The Unknown Ajax NON Spoilers Thread August 2022

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Time to reread a book that is a favourite for many in this group!

I have read this title many, many times. This will be my fourth read since I have been on Goodreads. My copy is the same as the one pictured in the title.

Please no open spoilers (you can use spoiler tags though) We don't want to spoil a first read for anyone!

[Jackie]

I'm in! I've read it many times before and just checked out the ebook on my kindle. The Unknown Ajax with this cover. I am going to peer at it to figure out who the people are.
I think there is a way to post the cover instead of the link to it but can't figure it out this morning.

[Abigail]

This is my edition, sigh: The Unknown Ajax. I wish these Harlequin editions were less durable!

Sometimes Goodreads lets me post covers and sometimes it doesn’t; this is a “doesn’t” day. Maybe if I climb on my desktop later it will.

[Critterbee❇]

I have it on kindle, and it is one of my faves! I think I have read this one 7 times.


This is the cover

[Susan in NC]

I have the Audible and will listen The Unknown Ajax when I can, I’m in the last half of a nonfiction book, and another couple mysteries, one a library book that must be returned. But I will check comments, I’ve read it several times, so not concerned about spoilers!

[Barb in Maryland]

Not one of my top GH books. I'll be following the comments and may contribute on the Spoiler thread.

Here's the cover of my first copy:


Ace never did manage to give their GH titles decent covers...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

The pages flew by last night & I'm already up to pg100!

[Abigail]

I love how Heyer sets us up to see our hero through the lens of his relations, and only gradually does the alert reader start to see who he really is.

[Susan]

I am reading on my kindle and the cover has a man in some nice pink pantaloons. I must say I have never thought of Hugo as a pink pants kind of man....

[sabagrey]

Susan wrote: "I am reading on my kindle and the cover has a man in some nice pink pantaloons. I must say I have never thought of Hugo as a pink pants kind of man.... "

They must mean (view spoiler)[Claud, though his pants are lilac, not pink (hide spoiler)]

[Jackie]

Abigail wrote: "I love how Heyer sets us up to see our hero through the lens of his relations, and only gradually does the alert reader start to see who he really is."
Yes, it's really good, isn't it?
Abigail, what did you mean "climb" on your desktop? LOL, it might be way up there.

[Abigail]

Just that my desktop involves getting up and going to sit in my office—while when I’m typing on my iPad I’m often recumbent!

[Teresa]

I'll be a bit late starting this month. I'll be reading this edition


Looking forward to it. Again.

[Sarah]

I'll join in later this month, still have something else to finish first. I remember this was one of my favourites but can't actually recall the plot or characters, so I'm looking forward to it!

[Ceecee]

My book arrived in the mail today! I've been enjoying buying secondhand books online and having them delivered. I love unwrapping the envelop. My edition is the same as Teresa's. I do like the Arrow versions. I haven't read this book yet and looking forward to it!

[QNPoohBear]

I've read this twice and am willing to try it again. It's not my favorite but I've been reading about the history of the mills here in early America and have a better grasp of the flying shuttle "power loom" concept when/where/how.

[Catsalive]

I love Hugo. "Heavens, what a man is there!"

[Jenny]

I've got this edition - I think the cover hits Hugo off perfectly! The illustrator has clearly read the description.

[GreyGirl]

QNPoohBear wrote: "I've read this twice and am willing to try it again. It's not my favorite but I've been reading about the history of the mills here in early America and have a better grasp of the flying shuttle "p..."

I get twitchy now reading about the mills on this book as my greatgrandfather (and his siblings and parents) all worked in Yorkshire mills in the mid 1800s. The children were all in fulltime work in them from the age of about 6 (although that was supposed to be illegal by then). However great-grandad ran away, lived under different names, and ended up in the merchant navy. Several of his siblings ended up as teachers (probably pupil teachers to begin with) and one sister went on to have a very good career as a headmistress of a fairly prestigious school. How they managed this...well, I sometimes think it would make a very good novel!

[GreyGirl]

Jenny wrote: "I've got this edition - I think the cover hits Hugo off perfectly! The illustrator has clearly read the description.
"

All of that set of Pan editions have good covers that properly tie in with the stories. Well worth tracking down if you can find them.

[Susan in NC]

Jenny wrote: "I've got this edition - I think the cover hits Hugo off perfectly! The illustrator has clearly read the description.
"

Oh, that is a good likeness - well, as I imagine Hugo!

[Susan in NC]

GreyGirl wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "I've read this twice and am willing to try it again. It's not my favorite but I've been reading about the history of the mills here in early America and have a better grasp of th..."

Yes, I was just thinking, wow, this sounds like a wonderful adventure tale! I’m glad your family has kept the oral history alive and is passing it down.

[Jenny]

The opening pages are very well done, aren't they? Filling in all the necessary background detail and introducing the Darracotts through the eyes of the footman, Charles, is a device I don't think GH uses anywhere else - I don't think there's another book that uses a servant's POV at all, is there? - but it works very well I think. Much better than having the authorial voice explaining it all, or the main characters having those stilted "As you know ..." conversations!

[GreyGirl]

Susan in NC wrote: "GreyGirl wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "I've read this twice and am willing to try it again. It's not my favorite but I've been reading about the history of the mills here in early America and have a b..."

We had very little info about great grandad as he severed contact with his family (except for the sister who became the headteacher) and 'never let the truth get in the way of a good story'. However a few years back I got into genealogy and from the snippets I had noted down from conversations when I was a child, I was able to track him down and confirm who he had been at birth, and as a result find out what had happened to his siblings. Astonishingly enough, he was pals with my husband's great grandfather and we have a photo of them together - particularly surprising as Himself's family at that time were well-to-do (solicitors, judges, getting knighted, that sort of thing; as well as being a fair bit younger than my ancestor) and mine certainly weren't! And Himself's family moved far away from the little town when his gran was a very little girl. Fate that we met up 70 odd years later!

