Georgette Heyer Fans discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Group Reads
>
The Toll-gate Group Read January 2019 Chapters 1-9
message 151:
by
Teresa
(new)
Jan 24, 2019 08:01PM
Just jumping in here. I just downloaded it into my new Kindle Fire which I am still learning my way around. I've read, I think, all her books at least once; my favorite 20-30 probably at least 5 times each. I'm happy to be starting this tonight.
reply
|
flag
Teresa wrote: "Just jumping in here. I just downloaded it into my new Kindle Fire which I am still learning my way around. I've read, I think, all her books at least once; my favorite 20-30 probably at least 5 ti..."Welcome Teresa - & enjoy!
Jumping in late! The mailman came today with a BIG box of books...the entire 2019 reading list, except for "A Civil Contract," which wasn't available from my usual bookseller. I had JUST finished an unrelated book, so I'll begin reading "The Toll Gate" again for the first time in over 30 years! Can't wait!
Oh, how fun! I love the convenience of ebooks and audiobooks, but there’s something very special and satisfying about receiving books you’ve ordered through the mail - and a whole box! Frabjous joy!
Rebecca--Oooh, a box full of Heyers! What joy!I, too, had not re-read 'Toll-Gate' in years, for reasons that totally escape me. Just finished it and loved it! I think you will too.
Barb in Maryland wrote: "Rebecca--Oooh, a box full of Heyers! What joy!I, too, had not re-read 'Toll-Gate' in years, for reasons that totally escape me. Just finished it and loved it! I think you will too."
I'm finishing up my online chores now, and looking forward to an evening with some old friends in this book! Can't wait!
Rebecca wrote: "Jumping in late! The mailman came today with a BIG box of books...the entire 2019 reading list, except for "A Civil Contract," which wasn't available from my usual bookseller. I had JUST finished a..."Oh my that sound like such a wonderful package!
Critterbee❇ wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Jumping in late! The mailman came today with a BIG box of books...the entire 2019 reading list, except for "A Civil Contract," which wasn't available from my usual bookseller. I had..."I'm certainly all a-twitter over it!
I read until much too late last night, and will probably do the same tonight. I’m not sure what chapter I’m on, but I am very much enjoying it.
I know what you mean Teresa. It just pulls you in doesn't it and makes you want to keep reading.
You know, I've been using the word "snabble" for YEARS without realizing that I picked it up from Georgette Heyer! What fun to run across it in "The Toll-Gate," and think, "So THAT'S where I heard it!"
I use snabble regularly - it is too good a word not to!
I'm pretty sure that Glimfeather the owl in The Silver Chair offers to snabble a bat for Jill. I try to read Narnia every winter or so, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for the reference when I get there next week. 😁
"Snabble" is just a fun word to say. Makes me smile. Kinda like the word for the kneading that cats do, "smurgle." THAT makes me smile, too!
At the start of Chapter 9 (45%).There is an unusual emphasis on Jack's physicality, various parts of his body like his torso, chest, forearms, or scenes highlighting his strength (him chopping wood, etc). Also there is definitely strong physical attraction between him and Nell, since they are struck by each other even before saying a word.
This is obviously not an "erotic" novel (far from it), but there's definitely more "sexiness" than in other books :-)
Also in other books by H. I've read there were often old people (old matrons or grumpy old men) lamenting their illness, but mostly for comic purpose (they weren't really ill, just enjoying the attentions), this is perhaps my first book by her with a seriously ill (and, I guess, dying) character.
You've highlighted a couple of unusual aspects to this novel, Moloch. The novel that shares both, I'd say, is Sylvester. A lot of suppressed heat between the hero and heroine, and a seriously I'll (though not dying, just crippled by rheumatoid arthritis) character--one of the nicest characters in all of a Heyer, to boot!
Well apart from the first chapter which bears little relevance to the rest of the book - a great start to a cracking story. I think I read somewhere that Heyer had written that first chapter with no real idea of where the book was going and then suddenly got the idea for the Toll-gate and simply abandoned everything she had outlined in Chapter 1. You’ve just got to love that in a Writer! I just love Heyer’s attention to her characters in this book. Realistic, varied, adult, sympathetic, well rounded: - and all of them cleverly drawn. John is just such a lovely, lovely man and Nell is an equally fabulous heroine. The cant is overdone in my humble opinion. People did not talk in such a faradiddle of slang and dialect like she uses here. Most of it has died and gone to heaven a long time ago and in any case, people spoke extremely different dialects depending on their location. So, a man in Derbyshire, would not sound the same as a man in Essex. Thieves cant as used by Chirk and Stowgumber also varied by geography so Stowgumber would not have spoken the same as Chirk. I just feel the overabundance of slang is unnecessary but I know lots of of you love it so there we go - chacun à son goût I guess!
I just think, anything which hinders understanding is not a good thing. I think she was so impressed with her own research that she couldn’t help showing off a bit.
Hard to blame her if she was showing off!! I haven't read any other author who writes like she does. I LOVE the cant and wouldn't know if it was from one county or another so it doesn't detract from the story for me. But hey, we're all different in our reading which is a very good thing.
Teresa wrote: "Hard to blame her if she was showing off!! I haven't read any other author who writes like she does. I LOVE the cant and wouldn't know if it was from one county or another so it doesn't detract fro..."I think the cant expressions reinforce that the characters are from the lower orders. Often in fiction, people from the working classes, haven’t access to education etc., dialogue reads the same as the characters from the
Teresa wrote: "You've nailed it Andrea."Teresa,
I just finished an “Inspirational” novel, The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser, about a young British woman house maid who travels with her noble employers for a visit to gilded age New York City, and decides to stay.
