Heyer to guide my re-reads and am working my way through those titles in the chapter on Heroes.
Love Hugo, the deceptive giant of a man.Banter throughout is first class. After 40 years plus I still adore Heyer. I'm sure I've read her titles way more than three times each, but I've read so much over the years it's all a bit of a blur. Still a bit sad that when I made the rash decision to downsize my books I sent off my complete Heyer pb collection to the local charity shop. Still if someone was introduced to Heyer through that act then that's a plus.
August 2020
February 8, 2023
[9/10]
Miss Darracott, an intelligent girl, now perceived that in harbouring for as much as an instant the notion of marrying a man who fell so lamentably short of the ideal lover she was an irreclaimable ninnyhammer.
Georgette Heyer could show a thing or two to the master of the genre, P. G. Wodehouse, about how to write a country manor farce, a screwball comedy of manners set in Sussex a few years after the defeat of Napoleon. I believe this is called the Regency Period, and that Heyer can definitely claim ownership of the historical period in literature.
Stiff-rumped, that’s what he was, always nabbing the rust, or riding grub, like he had been for months past.
In other words, Lord Darracott is one grumpy customer, making everybody staying at Darracott Manor tremble in their boots in apprehension when they notice one of his moods descending like a dark cloud over their lives.
Currently, the cause of Lord Darracot’s ire is the impending visit of his nephew, Major Hugo Darracott, raised in a workman’s house in Yorkshire and recently elevated to the status of heir to the Darracott Estate.
Everybody, from the Lord down to the lowest scullery maids and stable boys, is in dread of this uncouth presence, a young man raised in a commoner’s house who may have distinguished himself in the War, but could not possibly fit among the gentry, the Gentlemen of Fashion, the Ton who set the London scene buzzing.
Among the inhabitants of Darracott house are Mrs. Darracott, widow of the other son of the Lord, dead in a recent accident, her beautiful but headstrong daughter Anthea, who came back from her debutante season in London still single and young Richard, a spoiled brat who dreams of joining a horse regiment. Also present are Lady Aurelia, a formidable matron, wife of another Darracott scion, with her two older sons, Vincent and Claud, both famous dandies on the London scene.
Authoritarian Lord Darracott plans to educate young Hugo in the refinements of high society, with help from Vincent and Claud, to shape him into a malleable and harmless man by marrying him to his niece Anthea. The young lady protests loudly against having her life being arranged thus without even consulting her own wishes:
‘Twiddlepoop!’
>>><<<>>><<<
This is not my first novel from Georgette Heyer, so I knew what to expect. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the present offering. The cast of characters is more extensive, the personalities are more nuanced and the plot more complex than the usual misunderstandings in love.
In Kent and Sussex almost everyone has to do with smuggling in some way or another.
I thought the novel will be focused on Anthea, but the title should have given me warning that the main attraction will be the unknown element, soon to be nicknamed Ajax by his sophisticated cousins. I had to look up sartorial solecism when cynical Vincent and effeminate Claud first lay eyes on Hugo’s wardrobe : apparently this refers to ‘a breach of etiquette or decorum’ , the vilest crime a true gentleman can commit. I believe Jeeves himself would concur with this assessment, based on previous rows he had with Bertie Wooster over his fashion choices.
Major Hugo, a bumbling simpleton whose imposing height dwarfs everybody else in the manor, confirms all the worst fears of his relatives, by playing up to their expectations of a country bumpkin without a clue about the Ton. Anthea is quick to give Hugo the cold shoulder, intent of crashing her grandfather’s plans from the very start, but she is too intelligent not to notice that cousin Hugo appears to be playing all of them for fools.
Every scene in the novel sparkles with wit and with local colour, a true celebration of the English language that puts to shame my own airs of being fluent in this second language. I could more or less, follow the Regency slang deployed by the Darracots, but once Major Hugo slips into Yorkshire brogue I could only laugh and raise my hands in recognition of being thoroughly fribbled!
‘I wouldn’t let you shab off, you pudding-hearted fribble, if you had given that light-skirt a slip on the shoulder!’
I actually welcomed this exuberant, playful approach to language, even as it gave me the slip and I had to rely on context to deduce what the gist of the conversation was. Once we approach the denouement though, such considerations about language fade away and let the romance shine brightly in ever increasing barbed dialogue between two young and sharp minds. It’s pretty clear that the harder they fight with each other, the harder they fall in love:
‘Well, what I mean is, it’s as plain as a pikestaff! You can’t go about smelling of April and May, the pair of you, and then expect to gull people into thinking you don’t mean to get riveted! A pretty set of gudgeons you must think we are!’
‘That’s dished me!’ said the Major fatalistically.
A regular romance novel would have been satisfied with this resolution, but the author has something more screwball in store for the Darracotts, when young Richard’s impetuousness lands him in the soup with the local constabulary, who are convinced he is breaking the law.
Mayor Hugo must drop the bumpkin mask and reveal his true mettle, saving the whole Darracott family in the meantime and making a decisive play for the hand of his lovely cousin Anthea.
>>><<<>>>
For all the frothing comedy, I cannot finish without a few words about how well the story is anchored in actual historical context. In this, I believe Georgette Heyer is one class above Wodehouse, whose escapist fare is rarely concerned with real world events.
Involuntarily or not, life at Darracott house serves as a sharp reminder of the deep division between gentle society and the rest of the England’s population, either dismissed as uncouth or relegated to the role of devoted servants, whose only ambition in life is to make their masters shine on the public scene. This would have left a bitter aftertaste in my republican heart, if not for the suspicion that the author is well aware of this and has chosen to remain authentic to the prevalent opinions of the period.
Anthea’s mother has the last word on this question of wealth versus intelligence. Of course it’s much easier to be philosophical when you have a big pile of money:
‘Well, my love, it is a great piece of nonsense to pretend that life is not very much more comfortable when one can command its elegancies, and always beforehand with the world, because it is!’
For me, as an engineer, I was also interested in the few clues about the rise of automatic looms in Yorkshire, starting with the Cartwright patents, another example of how well the author did her research. I actually went and read more on the subject online.
‘There’s only one thing for it, and that’s mercury.’
This is another casual remark that made me dive for Wikipedia. Claud refers to the toxic metal as a medical palliative, and I came indeed across some references that it was used thus at the end of the 18th century, yet I failed to understand clearly how mercury applies to Richard’s case of youthful exuberance.
>>><<<>>><<<
This novel convinced that it will be worth my time to add more romances from Georgette Heyer to my future reading lists.
Miss Darracott, an intelligent girl, now perceived that in harbouring for as much as an instant the notion of marrying a man who fell so lamentably short of the ideal lover she was an irreclaimable ninnyhammer.
Georgette Heyer could show a thing or two to the master of the genre, P. G. Wodehouse, about how to write a country manor farce, a screwball comedy of manners set in Sussex a few years after the defeat of Napoleon. I believe this is called the Regency Period, and that Heyer can definitely claim ownership of the historical period in literature.
Stiff-rumped, that’s what he was, always nabbing the rust, or riding grub, like he had been for months past.
In other words, Lord Darracott is one grumpy customer, making everybody staying at Darracott Manor tremble in their boots in apprehension when they notice one of his moods descending like a dark cloud over their lives.
Currently, the cause of Lord Darracot’s ire is the impending visit of his nephew, Major Hugo Darracott, raised in a workman’s house in Yorkshire and recently elevated to the status of heir to the Darracott Estate.
Everybody, from the Lord down to the lowest scullery maids and stable boys, is in dread of this uncouth presence, a young man raised in a commoner’s house who may have distinguished himself in the War, but could not possibly fit among the gentry, the Gentlemen of Fashion, the Ton who set the London scene buzzing.
Among the inhabitants of Darracott house are Mrs. Darracott, widow of the other son of the Lord, dead in a recent accident, her beautiful but headstrong daughter Anthea, who came back from her debutante season in London still single and young Richard, a spoiled brat who dreams of joining a horse regiment. Also present are Lady Aurelia, a formidable matron, wife of another Darracott scion, with her two older sons, Vincent and Claud, both famous dandies on the London scene.
