Georgette Heyer Fans discussion
Heyer in General
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Introduction and Welcome Thread
Welcome Carolina. I too disliked The Devil's Cub when I read it and it's one I've actually never reread. This is a great group. We have some wonderful discussions. I've so enjoyed rereading all the books with this gang. Way more fun.
Welcome Carolina! I'm thinking you will enjoy Beauvalet!Atm we are reading GH's Regency novels in order. The discussion for Venetia is winding down, but next month we have (another) of GH's best The Unknown Ajax
Hopefully you will be able to join us!
Thank you all for the warm welcome! :)
I discovered this group by browsing Carol's profile from the Librarians group ;-) My first Heyer was "Regency Buck", though not an instant favourite: "I love you because I hate you" has always frustrated me as a plot device. But I wanted to know what happened next, and, due to a confusion when I asked about sequels, ended up with "These Old Shades", which was far more up my street (I'd been reading swashbucklers). "Devil's Cub", " An Infamous Army" (though disappointing in the light of a sequel to "Regency Buck") and " The Spanish Bride", followed, and I was hooked, and weaned onto romance.
"These Old Shades" is still one of my favourites, though I love the laugh-out-loud comedy of "Friday's Child" and the deeper romance of "Venetia". But I have time for all Heyer's novels, in their various ways. (Even " Regency Buck", for its details on driving and snuff!)
Igenlode wrote: "I discovered this group by browsing Carol's profile from the Librarians group ;-) My first Heyer was "Regency Buck", though not an instant favourite: "I love you because I hate you" has always fru..."
Ha, I turn up everywhere! Welcome Igenlode!
Hi, Igenlode, welcome to this wonderful group of very knowledgeable Heyer fans - I’ve learned so much over the last several years reading and discussing her varied books with them! Always fun, courteous and friendly, a rare place on the internet these days!
Hello Igenlode, welcome to the group!These Old Shades and Cotillion are two of my absolute favorites, too! Heyer's work also stands up to re-read after re-read, and discussing the books with the wonderful members of this group always opens my eyes to things previously unnoticed. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts during our discussions, if you would like to comment! :)
Welcome Igenlode! Devil’s Cub and These Old Shades were my first Heyer novels: read when I was 12 and re-read many times since, and still in my top 5.
Thanks to all. This looks like an interesting group!
For myself, I've always preferred Devil's Cub to These Old Shades, and I do think the former should be on every teenage girl's Compulsory Reading List (along with Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, and Jane Eyre too). As for the 'I love you because I hate you'....I do admit to liking the variant 'I love you but I hate you'.....that 'I can't stand you but I fancy the socks off you' is very emotionally powerful I think!
From somewhere dim in my memories of school days and Latin lessons, I remember the lovelorn poet Catullus (who fell hopelessly in love with a Prize B*tc, poor chap), writing:
"I love and I hate - how can this be, you ask?
I do not know, but I feel it, and it is agony -"
Of course in romantic novels the hate is always 'explained away' (as in, the cause of it), and love wins out - hurrah!
Beth-In-UK writes:I think Cotillion is very nearly a completely perfectly constructed novel.
(view spoiler)
Hi there, I'm relatively new to GR and still finding my way around the traps but very glad to have found this group. As some of you may know, I am a huge Georgette Heyer fan and always enjoy hearing people's takes on her many different books. I have several no 1 favourites (!) including Venetia, The Unknown Ajax, Cotillion, Friday's Child, A Civil Contract, The Talisman Ring and Sylvester. I feel incredibly privileged to have spent many years researching and writing about Georgette Heyer's life and novels and would be delighted to answer any question if I can and if people would like it. Thank you , Jen Kloester
How wonderful to have your company! It’s a little intimidating to have such an expert in the group but it’s also very exciting! I loved your biography of GH, and I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous to be able to rely on the fruits of your research in our discussions. My own favourites are Devil’s Cub, These Old Shades, Venetia, The Reluctant Widow, Frederica, The Grand Sophy, Black Sheep, (and I could go on of course!). In this group, I love the fact that whilst we are all Heyer fans, we certainly do not share the same perceptions and opinions about each of her books. It makes for interesting discussions doesn’t it? Great to have you here Jen.
very nice you are here, Jen, and I am excited to hear your opinions on all the books. post on!