The heroine is from an impovershed background and the portrait of her parents is not of the “deserving” poor. Yet, she has the speech of someone who has had access to more education than her family background would suggest. She makes friends with a brother and sister employed as servants at the home of the host family in NY. Nothing about the dialog of these characters suggests their lower socioeconomic-economic situation. The author leaves it up to the personal histories of her characters as an indicator of their backgrounds of poverty and lack of access to education and resources like security of a place to live and reliability of meals.
What's it called Andrea? Sounds interesting.
Teresa wrote: "What's it called Andrea? Sounds interesting."Teresa,
Despite writing a sarcastic review of the book, I intend to read the follow-up.
The book I referenced above is The Pattern Artist by inspirational author, Nancy Moser.
Edit
I added the book info to the comment.
Thanks Andrea I'll take a look. Although why I'm looking for more books when my TBR is higher than my house I don't know:-)
Teresa wrote: "Thanks Andrea I'll take a look. Although why I'm looking for more books when my TBR is higher than my house I don't know:-)"I have the same problem!
This year, im trying to read more from my tbr pile.
Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Thanks Andrea I'll take a look. Although why I'm looking for more books when my TBR is higher than my house I don't know:-)"I have the same problem!
This year, im trying to read m..."''
LOL, I just checked my TBR, and it stands at 1299 right now! And that's just books that I think I will enjoy well enough to keep and re-read!
Well I suppose we are book lovers after all and to be honest at times they're all that keeps me going.
Teresa wrote: "Well I suppose we are book lovers after all and to be honest at times they're all that keeps me going."I know. My books and my cat. And I feel sorry for those who feel sorry for me.
Rebecca wrote: "Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Thanks Andrea I'll take a look. Although why I'm looking for more books when my TBR is higher than my house I don't know:..."Wow! No, really, wow!
Karlyne wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Thanks Andrea I'll take a look. Although why I'm looking for more books when my TBR is higher than my hou..."I'm going to have to win a lottery to afford space for my books! There are over 600 here now that I HAVE read.
Um...I read a LOT.
Rebecca wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Thanks Andrea I'll take a look. Although why I'm looking for more books when my TBR is hi..."We just built what I'm calling a floating headboard: three 10" x 6' rectangular box shelves. They turned out really pretty, and I'm thinking they'll handle some of the overflow...
We're getting a bit off-topic here, don't forget we have the lovely and welcoming Royal Escape thread for all manner of discussion!
Critterbee❇ wrote: "We're getting a bit off-topic here, don't forget we have the lovely and welcoming Royal Escape thread for all manner of discussion!"Ooops!
Back on track-ish...Just finished the book. LOVED the ending. And IF we are going to make that movie, may I put forward Johnny Depp as Chirk? For some reason, Chirk strikes me as having a bit of Jack Sparrow in him, although Chirk does have some code of ethics and apparently isn't a narcissist. Still, that jeune ce quois thing is there. I almost hate to admit it, but Chirk was one of my favorite characters.
Oh my word Rebecca you've hit the nail on the head there. Depp as Chirk!! Absolutely perfect.!! I too thought Chirk was a great character. I loved that he was a highway man with a conscience. His love for Rose was so romantic.
Now I just have to think of a good Rose! She's so instrumental to it all, yet so understated.
Yes Johnny Depp - a perfect Chirk - but not as he is now - perhaps 10/15 years ago? Now what about Rose?
I don't really see Chirk as an "Hollywood actor" type (like J. Depp), but that's me. :-)
I like Emma Thompson as Rose! She is very versatile.
Critterbee❇ wrote: "I like Emma Thompson as Rose! She is very versatile."And since she's going to write the screenplay...
@KarlyneWhich screenplay will Emma Thompson write?
Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "@KarlyneWhich screenplay will Emma Thompson write?"
The Toll Gate: I'm indulging in wishful thinking here!
Somehow, we're not on the spoiler thread here, but we're casting the movie, anyway...
We're casting it on TWO threads...maybe it deserves its very OWN thread! We can cast it, find a director, search for locations...That could keep us off the streets and out of trouble for a minute, anyway!
@Karlyne:Oh. I didn’t get it.
I was excited about Emma Thomson writing a screen play for another period drama-film and ran with it!
Ha
Love Emma Thompson. Might be a bit old for Rose now but if we can get a time machine------!!!!
Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "@Karlyne:Oh. I didn’t get it.
I was excited about Emma Thomson writing a screen play for another period drama-film and ran with it!
Ha"
I wish!
Teresa wrote: "Love Emma Thompson. Might be a bit old for Rose now but if we can get a time machine------!!!!"Hey, I am loving Rock Hudson as Jack, the Rock Hudson from about, umm 50-odd years ago, so the time machine thing sounds great.
Critterbee❇ wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Love Emma Thompson. Might be a bit old for Rose now but if we can get a time machine------!!!!"Hey, I am loving Rock Hudson as Jack, the Rock Hudson from about, umm 50-odd years ag..."
OK, I'm sold.
I think of Jack as being blond, so I might go for that dishy fellow who is the star of Grantchester. I could look at him all day!
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Georgette Heyer Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
The Toll-Gate (other topics)The Pattern Artist (other topics)
The Pattern Artist (other topics)
The Toll-Gate (other topics)
The Toll-Gate (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nancy Moser (other topics)Nancy Moser (other topics)