Authoritarian Lord Darracott plans to educate young Hugo in the refinements of high society, with help from Vincent and Claud, to shape him into a malleable and harmless man by marrying him to his niece Anthea. The young lady protests loudly against having her life being arranged thus without even consulting her own wishes:
‘Twiddlepoop!’
>>><<<>>><<<
This is not my first novel from Georgette Heyer, so I knew what to expect. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the present offering. The cast of characters is more extensive, the personalities are more nuanced and the plot more complex than the usual misunderstandings in love.
In Kent and Sussex almost everyone has to do with smuggling in some way or another.
I thought the novel will be focused on Anthea, but the title should have given me warning that the main attraction will be the unknown element, soon to be nicknamed Ajax by his sophisticated cousins. I had to look up sartorial solecism when cynical Vincent and effeminate Claud first lay eyes on Hugo’s wardrobe : apparently this refers to ‘a breach of etiquette or decorum’ , the vilest crime a true gentleman can commit. I believe Jeeves himself would concur with this assessment, based on previous rows he had with Bertie Wooster over his fashion choices.
Major Hugo, a bumbling simpleton whose imposing height dwarfs everybody else in the manor, confirms all the worst fears of his relatives, by playing up to their expectations of a country bumpkin without a clue about the Ton. Anthea is quick to give Hugo the cold shoulder, intent of crashing her grandfather’s plans from the very start, but she is too intelligent not to notice that cousin Hugo appears to be playing all of them for fools.
Every scene in the novel sparkles with wit and with local colour, a true celebration of the English language that puts to shame my own airs of being fluent in this second language. I could more or less, follow the Regency slang deployed by the Darracots, but once Major Hugo slips into Yorkshire brogue I could only laugh and raise my hands in recognition of being thoroughly fribbled!
‘I wouldn’t let you shab off, you pudding-hearted fribble, if you had given that light-skirt a slip on the shoulder!’
I actually welcomed this exuberant, playful approach to language, even as it gave me the slip and I had to rely on context to deduce what the gist of the conversation was. Once we approach the denouement though, such considerations about language fade away and let the romance shine brightly in ever increasing barbed dialogue between two young and sharp minds. It’s pretty clear that the harder they fight with each other, the harder they fall in love:
‘Well, what I mean is, it’s as plain as a pikestaff! You can’t go about smelling of April and May, the pair of you, and then expect to gull people into thinking you don’t mean to get riveted! A pretty set of gudgeons you must think we are!’
‘That’s dished me!’ said the Major fatalistically.
A regular romance novel would have been satisfied with this resolution, but the author has something more screwball in store for the Darracotts, when young Richard’s impetuousness lands him in the soup with the local constabulary, who are convinced he is breaking the law.
Mayor Hugo must drop the bumpkin mask and reveal his true mettle, saving the whole Darracott family in the meantime and making a decisive play for the hand of his lovely cousin Anthea.
>>><<<>>>
For all the frothing comedy, I cannot finish without a few words about how well the story is anchored in actual historical context. In this, I believe Georgette Heyer is one class above Wodehouse, whose escapist fare is rarely concerned with real world events.
Involuntarily or not, life at Darracott house serves as a sharp reminder of the deep division between gentle society and the rest of the England’s population, either dismissed as uncouth or relegated to the role of devoted servants, whose only ambition in life is to make their masters shine on the public scene. This would have left a bitter aftertaste in my republican heart, if not for the suspicion that the author is well aware of this and has chosen to remain authentic to the prevalent opinions of the period.
Anthea’s mother has the last word on this question of wealth versus intelligence. Of course it’s much easier to be philosophical when you have a big pile of money:
‘Well, my love, it is a great piece of nonsense to pretend that life is not very much more comfortable when one can command its elegancies, and always beforehand with the world, because it is!’
For me, as an engineer, I was also interested in the few clues about the rise of automatic looms in Yorkshire, starting with the Cartwright patents, another example of how well the author did her research. I actually went and read more on the subject online.
‘There’s only one thing for it, and that’s mercury.’
This is another casual remark that made me dive for Wikipedia. Claud refers to the toxic metal as a medical palliative, and I came indeed across some references that it was used thus at the end of the 18th century, yet I failed to understand clearly how mercury applies to Richard’s case of youthful exuberance.
>>><<<>>><<<
This novel convinced that it will be worth my time to add more romances from Georgette Heyer to my future reading lists.
June 4, 2025
2022 Review
Well, 4th time was not the charm. The first 3/4ths truly drags. But the final 1/4th is downright hilarious. I'd love to see it in a play or movie.
The romance is also cute.
Mixed bag. If some of the scenes at the beginning were combined it might not be so bad.
2019 Review
I mean, is it truly a 3-star read? I'm inclined to bump it up a star. But also after the hero proposes I still had about a quarter of the book to go and I mentally checked out. It is a funny and well-written conclusion but getting there...
We'll leave it at 3 stars.
2018 Review
Well, I disagree with my younger self. I do not believe this book represents Heyer delving into improbable adventures. And I do not think the smuggler plot comes out of nowhere. It actually starts almost at the beginning.
But I do agree it is not my favorite.
The heroine takes a decided backseat to her scamp of a younger brother. The hero falls quickly in love and displays a patronizing - but affectionate - attitude towards her as the story goes on.
His entire character is basically a control-copy from The Toll Gate and the younger brother reminds me of the cousin from Cousin Kate. (Anyone else having difficulty inserting book/author links?)
It isn't bad. It makes a fun enough story. But I think she does better.
2013 Review
It has been observed that Georgette Heyer is at her best when she writes about every day life. The inconsequential detains for the best tying of a cravat or small, humorous situations like ducks in the house combined with her eye to human nature makes her a classic read. It's when she leaps into the improbable that her novels become...well, mediocre.
That's the problem I had with The Unknown Ajax. It was clever alright. Entertaining. I loved Major Hugo. However, instead of building up the relationship with Anthea, the family's acceptance of him as heir, or his own role of weaver's brat there is this entire subplot with smugglers and chapters devoted to keeping his cousin out of the hands of the law thrown in the last 1/4th of the book. And then the story ends.
Abruptly.
Much could have been made of it. The setup is brilliant! However, I don't feel it lived up to it. Compared to what she has written previously, throwing in the smugglers seemed almost a cop-out.
Well, 4th time was not the charm. The first 3/4ths truly drags. But the final 1/4th is downright hilarious. I'd love to see it in a play or movie.
The romance is also cute.
Mixed bag. If some of the scenes at the beginning were combined it might not be so bad.
2019 Review
I mean, is it truly a 3-star read? I'm inclined to bump it up a star. But also after the hero proposes I still had about a quarter of the book to go and I mentally checked out. It is a funny and well-written conclusion but getting there...
We'll leave it at 3 stars.
2018 Review
Well, I disagree with my younger self. I do not believe this book represents Heyer delving into improbable adventures. And I do not think the smuggler plot comes out of nowhere. It actually starts almost at the beginning.
But I do agree it is not my favorite.
The heroine takes a decided backseat to her scamp of a younger brother. The hero falls quickly in love and displays a patronizing - but affectionate - attitude towards her as the story goes on.
His entire character is basically a control-copy from The Toll Gate and the younger brother reminds me of the cousin from Cousin Kate. (Anyone else having difficulty inserting book/author links?)
It isn't bad. It makes a fun enough story. But I think she does better.
2013 Review
It has been observed that Georgette Heyer is at her best when she writes about every day life. The inconsequential detains for the best tying of a cravat or small, humorous situations like ducks in the house combined with her eye to human nature makes her a classic read. It's when she leaps into the improbable that her novels become...well, mediocre.
That's the problem I had with The Unknown Ajax. It was clever alright. Entertaining. I loved Major Hugo. However, instead of building up the relationship with Anthea, the family's acceptance of him as heir, or his own role of weaver's brat there is this entire subplot with smugglers and chapters devoted to keeping his cousin out of the hands of the law thrown in the last 1/4th of the book. And then the story ends.
Abruptly.
Much could have been made of it. The setup is brilliant! However, I don't feel it lived up to it. Compared to what she has written previously, throwing in the smugglers seemed almost a cop-out.
July 18, 2016
2.5
The only reason why I am shelving this as romance is that none of the other genres would work either. At least it has some romance in it.