Hello and Welcome, Jennifer! So happy you are here!Currently, we are finishing our monthly read for the Nonesuch, and
we have discussion threads for most GH books. If you would like to join any discussion, we would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you very much, it's lovely to be here and to join such a great group of Heyerites. I'm looking forward to the discussions and hope I can bring something to them. Susan in Perthshire wrote: "How wonderful to have your company! It’s a little intimidating to have such an expert in the group but it’s also very exciting! I loved your biography of GH, and I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous ..."
Susan in Perthshire wrote: "How wonderful to have your company! It’s a little intimidating to have such an expert in the group but it’s also very exciting! I loved your biography of GH, and I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous ..."
Thank you very much. QNPoohBear wrote: "Hi Jen!Glad you found us."
That's very kind of you Jackie. It's great to be here, I love all the different opinions on Heyer and her novels. Looking forward to joining the discussions.Jackie wrote: "very nice you are here, Jen, and I am excited to hear your opinions on all the books. post on!"
Thank you. I'mglad to be here. I'm still finding my way around GR but it's all so interesting.Jennifer wrote: "Thank you very much. QNPoohBear wrote: "Hi Jen!
Glad you found us.""
Thank you so much, Susan. It's lovely to hear that you enjoyed the biography - I certainly loved writing it. I do hope no one will be intimidated by my joining the group and some of the discussions. I feel very privileged to have been able to do the research I've done and to write about the great Georgette Heyer but discussions about her books (or mine about her for that matter) are always going to be subjective. After all, we don't all like the same things and I'm always interested in other people's ideas about her novels and her life..Susan in Perthshire wrote: "How wonderful to have your company! It’s a little intimidating to have such an expert in the group but it’s also very exciting! I loved your biography of GH, and I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous ..."
We look forward to you sharing your thoughts, Jennifer. :)
Probably the most polarizing and longest discussion we've had is A Civil Contract, so if you have a few weeks to read through it... (Haha! Glad to see you here, Jennifer!)
a few weeks to read through the discussion? LOL! it is a book people really differ on, isn't it?
Jackie wrote: "a few weeks to read through the discussion? LOL! it is a book people really differ on, isn't it?"I may have exaggerated, but only slightly, I swear!
Just joined GR to join this group!I'm Charlotte, from Barnet in North London (one of the first stages out of town! - in fact, I happened to have supper last night at The Red Lion, which is an old coaching inn that appears in a few GHs)
My first GH was Arabella - recommended by a friend because I'm the eldest daughter of a country vicar, with lots of younger siblings! After that I ripped through all the Regencies - and loved (almost) everything. I'm now re-reading and finding new joys.
My current favourites are Cotillion and The Foundling because they make me laugh so much!
Charlotte wrote: "Just joined GR to join this group!I'm Charlotte, from Barnet in North London (one of the first stages out of town! - in fact, I happened to have supper last night at The Red Lion, which is an old ..."
Ooh, that is flattering!
Welcome Charlotte!
Nice to have you, Charlotte (What a lovely Regency Name!)
Supper at the Red Lion - well, color me green! Welcome, Charlotte!
Welcome Charlotte. This is a great group. You'll have fun here.
Hi Charlotte. It is always nice to meet another Heyer fan. To echo Teresa (above, at 289), this is a fun group. While we take the books seriously, we try not to do that with ourselves.
Hi, I'm Kathleen and I just started reading Georgette Heyer's books. I think I lumped them along with Barbara Cartland in my youth. Anyway, I am on my first GH book: The Grand Sophy and LOVE IT! I find myself laughing and smiling on a regular basis. I am more than 2/3rds done and already thinking about my next GH book.
Can anyone recommend another humorous one along the lines of TGS?
Many thanks and I am very glad to be here!
