Beauvallet November 2017 Group Read Chapters 1-11

[Barb in Maryland]

Chapter 10--I loved Joshua's disdainful second-hand description of Don Diego de Carvalho, cousin and rumored groom to be of our dear Dona Dominica. Don Diego, it is said, 'hath elegant accomplishments by the score'. Well!

[Sheila (in LA)]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "...those of us who are of the Boomer generation have seen a goodly number of movie trends come and go over the years! "

Indeed we have! Perhaps my fondness for this kind of thing goes back to my mother and her stories of going to the movies with her younger brothers--for a nickel--on Saturday mornings.

[Teresa]

My mother went to England when she was sixteen and lived there for many years. When she was working and had her day off she often went to the cinema. Said she would buy a large box of sweets and spend the whole day there watching as many films as possible. Only cost her a few shillings. Happy days.

[Sheila (in LA)]

Teresa wrote: "My mother went to England when she was sixteen and lived there for many years. When she was working and had her day off she often went to the cinema. Said she would buy a large box of sweets and sp..."

Now I plan days (if not weeks) in advance, to see one film. And it costs a lot more than a few pennies or shillings!

[Teresa]

It costs a small bloody fortune here in Ireland to go to one film. My husband and daughter love the cinema and like a lot of the same films so they go quite a bit. I hate crowds so I started going on Silver Tuesday as they call it. They bring back a film that was previously there and show it at two. But I only go once in a blue moon. Not many films that I like.

[Louise Sparrow]

Sheila wrote: "I was curious about the movie Sinbad the Sailor so I looked it up on Wikipedia. I found this quote interesting:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr later said "Errol Flynn told me I'd made a big mistake because ..."

That's a shame... I don't know if it was a good idea career-wise but I have always loved the film, if you get a chance to watch it, do!

I wish we could lend the audiobooks, it would make it much simpler and I do think listening to it helps.

[Sheila (in LA)]

Teresa wrote: "It costs a small bloody fortune here in Ireland to go to one film. My husband and daughter love the cinema and like a lot of the same films so they go quite a bit. I hate crowds so I started going ..."

It's such a serious business, nowadays--some of the fun's gone out of it, I think.

But I like the idea of Silver Tuesday--I would take advantage of that, I'm sure!

[Sheila (in LA)]

Louise Sparrow wrote: "Sheila wrote: "I was curious about the movie Sinbad the Sailor so I looked it up on Wikipedia. I found this quote interesting:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr later said "Errol Flynn told me I'd made a big m..."

Louise, I do want to watch this film--I have made a mental note of it!

[Susan in NC]

Louise Sparrow wrote: "Sheila wrote: "I was curious about the movie Sinbad the Sailor so I looked it up on Wikipedia. I found this quote interesting:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr later said "Errol Flynn told me I'd made a big m..."

Yes, some books really lend themselves to audio.

[Susan in NC]

Teresa wrote: "It costs a small bloody fortune here in Ireland to go to one film. My husband and daughter love the cinema and like a lot of the same films so they go quite a bit. I hate crowds so I started going ..."

Same with me, I haven’t been to the actual cinema in years - nothing I particularly want to see, and I prefer old films...

[Barb in Maryland]

I have a few movie comments that are specific to 'Beauvallet', so I'm taking them over to the spoiler thread.
Short version--it would make a great movie!

[Nick]

This is my first read through! It's the second pre-Georgian Heyer that I've read (the other was The Conqueror). Tentatively, I think I'm not going to like it. The swashbuckling is fun, and the secondary characters are great. I already love Don Manuel (his take down of Paraclesus at the first dinner is funny) and the other side characters.
But the romance is grating on me. I'm afraid that perhaps I'm too picky - but I detest this kind of Taming of the Shrew type of story line, especially where it's so clear right from the very start that despite all of her bravado about how she hates him, Dominica is almost indecently keen to be tamed! Or it least that's how it seems to me in chapter 3!

[Critterbee❇]

Nick wrote: "especially where it's so clear right from the very start that despite all of her bravado about how she hates him, Dominica is almost indecently keen to be tamed! Or it least that's how it seems to me in chapter 3!"