If I decided to go back and read Heyer I didn't enjoy as much as, say, The Grand Sophy or Frederica, this one would be on the list. While the writing is (no surprise there) good, it didn't grab my attention as I expected it would.
There is one thing that didn't really sit well with me.
I expected to love this book. My biggest problem is that there is no main thread in it. You just follow people around from scene to scene, you read how they insult Hugo or each other, then you get romance dropped on your head out of the blue (and it doesn't play any role in the book), and all that culminates in one long scene in the end where Hugo manages to deal with a family problem.
Hugo is a likeable character. Most of the others take their sweet time to show they are something more. And they definitely are. Still, if I had to choose my favourite, it would be Vincent. He reminds me of all those almost unredeemable protagonists from other books. My second choice would be Vincent's mother.
Now when I think about it, the characters are what's keeping this book not to fall apart since there is nothing else to do it; no main theme to carry it through to the end.
The only reason why I am shelving this as romance is that none of the other genres would work either. At least it has some romance in it.
If I decided to go back and read Heyer I didn't enjoy as much as, say, The Grand Sophy or Frederica, this one would be on the list. While the writing is (no surprise there) good, it didn't grab my attention as I expected it would.
There is one thing that didn't really sit well with me.
I expected to love this book. My biggest problem is that there is no main thread in it. You just follow people around from scene to scene, you read how they insult Hugo or each other, then you get romance dropped on your head out of the blue (and it doesn't play any role in the book), and all that culminates in one long scene in the end where Hugo manages to deal with a family problem.
Hugo is a likeable character. Most of the others take their sweet time to show they are something more. And they definitely are. Still, if I had to choose my favourite, it would be Vincent. He reminds me of all those almost unredeemable protagonists from other books. My second choice would be Vincent's mother.
Now when I think about it, the characters are what's keeping this book not to fall apart since there is nothing else to do it; no main theme to carry it through to the end.
August 10, 2025
A great read. Wouldn't be one of my favorites but never the less enjoyable. I really liked Hugo, the hero of the piece and even though Anthea wasn't really in it a lot of the time and there wasn't really a romance as such, what there was of it was very touching.It's longer than some of her other novels and it all takes place in Darracott house but that doesn't take anything from the story. Very enjoyable.
Second Read.
I've changed my star rating to five. I loved it this time round! Hugo is a wonderful hero and Anthea, little though she appears, is very likable. Claud is hilarious without meaning to be and I laughed out loud several times. It has everything, a family at odds, which is always a good story, romance, comedy and a mystery. The final couple of chapters are brilliant and you could almost imagine yourself watching a farce on the stage. Every time I re read a Heyer I get more and more from it. It's definitely moved up to my top five.
Third Read.
Excellent!! Loved Hugo. Definitely very dependable. What a horrible man Lord Darracott truly was.
He deserved the come down he got. Lady Aurelia was magnificent!
10/8/2025
Enjoyed it as much as ever, especially the chapter towards the end where everything comes together! Genius!!
Second Read.
I've changed my star rating to five. I loved it this time round! Hugo is a wonderful hero and Anthea, little though she appears, is very likable. Claud is hilarious without meaning to be and I laughed out loud several times. It has everything, a family at odds, which is always a good story, romance, comedy and a mystery. The final couple of chapters are brilliant and you could almost imagine yourself watching a farce on the stage. Every time I re read a Heyer I get more and more from it. It's definitely moved up to my top five.
Third Read.
Excellent!! Loved Hugo. Definitely very dependable. What a horrible man Lord Darracott truly was.
He deserved the come down he got. Lady Aurelia was magnificent!
10/8/2025
Enjoyed it as much as ever, especially the chapter towards the end where everything comes together! Genius!!
February 13, 2025
An aristocratic family is reeling from the loss of two family members only to learn the son of the family prodigal is the new heir. And what a prodigal he is likely to be reared provincially in the wilds of Yorkshire in the wool industry and only attaining some respectability through an officer's rank in Wellington's army. Oh yes, the Darracotts are in an uproar about Hugo, the Unknown Ajax. As one of the most sparkling of Georgette Heyer's gems, I couldn't resist picking this one up in audiobook and enjoying it once again.
Georgette Heyer has a gift for the Regency comedy of manners, spirited Regency dialogue and cant, ripping plots, and slow-burn sweet romance. The Unknown Ajax takes us to a family estate on the coastal border of Sussex and Kent where the majority of the story is the happenings during a family gathering for the arrival of a long lost family member. This is just after the allied victory at Waterloo ending the Napoleonic Wars when many military are returning home including the new heir of the family.
The Darracotts are all in an uproar about some country bumpkin from Yorkshire inheriting their prestigious family title and estates. None want him and least of all Anthea whom her grandfather, the current Lord Darracott, is insisting she marry this new heir while Vincent another grandson feels the injustice of giving way to the rural interloper. Into this atmosphere of genteel hostility arrives large, phlegmatic Major Hugo Darracott.
The book introduces the situation, the characters, and then how Hugo's arrival is like the cat among the pigeons- a part he gladly plays because he is well aware what they all think of him. He was curious about his dead father's estranged family and now he's seen them. He knows he must inherit and take over the estate after his grandfather so he has his work cut out for him to charm them in his own whimsical way. But, of all of them, he most seeks to win over his beautiful, sharp tongued and equally sharp-witted cousin Anthea. Meanwhile, an over-zealous custom's agent hangs about hoping to catch the smugglers operating in the area and there are rumors of a ghost at the family dower house.
I have enjoyed most of Georgette Heyer's books over the years, but this one is probably one of my top favorites. It all boils down to Hugo. He's such an engaging hero. He puts up with a great deal from all his new-found family and their ignorance about his past that he faces with either silence or amusement. He's humble and doesn't need to show off just how capable he is. It all comes out slowly though so that by the end not one member of the family is in doubt of his worth.
The comedy of how Hugo fools them all and just the quirky, fun characters surrounding him particularly Claude the high-strung dandy who studiously sets out to bring Hugo into fashion or that rivalry among the valets going on below stairs. Just so much to make one smile and laugh.
But, she doesn't neglect the suspenseful moments or the sweet sparkling romance to give the story its heart. The way the final scenes play out is riveting even while delighting the reader's sense of humor. The adorable way Hugo courted Anthea into first liking him to finding herself falling for him was another master stroke.
The focus of this book is on the family as a whole and the dynamics of having such characters all under the same roof. I thought this was all painted so well and was itself an entertaining part of the story.
This was my first occasion to hear Daniel Philpott narrate and I was impressed with his range of voices from curmudgeonly old Lord Darracott to tart Anthea, dramatic Claude and stately Lady Aurelia. And many more. Genders, classes, regional accents, pacing, tone, and timing were all splendidly worked.
All in all this revisit to an old favorite went prodigiously well, as Hugo might say. I can heartily recommend this one to those who enjoy sweet Regency era comedy romance or want to ease their way into the classics through this almost-classic.
Georgette Heyer has a gift for the Regency comedy of manners, spirited Regency dialogue and cant, ripping plots, and slow-burn sweet romance. The Unknown Ajax takes us to a family estate on the coastal border of Sussex and Kent where the majority of the story is the happenings during a family gathering for the arrival of a long lost family member. This is just after the allied victory at Waterloo ending the Napoleonic Wars when many military are returning home including the new heir of the family.
The Darracotts are all in an uproar about some country bumpkin from Yorkshire inheriting their prestigious family title and estates. None want him and least of all Anthea whom her grandfather, the current Lord Darracott, is insisting she marry this new heir while Vincent another grandson feels the injustice of giving way to the rural interloper. Into this atmosphere of genteel hostility arrives large, phlegmatic Major Hugo Darracott.
The book introduces the situation, the characters, and then how Hugo's arrival is like the cat among the pigeons- a part he gladly plays because he is well aware what they all think of him. He was curious about his dead father's estranged family and now he's seen them. He knows he must inherit and take over the estate after his grandfather so he has his work cut out for him to charm them in his own whimsical way. But, of all of them, he most seeks to win over his beautiful, sharp tongued and equally sharp-witted cousin Anthea. Meanwhile, an over-zealous custom's agent hangs about hoping to catch the smugglers operating in the area and there are rumors of a ghost at the family dower house.
