Royal Escape from the Topic - for off topic chit chat Showing 2,301-2,350 of 2,839

[Abigail]

Yes, Goodreads pages are loading slowly on my desktop and not at all on my iPad.

[Nick]

Critterbee❇ wrote: "Interesting! Would that mean that when the man or lady tells their valet / ladies maid not to wait up, that they would just enter the house by themselves, without the door being locked? Or would th..."

There was too much housebreaking and theft to just leave the front door open. I think I remember reading that it was quite common for a footman to sleep in the front hallway, sometimes literally across the door, so there would always be someone to let the master in at any time (and guard the door!).

Telling the lady's maid not to stay up, I think was just the mistress doing her servant a favour and putting herself to bed without help.

[Jane]

I never heard about the footmen sleeping on the floor to guard the door. Hah!! How clever and uncomfortable! I've got a huge dog (and a blunderbuss, of sorts), so I guess I won't need a footman.... but I still want a butler!! Oh, and maybe a lady's maid. And a housekeeper. And a cook, why not!! :)

[Teresa]

Thought it was just me as well. Good to know it's not our internet because we do have problems with it.

[Kim]

Goodreads has been increasingly “glitchy” as of late. I can see I have friend requests on my phone app, but won’t show up. When I go to look at notices, bounces me out entirely. If I go to the on-line site, it is slow.

[Critterbee❇]

It was slow for me too for a while, but looks like it is back up to speed now.

A chauffeur would be amazing. I would love that above any other special staff. I like to cook and cleaning is all right, but to be driven everywhere - yes please! No worrying about traffic, parking or pumping fuel.

[Critterbee❇]

I could read, sleep, write or crochet on long trips!

[Karlyne]

Critterbee❇ wrote: "I could read, sleep, write or crochet on long trips!"

My elder daughter lives about 550 miles away, which is not bad, but you have to go through The Middle of Nowhere to get there. I told her if she could arrange for a nice train trip, I'd visit more often. She said Greyhound runs both ways. Not the same, Missy, not the same!

[Susan in Perthshire]

With servants, they never had to worry about doing anything for themselves. A footman would be on duty - allowed to sit in a chair in the hall whilst they waited! The doors would be bolted after everyone was in. There would always be a servant on duty whilst someone was out of the house. As far as telling the valet or the lady’s maid that they did not have to wait up - they were simply letting them go to bed early instead of having to stay up to help them undress (whether or not they had gone out. ). Folk with servants did not have to worry about doing anything!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Some of the Georgian dresses would be impossible to get out of by yourself too.

[Karlyne]

Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "Some of the Georgian dresses would be impossible to get out of by yourself too."

Talk about claustrophobia!

[Teresa]

I'd go nuts having someone around me all the time!!!

[QNPoohBear]

Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England will answer your burning questions about front doors and other house matters. See also If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home - less about the Georgian/Regency period than Amanda Vickery's book but still worth a look.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

QNPoohBear wrote: "Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England will answer your burning questions about front doors and other house matters. "

The cover on this one is a hoot!

[Karlyne]

Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England will answer your burning questions about front doors and other house matters. "

The cover on this one is a hoot!"

Yes, it is! I must have my hair done to fit my giant hat and, of course, my humongous hood, too.

[Nick]

Karlyne wrote: "Yes, it is! I must have my hair done to fit my giant hat and, of course, my humongous hood, too."

Must've been a nightmare in windy weather!

[Critterbee❇]

Nick wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Yes, it is! I must have my hair done to fit my giant hat and, of course, my humongous hood, too."

Must've been a nightmare in windy weather!"

Or a convenient way to travel - that huge sail would have caught a lot of wind!

[Jane]

Ditto! That cover is hysterical. As are you ladies!!

[Lesley]

I often think I've seen a cover attached to another book, either written by the same author, or by a completely different author. I came across another today, and instead of shrugging my shoulders and moving on, I decided to compare. Here's what I found -

by Molly Thynne

by Georgette Heyer

How often does that happen, and how does copyright to cover art
work?!

