Georgette Heyer Fans discussion
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No Wind of Blame
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No Wind of Blame Group Read August 2016 Chapters 1-8
Critterbee wrote: "Here we go with August's read, No Wind of Blame; hopefully everyone has found a copy.Please avoid posting spoilers, or use spoiler tags in this thread. Or, post in the spoilers thread, included b..."
& thank you to the lovely Critterbee for agreeing to lead the discussion.
I'm pretty sure I've read this one at least twice. I'm hoping my friend has a copy, otherwise I'll be reading online.
This is my 4th or 5th time re-reading the entire book, although I have sidled in to read certain of my favorite passages untold times. Although I have it on my kindle, this time I went for the E.P. Dutton & Co 1970 hardback, which my library has apparently owned for 46 years. Sometimes it just feels better to read the paper copy!
I've read it several times, too, but it's been such a while that, although I remember the characters (and my likes and dislikes), the mystery is hazy to me. Ha! The advantage of a hazy memory: re-reads have an element of "new" to them!
I'm just a bit into this, but I'm not remembering that I liked Vicky in my previous reading and I'm enjoying her now. Of course, she's a bit of a brat but I think in real life she'd make me laugh. Although Mary is supposed to have a sense of humor, it's not shining yet, and she's coming off as a bit of a Nervous Nelly - which, of course, in a murder mystery is a good quality to have, but I think she has an over-developed sense of responsibility for the well-being of the world.
Reading online isn't easy - the first page was clear,the next was quite hazy & I had to zoom up to around 200%.
Carol ♔ Type, Oh Queen! ♔ wrote: "Reading online isn't easy - the first page was clear,the next was quite hazy & I had to zoom up to around 200%."Oh, heavens! That sounds like a real pain! And on-line doesn't smell good, either.
I'm staying at my friend's tonight & I'm hoping she has a copy. :)
Carol ♔ Type, Oh Queen! ♔ wrote: "I'm staying at my friend's tonight & I'm hoping she has a copy. :)"Oh, good! I hope so, too!
I just read a great description of Alan White that I have to share: He was "a willowy youth who cultivated an errant lock of hair". Completely cracked me because I've known a few of those!
The characters in this are so wonderfully described! "Sir William, who wore the parboiled look of a gentleman dragged out to dinner against his will, frightened Ermyntrude with the punctiliousness of his manners;"
I love Vicki, and Mary and Ermyntrude - is that even spelled correctly?
The first time I read this, I had to constantly re-read scenes that she was in to make sure I was actually reading them correctly. I was - she is so outrageous!
Critterbee wrote: "The characters in this are so wonderfully described! "Sir William, who wore the parboiled look of a gentleman dragged out to dinner against his will, frightened Ermyntrude with the punctiliousnes..."
I agree, Vicki and Ermyntrude are two of my favorite characters - I dont remember much about Mary, which is sad because I just reread this last summer! Ah, well, it's been a long year...so I guess this will be my third time reading, and I have the Sourcebooks paperback. I thought this was so much fun and really came to appreciate the outrageous Vicki and Ermyntrude!
Someone has to be calm in the story. Mary is playing the "straight man" to allow for Vicki and Ermyntrude to act all the more outrageously.
I'm hoping to start this tonight. Been a bit bogged down last few days. I'll be reading (wait for it!) my first edition hardback which was a birthday pressie from my brother. Haven't read it before so very much looking forward to it.
Teresa wrote: "I'm hoping to start this tonight. Been a bit bogged down last few days. I'll be reading (wait for it!) my first edition hardback which was a birthday pressie from my brother. Haven't read it before..."Wow! That has to add to your enjoyment!
It certainly will Karlyne. I have two others as well. And a great brother!
Teresa wrote: "It certainly will Karlyne. I have two others as well. And a great brother!"Awww, that's so nice to hear!
Very cool - enjoy!
I now have borrowed a paperback copy. :)
All right! I am so glad you found one.
I'm on chapter 5 and I'm loving it!!! Vicky is such a weird character you've just got to love her. Wally is a twit and to be honest I don't think Ermyntrude is much better.
I'm loving it so far - nice light touch with the characters. I'm going to have to leave it till I get back as I don't want to take a hard to replace book overseas with me. :)
I thought I had a complete set of the mysteries but can’t locate this one, so I may miss out on this month unless I get more organized than I appear to be at the moment.
Our library's copy is checked out until the 20th, and my reading schedule is overstuffed anyway, so I'll bow out. Have fun!
I haven't been able to snatch a lot of reading time the last few days and am not feeling drawn back to the book like I was on my last reread (last summer). Into chapter 5 I still love the characters but could cheerfully strangle Wally the whiner! I know Ermyntrude wants to avoid scandal but seriously, why doesn't she dump him?!
Ermyntrude seems so wishy-washy, not totally sure of what she wants, and a bit easy to manipulate. Yet still very entertaining. I do not know why she stays with him, other than the stigma about divorce in those times? Oh the scandal!
The one good thing I can say about Ermyntrude is that she has her daughter's best interest at heart. She doesn't want any scandal because she thinks Vicky would be tainted by it. So at least she has one good trait.
i have read it a couple of times before, but not for a few years, so i don't remember it too well. I like Ermyntrude the best, she is the most amusing character. Vicky is quite fun too. Mary is okay but a bit dull.