I have enjoyed most of Georgette Heyer's books over the years, but this one is probably one of my top favorites. It all boils down to Hugo. He's such an engaging hero. He puts up with a great deal from all his new-found family and their ignorance about his past that he faces with either silence or amusement. He's humble and doesn't need to show off just how capable he is. It all comes out slowly though so that by the end not one member of the family is in doubt of his worth.
The comedy of how Hugo fools them all and just the quirky, fun characters surrounding him particularly Claude the high-strung dandy who studiously sets out to bring Hugo into fashion or that rivalry among the valets going on below stairs. Just so much to make one smile and laugh.
But, she doesn't neglect the suspenseful moments or the sweet sparkling romance to give the story its heart. The way the final scenes play out is riveting even while delighting the reader's sense of humor. The adorable way Hugo courted Anthea into first liking him to finding herself falling for him was another master stroke.
The focus of this book is on the family as a whole and the dynamics of having such characters all under the same roof. I thought this was all painted so well and was itself an entertaining part of the story.
This was my first occasion to hear Daniel Philpott narrate and I was impressed with his range of voices from curmudgeonly old Lord Darracott to tart Anthea, dramatic Claude and stately Lady Aurelia. And many more. Genders, classes, regional accents, pacing, tone, and timing were all splendidly worked.
All in all this revisit to an old favorite went prodigiously well, as Hugo might say. I can heartily recommend this one to those who enjoy sweet Regency era comedy romance or want to ease their way into the classics through this almost-classic.
July 15, 2019
5+ stars!
How on Earth did Georgette Heyer come up with so many distinct characters and so many completely dissimilar plots? The lady was brilliant, I tell you!
The Unknown Ajax centers around the extremely dysfunctional Darracott family, ruled with an iron fist by eighty-year-old Lord Darracott. He's sired four sons, three of whom are dead. His eldest, the heir, drowned recently along with the grandson who would have been next in line to inherit.
The crochety patriarch had cast off Hugh, the second of his sons, years ago for defying him by marrying the lowly daughter of a weaver and settling far from home in Yorkshire. Hugh died years ago, making Lord Darracott's grandson Hugo, a major in the Light Division, now the heir of Darracott Place despite never even having been to Sussex. The existence of Hugo comes as a startling surprise to the rest of the Darracotts, who all had believed Matthew, the sole surviving son, would inherit.
There's nothing Lord Darracott can do about it but fume and plot how to mold this assumedly ignorant rube into someone capable of running an estate. He decides his granddaughter Anthea would be able to manage things if the two were to marry.
The Yorkshire man who shows up is tall and broad with childlike, innocent eyes but a firm, resolute jaw. Major Hugo Darracott's physical size leads Vincent (Matthew's oldest son) to nickname him Ajax after the oversized warrior in the Trojan War.
The Sussex Darracotts are a discontented group made up of Lord Darracott, his son (Matthew), two daughters-in-law (Mrs. Darracott, Lady Aurelia) three grandsons (Vincent, Claud, Richmond) and one granddaughter (Anthea), all with their individual idiosyncrasies and complaints about Lord Darracott's treatment of them. They goad and snipe at each other behind his lordship's back, while he has no qualms about demonstrating approval for his favorites and verbally abusing the others.
Hugo takes advantage of how badly they underestimate his intelligence to observe and make conclusions about his relatives and the estate he will own one day. Much of the fun in reading this is that, like the Darracotts, the reader is rarely certain when he's being completely truthful and when he's just messing with their heads (which he does quite frequently).
The story that unfolds is masterful, with secrets, unconventional wooing, hobgoblins, smugglers, fiercely competitive valets, a frustrated but determined Preventive officer, and a suspenseful climactic scene that has the usually squabbling Darracotts conspiring together with a wacky plot to save one of them from the gallows.
I've only started working my way through Heyer's novels (this is my sixth). I've loved them all, but it's hard to imagine a story that can top this one.
How on Earth did Georgette Heyer come up with so many distinct characters and so many completely dissimilar plots? The lady was brilliant, I tell you!
The Unknown Ajax centers around the extremely dysfunctional Darracott family, ruled with an iron fist by eighty-year-old Lord Darracott. He's sired four sons, three of whom are dead. His eldest, the heir, drowned recently along with the grandson who would have been next in line to inherit.
The crochety patriarch had cast off Hugh, the second of his sons, years ago for defying him by marrying the lowly daughter of a weaver and settling far from home in Yorkshire. Hugh died years ago, making Lord Darracott's grandson Hugo, a major in the Light Division, now the heir of Darracott Place despite never even having been to Sussex. The existence of Hugo comes as a startling surprise to the rest of the Darracotts, who all had believed Matthew, the sole surviving son, would inherit.
There's nothing Lord Darracott can do about it but fume and plot how to mold this assumedly ignorant rube into someone capable of running an estate. He decides his granddaughter Anthea would be able to manage things if the two were to marry.
The Yorkshire man who shows up is tall and broad with childlike, innocent eyes but a firm, resolute jaw. Major Hugo Darracott's physical size leads Vincent (Matthew's oldest son) to nickname him Ajax after the oversized warrior in the Trojan War.
The Sussex Darracotts are a discontented group made up of Lord Darracott, his son (Matthew), two daughters-in-law (Mrs. Darracott, Lady Aurelia) three grandsons (Vincent, Claud, Richmond) and one granddaughter (Anthea), all with their individual idiosyncrasies and complaints about Lord Darracott's treatment of them. They goad and snipe at each other behind his lordship's back, while he has no qualms about demonstrating approval for his favorites and verbally abusing the others.
Hugo takes advantage of how badly they underestimate his intelligence to observe and make conclusions about his relatives and the estate he will own one day. Much of the fun in reading this is that, like the Darracotts, the reader is rarely certain when he's being completely truthful and when he's just messing with their heads (which he does quite frequently).
The story that unfolds is masterful, with secrets, unconventional wooing, hobgoblins, smugglers, fiercely competitive valets, a frustrated but determined Preventive officer, and a suspenseful climactic scene that has the usually squabbling Darracotts conspiring together with a wacky plot to save one of them from the gallows.
I've only started working my way through Heyer's novels (this is my sixth). I've loved them all, but it's hard to imagine a story that can top this one.
March 20, 2015
4 1/2
Another fun Heyer!
This is a dysfunctional family who gets put to rights by a "weaver's brat" aka Hugo. Major Hugo. None of the family particularly likes each other and no one is pleased to have the Major the heir to Lord Darracott's dwindling fortune. Especially as Hugo is a Yorkshire yokel who doesn't know the right of things. They are sure they can teach him how to be a gentleman. Big and dull witted looking, Hugo slowly takes them all by storm, even Anthea who was determined not to like him or have anything to do with him. Vincent is Anthea's cousin and the hero of her brother Richmond's dreams, the sneer-iest character he takes instant dislike to Hugo's quiet way of pulling the rug out from under him and continually makes a nuisance of himself.
With smuggling, secret passages, Hugo and Anthea's sweet romance this book was the perfect cold weather read. The ending is not only exciting but it's also amusing. Hugo may have a bit to do with that. I can safely say he's an excellent hero. The spats between him and Anthea are brilliant.
Why not five? Because I wanted to go in the secret passage. I wanted to go on Richmond's yacht and I would have liked little more to have happened in the second fourth of the book. And maybe Heyer could have thrown the hero and heroine together a bit more?! We were just getting to know everyone instead of having excitement. In some ways it made me think of The Grand Sophy, but that one was not quite so dysfunctional. (And it was even funnier)
G A few swears, a rifle shot, talk of Claud having a run in with the black smith and his son over their daughter/sibling and a some drinking and gambling.
Another fun Heyer!
This is a dysfunctional family who gets put to rights by a "weaver's brat" aka Hugo. Major Hugo. None of the family particularly likes each other and no one is pleased to have the Major the heir to Lord Darracott's dwindling fortune. Especially as Hugo is a Yorkshire yokel who doesn't know the right of things. They are sure they can teach him how to be a gentleman. Big and dull witted looking, Hugo slowly takes them all by storm, even Anthea who was determined not to like him or have anything to do with him. Vincent is Anthea's cousin and the hero of her brother Richmond's dreams, the sneer-iest character he takes instant dislike to Hugo's quiet way of pulling the rug out from under him and continually makes a nuisance of himself.