[Critterbee❇]

Oooh, I have seen duplicate covers twice in the past two years - well this makes thrice i suppose. I had thought, with the two occurrences that I saw, that the cover artists used the same stock photo service.

[Karlyne]

Lesley wrote: "I often think I've seen a cover attached to another book, either written by the same author, or by a completely different author. I came across another today, and instead of shrugging my shoulders ..."

Crazy!

[Barb in Maryland]

Oh, it happens all the time! and it will drive you crazy, if you let it. Mostly happens with stock images of older artwork.(Think of all those Sourcebook covers of GH's books. Or stock photos for contemporary titles. So the publisher pays the usage fee set by the owner of the stock image.
Cover art done for a particular book on the publisher's contract is usually copyrighted to the artist or the publisher as per the contract, and subject to the usual copyright limitations.

[Susan in NC]

That’s true, I’ve noticed that with the Sourcebooks reissues, and we’ve all noticed and commented on how inaccurate the clothing was- wrong era, etc.

[QNPoohBear]

Yes that happens a lot, especially with older books and self-publishing/small imprint books. You see the same or similar covers with a lot of historical fiction books. It's jarring to see a favorite cover on another book!

[Karlyne]

I don't think I like generic art...

[Jackie]

Karlyne wrote: "I don't think I like generic art..."

I agree, in fact I wouldn't call it art just because of that. and a book deserves art!

[Critterbee❇]

Jackie wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "I don't think I like generic art..."

I agree, in fact I wouldn't call it art just because of that. and a book deserves art!"

Yes, books do deserve art! And there have been so many masterpiece picture books published in the last 5 years - just gorgeous original art all over the place! Watercolors, oil, paper cuts, charcoal, woodblock prints, so much variety, too!

[Karlyne]

I still have incredibly fond memories of Little Women and the illustrations by Jessie Wilcox Smith. I think it might have been the illustrations which convinced me to read the book right there, right then!

[Teresa]

A book cover has great influence for me. Sometimes I go into the bookshop and first skim along the shelves. Whatever jumps out at me I'll look into further. I enjoy doing this.

[Louise Sparrow]

One of the most irritating things about Kindle, and something that's really starting to annoy me, is their ability to update the covers without notice.

The Georgette Heyer covers are being replaced with photo's of women in costume, they aren't bad, but it makes it harder to find the one you want and if you did like the cover you bought... tough!

[Nick]

Oh yes, I saw one of those new covers the other day. I thought they were sadly trashy compared to the artwork ones. I even prefer the terrible artwork where the clothes are in the wrong era and the people are nothing like the characters.

[Critterbee❇]

I have my automatic kindle updates turned off, I wonder if that would stop the cover changes?

There seems to be a new publisher printing Heyers - Random House UK, Cornerstone - or at least they have a printing of The Convenient Marriage due out November 15, 2018 with a photograph of someone who is def NOT Horry, but might be Horry's 30 year old Aunt on the cover. Unless ladies aged so quickly in the regency era, and that is how a 17-year old young lady would look...

Also, that summary! It is horribly done and misses the essence of the book!

[Susan in Perthshire]

I wonder if there are different covers? The one I just saw on the Penguin website, had a photo of a young girl who definitely looks like a 17 year old Horry might look. Certainly not old enough to be an aunt!

[Critterbee❇]

[Susan in Perthshire]

Sorry just saw your photo - same one as I had seen. I still think the girl looks like a 17 year old.

[Louise Sparrow]

Critterbee❇ wrote: "I have my automatic kindle updates turned off, I wonder if that would stop the cover changes?


I have the updates turned off too... i'll double check though in case it's changed or added an option.

[Critterbee❇]

Susan in Perthshire wrote: "Sorry just saw your photo - same one as I had seen. I still think the girl looks like a 17 year old."