Louise wrote: "i have read it a couple of times before, but not for a few years, so i don't remember it too well. I like Ermyntrude the best, she is the most amusing character. Vicky is quite fun too. Mary is oka..."Agreed - last time I liked Vicky the best as she was so outrageous and Ermyntrude was just over the top; this time Ermyntrude had me chuckling - woe unto anyone who threatened her daughter! And Vicky played her like a violin, that was still pretty clever and funny. I just felt sorry for poor Mary trying to keep the household in order and always having to play straight man...
Susan in NC wrote: "Louise wrote: "i have read it a couple of times before, but not for a few years, so i don't remember it too well. I like Ermyntrude the best, she is the most amusing character. Vicky is quite fun t..."I can't quite decide if Mary was a born straight man, or if she just felt that it was her responsibility to be responsible because of her odd position in the household. I think she had a large streak of respectability, and I'm guessing it's because Wally had none!
That often happens, that children try to go their own individual way from their parents, and in extreme cases, trying to be exactly opposite.The women in this book are certainly more memorable then the men! I remember Vicky, Ermyntrude and even Mary more than any of the men. Well, except maybe the Prince. But then, I only remember that he is a Prince.
Critterbee wrote: "That often happens, that children try to go their own individual way from their parents, and in extreme cases, trying to be exactly opposite.The women in this book are certainly more memorable th..."
I tend to wonder if the Prince would be as horrible to me as everyone with sense seems to think he is. He must have been very lounge-lizardish. And could have been entertaining. But then, again, I sure wouldn't want him camping out at my own house!
I thought the Prince was just plain slimey!! I was mad with Ermyntrude for getting taken in by him but when push came to shove she wasn't long letting him know what she thought of him.
I have to admit that I'd wished that Heyer went against type and actually let him be a real impoverished prince, ousted by the Bolsheviks, a la Vladimir Nabokov (who ended up a writer and a professor of literature). He would have been so much more interesting than the standard cardboard sleazy foreigner. But at least he didn't turn out to be the murderer.
Sherwood wrote: "I have to admit that I'd wished that Heyer went against type and actually let him be a real impoverished prince, ousted by the Bolsheviks, a la Vladimir Nabokov (who ended up a writer and a profess..."That would have been a great twist!
Agreed, that could have been interesting...
He really was just an opportunist, wasn't he?
Well, he was painted that way, at least. And the way he seemed willing to romance Mary, Vicki OR Erm just made him seem more weasel-like.
I'm just about to start Chapter 6. Quite a few characters, but so far I'm managing to keep them straight.While I agree the female characters are very memorable, I have a sneaking fondness for Wally. He has no conscience at all!
Carol ♔ Type, Oh Queen! ♔ wrote: "I'm just about to start Chapter 6. Quite a few characters, but so far I'm managing to keep them straight.While I agree the female characters are very memorable, I have a sneaking fondness for Wal..."
I was astonished at his perpetual whining and sense of victimhood - what in heaven's name did Ermyntrude ever see in him?!
Poor Eym is so good-natured and susceptible, and I bet Wally was on good behavior when he met her.
Good point - she fell for the Prince, after all, and he's quite the reptile...
"The people some people marry..." A quote from the old movie, Bite the Bullet. It's always stayed with me, because it's so true!
I just think a play or TV series of this book would be hysterically funny! Ermentrude & Vicki's theatrics make it a play within a play!
Carol ♔ Type, Oh Queen! ♔ wrote: "I just think a play or TV series of this book would be hysterically funny! Ermentrude & Vicki's theatrics make it a play within a play!"Yes! This would be awesome, like one of those screwball comedies of the '30s or '40s with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn - beautiful, hilarious actors in stunning dresses and suits striding in and out of the drawing room tossing snarky, witty lines at each other - what fun it would be! And any costume designer worth her salt would jump at the chance to dress Ermy and Vicky with all of their moods and roles! Sporting Girl, Bright Young Thing, Innocent Daughter...
and 'One of the Younger Set' - what does that really mean?
Critterbee wrote: "and 'One of the Younger Set' - what does that really mean?"Debutantes.
Critterbee wrote: "and 'One of the Younger Set' - what does that really mean?"Thank you, I blanked and couldn't remember that one! Debutante sounds right to me, thanks Sherwood.
Ah! Thank you. I was able to understand Vicki's other roles, but was unable to derive from the context what exactly that role would be. It would make an excellent farce! I just have an image in my mind of those French farces where people are entering the stage through doors and running into each other and racing off, slamming the doors, lending chaos to the ridiculous situations and dialogue.
they could do a series of the hemmingway mysteries in two hour episodes like midsomer murders etc.
I wish they would just televise some Heyer novels. I think the Regencies would make for hilarious viewing and yes the crime ones would be good in the two hour format Louise. But alas, no one seems interested.
Please avoid posting spoilers, or use spoiler tags in this thread. Or, post in the spoilers thread, included because although this book has only 16 chapters, it is a mystery.
Now, to our esteemed moderator Carol's questions...
Is this anyones first read?
How many times have you read it?
What format are you using this time?