With smuggling, secret passages, Hugo and Anthea's sweet romance this book was the perfect cold weather read. The ending is not only exciting but it's also amusing. Hugo may have a bit to do with that. I can safely say he's an excellent hero. The spats between him and Anthea are brilliant.
Why not five? Because I wanted to go in the secret passage. I wanted to go on Richmond's yacht and I would have liked little more to have happened in the second fourth of the book. And maybe Heyer could have thrown the hero and heroine together a bit more?! We were just getting to know everyone instead of having excitement. In some ways it made me think of The Grand Sophy, but that one was not quite so dysfunctional. (And it was even funnier)
G A few swears, a rifle shot, talk of Claud having a run in with the black smith and his son over their daughter/sibling and a some drinking and gambling.
April 9, 2017
This is one of my favorite Georgette Heyer titles, and listening to the narration by Daniel Philpott makes it just perfect.
Hugo Darracott unexpectedly becomes the heir to his grandfather, Lord Darracott. They have never met, because Hugo's father married a "weaver's daughter" and was cut off by his snobbish, irascible sire. When Hugo arrives at the estate his grandfather shares with his widowed daughter-in-law and her two almost-grown children, he realizes that they are expecting to meet with an uneducated, uncouth common working man, so he decides to give them exactly what they expect.
In reality, Hugo is a (recently sold-out) major in the army, educated at Harrow, and vastly wealthier than anyone else in the family, so he has fun impersonating a hick (or whatever the British term would be for a hick). A major plot point involves the broad Yorkshire accent that Hugo affects as part of his spoof. I found it difficult to follow when reading the book, but the audiobook was so much better.
There are lots of characters, feuding valets, and skullduggery afoot, and Daniel Philpott finds the perfect voice for everyone. It's light on romance -- really more of a comedy of manners. This is one of Heyer's best comedies, though, so I highly recommend it to Heyer fans.
As I listened, I kept thinking what a wonderful play this story would make, something that never occurred to me when reading the book.
Hugo Darracott unexpectedly becomes the heir to his grandfather, Lord Darracott. They have never met, because Hugo's father married a "weaver's daughter" and was cut off by his snobbish, irascible sire. When Hugo arrives at the estate his grandfather shares with his widowed daughter-in-law and her two almost-grown children, he realizes that they are expecting to meet with an uneducated, uncouth common working man, so he decides to give them exactly what they expect.
In reality, Hugo is a (recently sold-out) major in the army, educated at Harrow, and vastly wealthier than anyone else in the family, so he has fun impersonating a hick (or whatever the British term would be for a hick). A major plot point involves the broad Yorkshire accent that Hugo affects as part of his spoof. I found it difficult to follow when reading the book, but the audiobook was so much better.
There are lots of characters, feuding valets, and skullduggery afoot, and Daniel Philpott finds the perfect voice for everyone. It's light on romance -- really more of a comedy of manners. This is one of Heyer's best comedies, though, so I highly recommend it to Heyer fans.
As I listened, I kept thinking what a wonderful play this story would make, something that never occurred to me when reading the book.
August 14, 2024
Review from 2014
A+ for narration / B+ for content.
I haven’t read The Unknown Ajax in years, but it was one of the first of Ms. Heyer’s novels I purchased in audio and I remember being utterly delighted by it, thinking that the story came to life in a way I hadn’t experienced when reading the book. Daniel Philpott’s performance is nothing short of perfect and, re-listening to it in order to write this review, I couldn’t help but think what a shame it is that he hasn’t narrated more audiobooks in the genre. (He has one other Heyer title to his credit – Charity Girl.)
The story is a simple one, and one that also appears in some of Ms Heyer’s other books – that of the outsider who is flung into the midst of an unsuspecting family and then proceeds to fix their problems and bring them closer together.
At the beginning of The Unknown Ajax, the irascible and autocratic Lord Darracott is awaiting the arrival of his heir, a young man he has never met. Major Hugh Darracott – Hugo – has recently sold out of the army and, given his parentage – his father married a Yorkshire “weaver’s daughter” – the family expects him to be an uneducated, uncouth clodpole.
Right from the start, it’s clear that Hugo is no pushover when he makes his way to Darracott Place under his own steam, ignoring the arrangements dictated by his grandfather. On his arrival – several hours later than expected – he is immediately ushered into the presence of the family: his grandfather, his aunt and her two grown children, Anthea and Richmond, who is the one member of the family upon whom their cantankerous grandsire dotes.
Seeing at once that they are expecting a common-as-muck dimwit, Hugo immediately sets about living down to expectations, adopts a broad Yorkshire accent and acts like a total country bumpkin. In actuality though, Hugo was educated at Harrow, is wealthier than anyone else in the family, is very shrewd and possessed of a wicked sense of humour. Watching him pull the wool over (almost) everyone’s eyes is a delight as they are taken in by his permanently guileless expression and the impression he gives of being a brainless giant.
The first person to suspect that Hugo is not at all what he seems is his cousin Anthea, whom it seems he is expected to marry so as to keep everything (i.e, the money and property) in the family. Although the book is more of a comedy than a romance, the exchanges between them are witty and often flirtatious, with a strong undercurrent of attraction as Anthea shows herself to be well up to Hugo’s weight in the verbal sparring department.
Anthea’s brother, Richmond, is eighteen, and has never really been away from home, which is very unusual at a time when the scions of the nobility were sent to schools such as Eton and Harrow to receive their education. He is a spirited and lively young man who has no outlet for his youthful energies, as his grandfather will not countenance the army career for which he yearns. Hugo is quick to spot that cooping him up at Darracott Place with nothing to do is asking for trouble, and he tries to warn his grandfather and cousins to that effect – but to no avail. When disaster strikes, it’s Hugo’s clear head, the respect he inspires in everyone around him and his innate ability to command that saves the day, and watching him pull everything back from the brink by the sheer force of his personality and his quick thinking is a delight, with several laugh-out-loud moments along the way.
This is, without doubt, one of the best of the Georgette Heyer audiobooks currently available, and that is in no small way down to Daniel Philpott’s outstanding performance. His narration is very well-paced, his timing and handling of the humour in the story are excellent, and his characterisations are all spot on.
There are six or seven main male roles in the book; each one of them is clearly differentiated and there is never any question as to who is speaking. He is just as meticulous with the more minor roles – valets, servants, customs officers – again, each of them is performed distinctly and appropriately according to their ages and stations in life. His speaking voice is a natural tenor, so he doesn’t raise the pitch much to portray the females, but Anthea, her mother and aunt are all distinct from one another. He does a splendid job with Mrs Darracott, one of those eternally nervous females to whom he gives a very breathy and often breathless tone, and the superbly unflappable Lady Aurelia is given a clipped, commanding manner which suits her down to the ground.
Mr Philpott’s characterisation of Hugo is outstanding, and I confess to having fallen head-over-heels for him almost immediately. He gives his voice a depth and resonance which is very attractive, and sustains the different degrees of Hugo’s Yorkshire accent with aplomb. It’s a brilliant, multi-faceted performance in which he somehow manages to reveal the true Hugo to the listener underneath the top layer of Hugo-the-bumpkin. This is Georgette Heyer, so the book is squeaky clean, but in the more tender moments with Andrea, the warm, softer tone he adopts is really quite knee-weakening!
If you’re a Heyer fan, chances are you’ve listened to The Unknown Ajax already. But if you’ve not read or listened to any of her books before, I think this is the perfect place to start.
A+ for narration / B+ for content.
I haven’t read The Unknown Ajax in years, but it was one of the first of Ms. Heyer’s novels I purchased in audio and I remember being utterly delighted by it, thinking that the story came to life in a way I hadn’t experienced when reading the book. Daniel Philpott’s performance is nothing short of perfect and, re-listening to it in order to write this review, I couldn’t help but think what a shame it is that he hasn’t narrated more audiobooks in the genre. (He has one other Heyer title to his credit – Charity Girl.)
The story is a simple one, and one that also appears in some of Ms Heyer’s other books – that of the outsider who is flung into the midst of an unsuspecting family and then proceeds to fix their problems and bring them closer together.