I agree, that was one thing that I did not like. Was it 'in fashion' in Spain for women to pretend to dislike the people they were interested in? To such a violent extent?

I don't like the 'no means try harder' or 'no means no until you are such a strong man that I have to say yes' crap.

[Susan in NC]

Nick wrote: "This is my first read through! It's the second pre-Georgian Heyer that I've read (the other was The Conqueror). Tentatively, I think I'm not going to like it. The swashbuckling is fun..."

Same here on being my first read and the taming angle (especially with all the sexual abuse allegations currently in the news, that arrogant male thing really seems stale, even though nick isn’t like that) and the wonderful supporting characters - but I thought the ending was fun! No spoilers.

[Nick]

❇Critterbee wrote: "I don't like the 'no means try harder'.

Yes, that's exactly it!

Susan in NC wrote: "I thought the ending was fun! No spoilers. "

Oh good, I'll hang on for it then!

[Critterbee❇]

Nick was very respectful, he did not force more than a kiss upon her, even though that is still a bit forcey for me. It is hard to find a balance between someone asking if they might kiss you, and just doing it with no care for whether you want to be kissed or not. Different people have different preferences.

I did not get the impression that he had a 'power trip thing' that predators have. He does not want to harm women. Sorry, I think I am not finding the right word.

He is a bit too alpha for me; I will take lovely Freddy Standen any day!

[Susan in NC]

❇Critterbee wrote: "Nick was very respectful, he did not force more than a kiss upon her, even though that is still a bit forcey for me. It is hard to find a balance between someone asking if they might kiss you, and ..."

Exactly, I know what you mean! Nothing wrong with nick, he’s an alpha male product of his time and class, just not my taste - Freddy, please!

[Elza]

❇Critterbee wrote: "Was it 'in fashion' in Spain for women to pretend to dislike the people they were interested in? "

This made me think immediately of Mr. Collins from Pride & Prejudice: "I know it to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on the first application, and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female character. ... As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.''

[Critterbee❇]

Whoa I totally messed that up!

[Critterbee❇]

Elza wrote: "This made me think immediately of Mr. Collins from Pride & Prejudice: "I know it to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on the first application, and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female character. ... As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.'' "

Ah, the lady like playing hard to get!

[Lesley]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Chapter 10--I loved Joshua's disdainful second-hand description of Don Diego de Carvalho, cousin and rumored groom to be of our dear Dona Dominica. Don Diego, it is said, 'hath elegant accomplishme..."

A number of Joshua's comments have bought a smile to my face. :) A perfect balance for his swashbuckling master.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

❇Critterbee wrote: "Was it 'in fashion' in Spain for women to pretend to dislike the people they were interested in? To such a violent extent?

Dominica is very young though. I think (view spoiler)[ Dominica believes this is A Love That Can Never Be & is enjoying a flirtation, that could break her heart - but she is young enough not to know that. As readers, we do! (hide spoiler)]

[Teresa]

I'm failing abysmally here guys. Not really the books fault. Finding it hard to concentrate at the moment. Also I've just been away for the weekend and got no reading (or emails) done. The bit I've read makes me think of the film The Sea Hawk with Errol Flynn and I'm picturing him all the time. No hardship as he's my all time favorite actor. Hopefully get going again tomorrow. ( I also bought a bag of books while I was away :(:( ).

[Susan in NC]

Best kind of shopping, Teresa- books!

[Teresa]

Absolute Heaven Susan!!!!

[Sheila (in LA)]

I had to put Beauvallet aside (to finish another book) but I'm planning to get back to it soon.

And I agree with those assessments of Nick, in posts above: alpha male, but not forcey. There was tenderness there.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review)]

I finally got around to starting this last night! Okay I am only a couple of pages in but I am so glad to be reading a Heyer again!

[QNPoohBear]

This is my first read and I'm not sure I can make it all the way through. I'm on Chapter 3 and that's more than enough swashbuckling and bravado for me. It reads like a bad movie screenplay. I keep seeing Errol Flynn in my head and reading the comments here, I'm not alone. I tried the first American edition but the print is too small to read in bed easily so I switched to an e-book of the Sourcebooks reprint. Sometimes bigger print helps capture my interest more.