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,Welcome! I'm so glad you're enjoying The Grand Sophy!
I think some good funny ones to read next would be: Frederica, Arabella, and Sylvester.
I also find Cotillion, The Foundling and Friday’s Child very funny - but I personally found I enjoyed them most when I'd read quite a lot of other Heyer's first - because they're a bit different from the norm, in various ways - and therefore more fun in contrast.
Don't know if others agree but that's my tuppence worth!
my suggestion is Cotillion, it's fun like The Grand Sophy. Those are two of my favorites, btw, so it's all "downhill" from there, LOL.but they are ALL worth reading, for sure.
Charlotte wrote: "Hi Kathleen,Welcome! I'm so glad you're enjoying The Grand Sophy!
I think some good funny ones to read next would be: Frederica, Arabella, and Sylvester.
I also find Cotillion, The Foundling a..."
Hi Charlotte, thank you for the great suggestions! I had been thinking of either Frederica or Cotillion, so I am glad to hear that you like them. :)
Jackie wrote: "my suggestion is Cotillion, it's fun like The Grand Sophy. Those are two of my favorites, btw, so it's all "downhill" from there, LOL.but they are ALL worth reading, for sure."
Thanks Jackie! So I started off with a good one, huh? ;) I will definitely have to read Cotillion since both you and Charlotte recommended it.
Welcome, Kathleen!I agree about Frederica and Cotillion, and would also add Friday's Child, The Talisman Ring and Sprig Muslin as some of the funnier reads.
Although, I think that I might be in the minority with Sprig Muslin (dear to me, because it was one of my first five Heyers).
Welcome Kathleen!If you are wanting laugh out loud funny, then I would second the recommendation for The Talisman Ring & would add Faro's Daughter both are late Georgian rather than Regency though.
Our next group read starts the first of Feb - False Colours - it has some amusing passages.
Sophy is the zanniest of all but Frederica is also very funny. Try Regency authors Marion Chesney and Barbara Metzger if you want some funny Regency romances. Read those first because Heyer is always better.
Critterbee❇ wrote: "Welcome, Kathleen!I agree about Frederica and Cotillion, and would also add Friday's Child, The Talisman Ring and Sprig Muslin ..."
Thanks Critterbee! All of these sound good to me -- I appreciate the great suggestions!
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Welcome Kathleen!If you are wanting laugh out loud funny, then I would second the recommendation for The Talisman Ring & would add Faro's Daughter both are late Georgia..."
Hi Carol -- I am definitely looking for laugh out loud funny! I don't mind if they are Regency or Georgian so I will look into both of the books you suggested.
How does the group read work? Do we all read the selected book in the month and post comments?
Carola Dunn had some funny Regencies too and Marian Devon is a pretty good Heyer copycat too. I have 100s of Regencies on my "Regency Romance" shelf. Most of the ones I like are drawing room comedies by Georgette Heyer wannabes. Sadly, those aren't in favor anymore but you can find some digital reprints on Amazon Kindle.
Yes Kathleen. There will be different sections to post in. It's usually the first 1 to 10 chapters then the rest and there'll be a Spoiler posting as well. We jump in with our penny's worth whenever we feel like it. There are always some great discussions.
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My relationship with Georgette Heyer's books are a hate-love-affair for sure. I read "The Devil's Cub" some years ago and... I was kinda disappointed on the hero. I was surprised that the hero was such a rogue, because I'm used more to Jane Austen kind of heroes. (And I also missed the dances and other characters viying for the heroine and hero's attention), and for several years I thought "I didn't like Georgette Heyer", but my thirst for Regency Romance Novels convinced me to give Georgette another chance and I've recentedly bing-read "Regency Buck", "Faro's daughter" and "Bath Tangle", which seemed to fit what I was looking better. Maybe I was more open to these rogue heroes now than when I read "Devil's Cub", in any way, I couldn't stop reading any of these books. They're really addicting.
I'm from Spain, so it will be fun to read her books with a Spanish heroine, although I'm not sure they have the hate-to-love dynamic, which is the one I enjoy.