At the beginning of The Unknown Ajax, the irascible and autocratic Lord Darracott is awaiting the arrival of his heir, a young man he has never met. Major Hugh Darracott – Hugo – has recently sold out of the army and, given his parentage – his father married a Yorkshire “weaver’s daughter” – the family expects him to be an uneducated, uncouth clodpole.
Right from the start, it’s clear that Hugo is no pushover when he makes his way to Darracott Place under his own steam, ignoring the arrangements dictated by his grandfather. On his arrival – several hours later than expected – he is immediately ushered into the presence of the family: his grandfather, his aunt and her two grown children, Anthea and Richmond, who is the one member of the family upon whom their cantankerous grandsire dotes.
Seeing at once that they are expecting a common-as-muck dimwit, Hugo immediately sets about living down to expectations, adopts a broad Yorkshire accent and acts like a total country bumpkin. In actuality though, Hugo was educated at Harrow, is wealthier than anyone else in the family, is very shrewd and possessed of a wicked sense of humour. Watching him pull the wool over (almost) everyone’s eyes is a delight as they are taken in by his permanently guileless expression and the impression he gives of being a brainless giant.
The first person to suspect that Hugo is not at all what he seems is his cousin Anthea, whom it seems he is expected to marry so as to keep everything (i.e, the money and property) in the family. Although the book is more of a comedy than a romance, the exchanges between them are witty and often flirtatious, with a strong undercurrent of attraction as Anthea shows herself to be well up to Hugo’s weight in the verbal sparring department.
Anthea’s brother, Richmond, is eighteen, and has never really been away from home, which is very unusual at a time when the scions of the nobility were sent to schools such as Eton and Harrow to receive their education. He is a spirited and lively young man who has no outlet for his youthful energies, as his grandfather will not countenance the army career for which he yearns. Hugo is quick to spot that cooping him up at Darracott Place with nothing to do is asking for trouble, and he tries to warn his grandfather and cousins to that effect – but to no avail. When disaster strikes, it’s Hugo’s clear head, the respect he inspires in everyone around him and his innate ability to command that saves the day, and watching him pull everything back from the brink by the sheer force of his personality and his quick thinking is a delight, with several laugh-out-loud moments along the way.
This is, without doubt, one of the best of the Georgette Heyer audiobooks currently available, and that is in no small way down to Daniel Philpott’s outstanding performance. His narration is very well-paced, his timing and handling of the humour in the story are excellent, and his characterisations are all spot on.
There are six or seven main male roles in the book; each one of them is clearly differentiated and there is never any question as to who is speaking. He is just as meticulous with the more minor roles – valets, servants, customs officers – again, each of them is performed distinctly and appropriately according to their ages and stations in life. His speaking voice is a natural tenor, so he doesn’t raise the pitch much to portray the females, but Anthea, her mother and aunt are all distinct from one another. He does a splendid job with Mrs Darracott, one of those eternally nervous females to whom he gives a very breathy and often breathless tone, and the superbly unflappable Lady Aurelia is given a clipped, commanding manner which suits her down to the ground.
Mr Philpott’s characterisation of Hugo is outstanding, and I confess to having fallen head-over-heels for him almost immediately. He gives his voice a depth and resonance which is very attractive, and sustains the different degrees of Hugo’s Yorkshire accent with aplomb. It’s a brilliant, multi-faceted performance in which he somehow manages to reveal the true Hugo to the listener underneath the top layer of Hugo-the-bumpkin. This is Georgette Heyer, so the book is squeaky clean, but in the more tender moments with Andrea, the warm, softer tone he adopts is really quite knee-weakening!
If you’re a Heyer fan, chances are you’ve listened to The Unknown Ajax already. But if you’ve not read or listened to any of her books before, I think this is the perfect place to start.
November 18, 2012
Rating Clarification: 2.5 Stars
I'm reet glad this Heyer is finished. Happen I didn't care for Hugo, the family Darracott or this story at all. Greatly wished this was one of Heyer's whodunnits, so that Lord Darracott could be murdered and Inspector Hemingway could arrive and solve the case, but alas this was just one sloooooooow and boring regency with little excitement, humor, romance or basically anything I've come to expect from Heyer.
While it gets high ratings from most of my GR friends (and Heyer fans in general), it was pretty much a dud for me.
Buddy read with Jeannette and Leslie
I'm reet glad this Heyer is finished. Happen I didn't care for Hugo, the family Darracott or this story at all. Greatly wished this was one of Heyer's whodunnits, so that Lord Darracott could be murdered and Inspector Hemingway could arrive and solve the case, but alas this was just one sloooooooow and boring regency with little excitement, humor, romance or basically anything I've come to expect from Heyer.
While it gets high ratings from most of my GR friends (and Heyer fans in general), it was pretty much a dud for me.
Buddy read with Jeannette and Leslie
August 10, 2025
2.5⭐️ rounded up, because Georgette is in a “Heyer” class of her own.
Honestly, there was too much historical lingo and cant to comfortably follow along:
Stiff-rumped, that’s what he was, always nabbing the rust, or riding grub, like he had been for months past.
**********************💐💐💐 **********************
‘A smock-faced wag-feather!’ pursued my lord inexorably. ‘Your only talent is for àlamodality!’
Yeah, whatever…
Anyhoo, it read more like a Hardy Boys novel than a romance (you gotta be a half glass full person to find and savor it). Heyer really does have a thing for younger, mischievous brothers.
What stood out in the story and made me laugh was the portrayal of the MMC. At 6’4” he had the stature of a hero but the personality of a lump. Hidden depths…
Honestly, there was too much historical lingo and cant to comfortably follow along:
Stiff-rumped, that’s what he was, always nabbing the rust, or riding grub, like he had been for months past.
**********************💐💐💐 **********************
‘A smock-faced wag-feather!’ pursued my lord inexorably. ‘Your only talent is for àlamodality!’
Yeah, whatever…
Anyhoo, it read more like a Hardy Boys novel than a romance (you gotta be a half glass full person to find and savor it). Heyer really does have a thing for younger, mischievous brothers.
What stood out in the story and made me laugh was the portrayal of the MMC. At 6’4” he had the stature of a hero but the personality of a lump. Hidden depths…
November 27, 2023
Originally, I gave this novel 3 stars.
Upon re-reading, I am willing to up my rating, but to 3,5 stars only.
The middle of the book dragged and I was a bit bored.
Also the moral aspect of the ending, while a fun romp, was a bit questionable for me.
Otherwise, it is a solid, entertaining Heyer-novel with an unconventional, seemingly unheroic hero, whom I liked a lot.
Upon re-reading, I am willing to up my rating, but to 3,5 stars only.
The middle of the book dragged and I was a bit bored.
Also the moral aspect of the ending, while a fun romp, was a bit questionable for me.
Otherwise, it is a solid, entertaining Heyer-novel with an unconventional, seemingly unheroic hero, whom I liked a lot.
December 28, 2024
Delightful writing and brilliantly sketched characters distinguish this Georgette Heyer historical fiction. I use the term “historical fiction” instead of “historical romance” because there’s so little romance in this one it barely qualifies. What’s there is fun. I needed more of that fun, hence 4 stars instead of five.
The unknown—and unlikely—heir to the crotchety old Lord Darracott is identified as the only son of his second son Hugh, who had thumbed his nose at his grandiose martinet of a father and married the daughter of a weaver and been promptly cut off. Also named Hugh, but called Hugo by everyone, this heir steps into the midst of this dysfunctional family and somehow manages to keep his temper and sanity in check while they attempt to “whip him into shape.” The story is perfectly paced and delightfully irreverent as Hugo manages to turn this sow’s ear of a family into a silk purse, and win the heart of the girl who rejected him before he even asked.
The unknown—and unlikely—heir to the crotchety old Lord Darracott is identified as the only son of his second son Hugh, who had thumbed his nose at his grandiose martinet of a father and married the daughter of a weaver and been promptly cut off. Also named Hugh, but called Hugo by everyone, this heir steps into the midst of this dysfunctional family and somehow manages to keep his temper and sanity in check while they attempt to “whip him into shape.” The story is perfectly paced and delightfully irreverent as Hugo manages to turn this sow’s ear of a family into a silk purse, and win the heart of the girl who rejected him before he even asked.