I guess she just looks older to me - but Microsoft agrees with you that she is not 30 - they say she is 20! (and female)

[Barb in Maryland]

Oh, the hairstyle and clothes--more epic fail for that cover. The story is set in the 1770s for Pete's sake, not 1814!!

[Teresa]

I've always preferred the older covers for books of this type. Why don't they leave them alone? The oldies are always the best. (Like me) :-)

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

That cover is horrible!

I’m one of few who like the book. Horrible cover!

[Barb in Maryland]

Teresa wrote: "I've always preferred the older covers for books of this type. Why don't they leave them alone? The oldies are always the best. (Like me) :-)"
Teresa--you definitely are the best, but the older covers, not so much.
Here is a vintage 1967 US paperback cover for 'The Convenient Marriage--


Which, like many other covers for this book, totally ignores the fact that it takes place in the 1770s and not 1814!!

On the other hand, here's a version of the original 1934 cover:


At least the young lady is period correct, even if she's not at all my idea of Horry!

[Teresa]

I get your meaning Barb. Some ridiculous ones there alright.

[Susan in NC]

Karlyne wrote: "I still have incredibly fond memories of Little Women and the illustrations by Jessie Wilcox Smith. I think it might have been the illustrations which convinced me to read the book right there, rig..."

Me, too!i just reread this last year as part of another group challenge to read the first book you remember reading as a child, and it was amazing how familiar every illustration was! I know, as a little girl, I read and reread those books and stared at those wonder drawings forever, wishing I could jump right into the book!

[Susan in NC]

Teresa wrote: "A book cover has great influence for me. Sometimes I go into the bookshop and first skim along the shelves. Whatever jumps out at me I'll look into further. I enjoy doing this."

Me, too - we had a challenge in another group to choose a book based on cover or title only, and read to see if it held our interest. I couldn’t help thinking, though, marketing and advertising have gotten so savvy at targeting our interests and buying practices. We probably buy similar-looking books with similar-sounding titles without realizing it! Like the cover art on the Sourcebooks rereleases, all water colors and period costumes- even if it’s the wrong period!

[Susan in NC]

Teresa wrote: "I've always preferred the older covers for books of this type. Why don't they leave them alone? The oldies are always the best. (Like me) :-)"

Amen, sister!

[Susan in NC]

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "That cover is horrible!

I’m one of few who like the book. Horrible cover!"

Agreed - I also like the book, but that cover, with the creepy, over the shoulder, come hither look, is NOT Horry! And I think it wouldn’t work on Rule, anyway...

[Susan in NC]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Teresa wrote: "I've always preferred the older covers for books of this type. Why don't they leave them alone? The oldies are always the best. (Like me) :-)"
Teresa--you definitely are the best, bu..."

I do like those Heinemann covers, though; my library has some of those Heyer editions, and I like the art and at least attempt to be historically correct!

[Rosina]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Teresa wrote: "I've always preferred the older covers for books of this type. Why don't they leave them alone? The oldies are always the best. (Like me) :-)"
Teresa--you definitely are the best, bu..."

That cover is very educational though. One tends to think of Horry as rather artless and innocent. The cover picture shows her with her hair done in one of the fancier styles - the What Does it Mean, perhaps (i've forgotten the original name - in Portuguese?).

[Susan in Perthshire]

It’s funny - although I don’t normally like photos of real life models as covers; and I agree that the historical era is all wrong, - for the first time I can see why Rule would have been attracted to Horry and agree to marry her. There is something interesting, mischievous and very attractive about the young girl in the photo. I could never really understand what a 35 year old would see in a naive 17 year old but this helps me make more sense of it.

[Jenny]

Rosina wrote: "...The cover picture shows her with her hair done in one of the fancier styles - the What Does it Mean, perhaps (i've forgotten the original name - in Portuguese?."

Ah, the Quesaco! It's Southern French, what nowadays they call Occitan. Where I lived for a while they spelt it 'Qu'es aquo?' and it was a bit of a catchphrase that people would know even if they didn't speak any of the rest of the language.