May 7, 2019
A five star story and a five star plus audio experience. The extraordinary narration by Daniel Phipott brings this clever, funny, witty tale to life.
Major Hugo Darracott is summoned to Darracott House by his controlling, autocratic, manipulative grandfather. The old man has always known of his grandson's existence, although the rest of the dysfunctional family do not. His son married against his wishes to a poor common Yorkshire weaver's daughter... or maybe, unbeknown to him, not so poor, or so common. After the death of his sons in the line of succession, and a grandson, Hugh is next in line and despite his best efforts Lord Darracott cannot disinherit him.
Hugo is a large amiable man with a determined streak; against all outward appearances he is clever and wily, and very quickly recognises that his aristocratic family thinks him a gormless, cloddish, country bumpkin. And so he deliberately proceeds to live up to their expectations of him by pulling the wool over their eyes. He exaggerates a broad Yorkshire accent - with hilarious results. One of his cousins, indolent, sarcastic Vincent, unkindly nicknames him Ajax after the blockish meathead in one of Shakespeare's plays, Troilus and Cressida. Vincent particularly resents Hugo's turning up as he himself would have been once removed from inheriting without the appearance of this, never before heard of cousin.
How Hugo brings about this eclectic mix of, “up their own backsides" relatives, to like and respect him, is clever, funny and endearing. His grandfather has decided that Hugo will marry another cousin, the Lady Anthea Darracott, for the dual purpose of bringing him some respectability and of also marrying off his granddaughter who will continue to keep the clod up to snuff and not embarrass the family. Both Anthea and Hugo appear to be against this idea when it is first suggested. It doesn't take Hugo long, however, before he realises that this is exactly what he would like to happen. How he goes about convincing Anthea to not only like him, but to care for him....well I thought it rather lovely.
Other reviewers have commented that this is not a very romantic tale, I think it is, sweetly so. It is also funny and farcical but has a cleverly written plot. Hugo is a most likeable character, large and apparently guileless, and of course he is not, he is a well educated Major, recently of a cavalry regiment and definitely nobody's fool. With some skill he has the entire Darracott family doing exactly what he wishes. The females in the family are the first to recognise this fact.
I loved the wonderful narration by Daniel Philpott, he pitches his voice to each character so perfectly that male and female, young and old are entirely believable and recognisable. Hugo's Yorkshire accent is plausible when he is laying it on thick to appear cloddish, or when he reverts to his well educated self with a commanding demeanour and just a very slight Yorkshire burr. Mr. Philpott manages to turn Georgette Heyer's excellent story into a fabulous one. I highly recommend the audio version to any lover of Ms. Heyer's work or why not just become a convert? Devotees of Regency HR won't be disappointed.
Major Hugo Darracott is summoned to Darracott House by his controlling, autocratic, manipulative grandfather. The old man has always known of his grandson's existence, although the rest of the dysfunctional family do not. His son married against his wishes to a poor common Yorkshire weaver's daughter... or maybe, unbeknown to him, not so poor, or so common. After the death of his sons in the line of succession, and a grandson, Hugh is next in line and despite his best efforts Lord Darracott cannot disinherit him.
Hugo is a large amiable man with a determined streak; against all outward appearances he is clever and wily, and very quickly recognises that his aristocratic family thinks him a gormless, cloddish, country bumpkin. And so he deliberately proceeds to live up to their expectations of him by pulling the wool over their eyes. He exaggerates a broad Yorkshire accent - with hilarious results. One of his cousins, indolent, sarcastic Vincent, unkindly nicknames him Ajax after the blockish meathead in one of Shakespeare's plays, Troilus and Cressida. Vincent particularly resents Hugo's turning up as he himself would have been once removed from inheriting without the appearance of this, never before heard of cousin.
How Hugo brings about this eclectic mix of, “up their own backsides" relatives, to like and respect him, is clever, funny and endearing. His grandfather has decided that Hugo will marry another cousin, the Lady Anthea Darracott, for the dual purpose of bringing him some respectability and of also marrying off his granddaughter who will continue to keep the clod up to snuff and not embarrass the family. Both Anthea and Hugo appear to be against this idea when it is first suggested. It doesn't take Hugo long, however, before he realises that this is exactly what he would like to happen. How he goes about convincing Anthea to not only like him, but to care for him....well I thought it rather lovely.
Other reviewers have commented that this is not a very romantic tale, I think it is, sweetly so. It is also funny and farcical but has a cleverly written plot. Hugo is a most likeable character, large and apparently guileless, and of course he is not, he is a well educated Major, recently of a cavalry regiment and definitely nobody's fool. With some skill he has the entire Darracott family doing exactly what he wishes. The females in the family are the first to recognise this fact.
I loved the wonderful narration by Daniel Philpott, he pitches his voice to each character so perfectly that male and female, young and old are entirely believable and recognisable. Hugo's Yorkshire accent is plausible when he is laying it on thick to appear cloddish, or when he reverts to his well educated self with a commanding demeanour and just a very slight Yorkshire burr. Mr. Philpott manages to turn Georgette Heyer's excellent story into a fabulous one. I highly recommend the audio version to any lover of Ms. Heyer's work or why not just become a convert? Devotees of Regency HR won't be disappointed.
July 23, 2022
What an unexpected and captivating read. As many have stated there appears to only be a subtle romance element. However; even though the reader is not being smacked over the head with "l'amour", I firmly believe that the friendship, admiration and ultimate affection between the Major and Anthea underpin the whole tale.
This book really shows off Georgette Heyer's talent to marry a suspenseful plot with the depiction of a deep relationship blossoming between two fully well developed characters with distinct personalities. At the same time she combines the story of a seriously dysfunctional family being forced to deal with their issues and relationships with one another. All this is done with witty banter, outright humor and again a classic collection of Heyer'esque secondary characters. The pace was great, it doesn't appear to stall at any point, building momentum and high expectations for the final confrontation and ending.
I especially loved that there were no ridiculous, drawn-out misunderstandings with 'angsty' hand wringing. AND there was no fool hardy, head strong, stubbornness of the main 'love interest' characters ... so often employed in this particular genre of historical romance. The main characters are mature, intelligent and possess a healthy amount of cynicism/incredulity. The Major's character was a personal favorite, being very quirky and unpredictable. All together it made for a really entertaining read.
This book really shows off Georgette Heyer's talent to marry a suspenseful plot with the depiction of a deep relationship blossoming between two fully well developed characters with distinct personalities. At the same time she combines the story of a seriously dysfunctional family being forced to deal with their issues and relationships with one another. All this is done with witty banter, outright humor and again a classic collection of Heyer'esque secondary characters. The pace was great, it doesn't appear to stall at any point, building momentum and high expectations for the final confrontation and ending.
I especially loved that there were no ridiculous, drawn-out misunderstandings with 'angsty' hand wringing. AND there was no fool hardy, head strong, stubbornness of the main 'love interest' characters ... so often employed in this particular genre of historical romance. The main characters are mature, intelligent and possess a healthy amount of cynicism/incredulity. The Major's character was a personal favorite, being very quirky and unpredictable. All together it made for a really entertaining read.
August 4, 2022
I really enjoyed most of the book except this time around, somehow I didn't find the big final scene at the end quite as satisfying. It seemed to be too busy and also a little too drawn out. Also, I would like to have seen a bit more interaction between our lovers in their final moment before The End. It was unsatisfyingly brief!
But, as usual I loved Ms Heyer's characters and was immediately drawn into the story from the very beginning. And the warring valets Polyphant and Crimplesham were hilarious in their Machiavellian rivalry throughout the book.
July 2019 Group Read for Georgette Heyer Fans Group.
But, as usual I loved Ms Heyer's characters and was immediately drawn into the story from the very beginning. And the warring valets Polyphant and Crimplesham were hilarious in their Machiavellian rivalry throughout the book.
July 2019 Group Read for Georgette Heyer Fans Group.
March 18, 2018
Amusing story of succession.
This is really not a romance, but more of a family dynamics' vehicle. You have the unforeknown, dark horse relative of mixed origins hailing from the northern hinterlands plopped into the decaying Sussex/Kent gentry of the Darracotts. The "new", not really new, but new to all but Lord Darracott coming to meet the family after the heir apparent's unexpected demise, Hugo wastes no time in playing the idiot to meet his family's expectations.
Done for more amusement than spite, nonetheless, you see who figures out that the country bumpkin oaf isn't as slow-witted as they thought, and that the title of major was not given lightly. It was earned. You have a range of male relations from the overbearing to the dandy explored, and slowly, as this story does take its time unwinding. But by the end, Hugo has won over the esteem of his relatives and with practically no interaction the hand of his cousin, Anthea.
There were more quips by other characters regarding their relationship then expounded on by Hugo and Anthea together. If you enjoy the charm of county seat Regency stories then this is entertaining.
The language was more colloquial than I'm used to with the Heyer novels I've read. Luckily, I have some practical experience and the contextual clues were quite good so the reader really wasn't left to wander wondering what terms meant.
This is really not a romance, but more of a family dynamics' vehicle. You have the unforeknown, dark horse relative of mixed origins hailing from the northern hinterlands plopped into the decaying Sussex/Kent gentry of the Darracotts. The "new", not really new, but new to all but Lord Darracott coming to meet the family after the heir apparent's unexpected demise, Hugo wastes no time in playing the idiot to meet his family's expectations.
Done for more amusement than spite, nonetheless, you see who figures out that the country bumpkin oaf isn't as slow-witted as they thought, and that the title of major was not given lightly. It was earned. You have a range of male relations from the overbearing to the dandy explored, and slowly, as this story does take its time unwinding. But by the end, Hugo has won over the esteem of his relatives and with practically no interaction the hand of his cousin, Anthea.
"What a delightful thing it is to know that if I am such a wet-goose as to marry you I shall be able to depend on having a husband who won't hesitate to the take the wind out of my eye every time I try to get a point the better of him!"
There were more quips by other characters regarding their relationship then expounded on by Hugo and Anthea together. If you enjoy the charm of county seat Regency stories then this is entertaining.
"You can't go about smelling of April and May, the pair of you, and then expect to gull people into thinking you don't mean to get riveted!"
The language was more colloquial than I'm used to with the Heyer novels I've read. Luckily, I have some practical experience and the contextual clues were quite good so the reader really wasn't left to wander wondering what terms meant.
August 29, 2025
It's not one of the author's best novels, in my opinion.
I can't complain about anything. There was wit, interesting characters, action, and a touch of romance. The relationships between the male cousins were beautifully portrayed.
I simply didn't enjoy it as much as I did reading Heyer's favorite novels.
--- My review after the first reading ---
I have had much fun. It is more family comedy than romance. There are different characters, some witty, some silly, some are bossy and so on. Add to this plot twists and a good idea for an engaging story and you will have a good piece of Heyer's work. I see here elements from her other books. It is one of these her books which have some sociological and psychological analysis of society and human.
I would prefer a little more romance, more "sparrings" between hero and heroine but clearly, in this book a romance isn't the most important. I would even risk and say that the romance is an addition, a nod to her readers (I mean fans of her romances ;-) )
I can't complain about anything. There was wit, interesting characters, action, and a touch of romance. The relationships between the male cousins were beautifully portrayed.
I simply didn't enjoy it as much as I did reading Heyer's favorite novels.
--- My review after the first reading ---
I have had much fun. It is more family comedy than romance. There are different characters, some witty, some silly, some are bossy and so on. Add to this plot twists and a good idea for an engaging story and you will have a good piece of Heyer's work. I see here elements from her other books. It is one of these her books which have some sociological and psychological analysis of society and human.
I would prefer a little more romance, more "sparrings" between hero and heroine but clearly, in this book a romance isn't the most important. I would even risk and say that the romance is an addition, a nod to her readers (I mean fans of her romances ;-) )
August 25, 2025
August 2025 -Third read / listen (Audible version Narrated by Thomas Judd - 26 Aug 2021)
August 2022 -Second read / listen (Audible version Narrated by Thomas Judd - 26 Aug 2021)
New narration but still one of Heyer's best!
April 2019 - First read / listen (Audible version Narrated by Daniel Philpott - 4 Feb 2010)
What an unexpected and captivating read. As many have stated, there appears to be only a subtle romance element. However, even though the reader is not being smacked over the head with "l'amour", I firmly believe that the friendship, admiration and ultimate affection between the Major and Anthea underpin the whole tale.
This book shows off Georgette Heyer's talent to marry a suspenseful plot with the depiction of a deep relationship blossoming between two fully well-developed characters with distinct personalities. At the same time, she combines the story of a seriously dysfunctional family being forced to deal with their issues and relationships with one another. All this is done with witty banter, outright humour and again a classic collection of Heyer'esque secondary characters. The pace was great; it doesn't appear to stall at any point, building momentum and high expectations for the final confrontation and ending.
I especially loved that there were no ridiculous, drawn-out misunderstandings with 'angsty' hand wringing. AND there was no foolhardy, headstrong, stubbornness of the main 'love interest' characters ... so often employed in this particular genre of historical romance. The main characters are mature, intelligent and possess a healthy amount of cynicism/incredulity. The Major's character was a personal favourite, being very quirky and unpredictable. All together it made for a very entertaining read.
August 2022 -Second read / listen (Audible version Narrated by Thomas Judd - 26 Aug 2021)
New narration but still one of Heyer's best!
April 2019 - First read / listen (Audible version Narrated by Daniel Philpott - 4 Feb 2010)
What an unexpected and captivating read. As many have stated, there appears to be only a subtle romance element. However, even though the reader is not being smacked over the head with "l'amour", I firmly believe that the friendship, admiration and ultimate affection between the Major and Anthea underpin the whole tale.
This book shows off Georgette Heyer's talent to marry a suspenseful plot with the depiction of a deep relationship blossoming between two fully well-developed characters with distinct personalities. At the same time, she combines the story of a seriously dysfunctional family being forced to deal with their issues and relationships with one another. All this is done with witty banter, outright humour and again a classic collection of Heyer'esque secondary characters. The pace was great; it doesn't appear to stall at any point, building momentum and high expectations for the final confrontation and ending.
I especially loved that there were no ridiculous, drawn-out misunderstandings with 'angsty' hand wringing. AND there was no foolhardy, headstrong, stubbornness of the main 'love interest' characters ... so often employed in this particular genre of historical romance. The main characters are mature, intelligent and possess a healthy amount of cynicism/incredulity. The Major's character was a personal favourite, being very quirky and unpredictable. All together it made for a very entertaining read.
December 15, 2012
IMO, this is one of Heyer's better books--if not the very best of the lot. Hugo is a marvellous character, so self-assured that when he becomes the heir to a barony, he plays along (and with!) his new-found family's low opinion of him as yokel from Yorkshire. His understated sense of humor appeals to me a lot.
The secondary characters really help to bring this book to life. Many of them start out to be stock Heyer characters--the fop, the arrogant and uncaring Corinthian, the aloof daughter of an Earl. But Heyer did something here that she didn't usually even attempt: she gave each of them depth and redeeming qualities. The minor characters have their own story arc, and in a way they're the actual heroes of the book because they're the ones who change and grow.
Highly recommended.
The secondary characters really help to bring this book to life. Many of them start out to be stock Heyer characters--the fop, the arrogant and uncaring Corinthian, the aloof daughter of an Earl. But Heyer did something here that she didn't usually even attempt: she gave each of them depth and redeeming qualities. The minor characters have their own story arc, and in a way they're the actual heroes of the book because they're the ones who change and grow.
Highly recommended.
November 8, 2024
I re-read this when I am bored, or sometimes when I need cheering up. Hugo is, next to Freddy, the dreamiest of Heyer heroes. Sigh.
Additional comments from March 2019 re-read: The audiobook for this one is actually really good. In fact, from the unabridged Heyer's this might actually be the best reading I have come across. And Hugo is still dreamy, but that's by the by :)
Additional impressions from May 2022 re-read:
Additional comments from March 2019 re-read: The audiobook for this one is actually really good. In fact, from the unabridged Heyer's this might actually be the best reading I have come across. And Hugo is still dreamy, but that's by the by :)
Additional impressions from May 2022 re-read:
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