[Susan in NC]

Jenny wrote: "The opening pages are very well done, aren't they? Filling in all the necessary background detail and introducing the Darracotts through the eyes of the footman, Charles, is a device I don't think ..."

Yes! Excellent point, smoothly deals with The Who’s who, who’s related to this character or that, life circumstances, etc.

[Susan in NC]

GreyGirl wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "GreyGirl wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "I've read this twice and am willing to try it again. It's not my favorite but I've been reading about the history of the mills here in early ..."

That is definitely a story to be told! A friendship across classes, especially intriguing, and then the great grandchildren meet up, fall in love and marry?! I’d buy that book…;)

[QNPoohBear]

GreyGirl wrote: "I get twitchy now reading about the mills on this book as my greatgrandfather (and his siblings and parents) all worked in Yorkshire mills in the mid 1800s."

Oh wow what a great story! It was a little different here in America. Our Industrial Revolution started in 1793 and the child labor was supplied by nearby farmers. They had a choice. Later on, a century later, children were exploited in the mills. In between there were young women who stood up for their rights in the 1820s and by mid-19th-century, immigrants. I really liked my job working at a small textile mill museum but I wouldn't have wanted to work IN the mill when it was running.

[Jackie]

Jenny wrote

introducing the Darracotts through the eyes of the footman, Charles, is a device I don't think GH uses anywhere else - I don't think there's another book that uses a servant's POV at all, is there?


I agree it was very well done and an excellent way to introduce characters to us, but she used the same technique in Penhallow.

[Mary]

It's been awhile since I've read The Unknown Ajax, I think I've read it 3 or 4 times over the years, but it is up there in my Top Ten Heyer books, mostly because of all the wonderful supporting characters. And dear Hugo!

[GreyGirl]

Susan in NC wrote: "GreyGirl wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "GreyGirl wrote: "QNPoohBear wrote: "I've read this twice and am willing to try it again. It's not my favorite but I've been reading about the history of the mil..."

Well, if ever I can find out where he was from age about 11 to 21 - and why he ran away - I will try and write it!

[Julia]

I haven't got my copy yet, ordered it. I haven't read this one yet! It'll be my 33rd Heyer.

[Jenny]

Mary wrote: "...And dear Hugo!"

He is nice, isn't he! These bored aristocrats and dissolute rakes and bad boys needing reforming are all very well, but a decent, good-natured, wise chap who's Good Husband Material, with no vices apart from (in Lady Aurelia's eyes) 'a tendency to levity' makes for very satisfying escapism.

[Jackie]

yes, and levity is not a vice at all, obviously. really, he is perfect.

[Ellen]

The edition I have now is not officially large print but it is so much better than paperback copy I had originally. Even with reading glasses it got to be a tough go. Love this book wouldn't want to have a copy that can only be read with great light and high magnification. Unknown Ajax

[Julia]

I've just started this while on my camping trip, about 50 pages in.

I ordered from Book Depository and it was the new Arrow version: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

I'm not a huge fan of the cover. I am collecting the older Arrow ones so wasn't too pleased when this new one arrived. The costume doesn't look authentic and the guy looks stretched thin; I mean, I know Hugo is a tall guy, but I don't picture him as a beanpole.

[QNPoohBear]

JThe costume doesn't look authentic and the guy looks stretched thin; I mean, I know Hugo is a tall guy, but I don't picture him as a beanpole.
..."

No, he's supposed to be BIG. Most younger men were slimmer at that time, judging from the extant clothing I've seen. Just all around smaller but Hugo has been in the army and I suspect built a lot of muscle that way. He may have been a beanpole of a lad when he was younger but not now.

[sabagrey]

QNPoohBear wrote: "No, he's supposed to be BIG. "

Talking with Lord D. about horses, he says sth. about "17 stone", which means approx. 108 kg. Definitely not a beanpole, even at his height. ;-)

(I hope that doesn't count as a spoiler?)

[Abigail]

That’s 238 pounds, which at six foot four inches is not out of line for a muscular man.

[sabagrey]

Abigail wrote: "That’s 238 pounds, which at six foot four inches is not out of line for a muscular man."

exactly; I have a son of approximately such proportions. Very handy in the household, to lift heavy things and to reach the uppermost shelves ;-)

[Julia]

My husband said the guy on the cover looks more like him, he's 6'2" (189 cm) but 165 lbs (75 kg) ;)

[Jenny]

Julia wrote: "I've just started this while on my camping trip, about 50 pages in.

I ordered from Book Depository and it was the new Arrow version: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
..."

And that's a terrible blurb! It gives far too much away!

[Jackie]

yes, it really does!

I enjoy a book so much more when I don't know what's going to happen just like a really prefer a movie where I haven't seen the trailer since they always take all the best bits out and show them out of context.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Jenny wrote: "And that's a terrible blurb! It gives far too much away!"

I've removed the spoilerish part of the blurb, (I'm a GR librarian) but it looks like most of the English language editions have been changed to this blurb. :/

I'll have a look at other editions later on.

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Jenny wrote: "And that's a terrible blurb! It gives far too much away!"

I've removed the spoilerish part of the blurb, (I'm a GR librarian) but it looks like most of the English language editions ..."

Carol--Did you set your revision as the default book description?
That should take care of all of the other editions which used the spoiler-y one. (I'm also a GR librarian, but I don't want to step on your toes).

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

The problem with doing that is that it changes descriptions that shouldn't be changed like foreign languages, information that this is an alternative cover edition which shares an ISBN, etc.

I only use that feature if there are only a small number of editions, so I can check each one. :)

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "The problem with doing that is that it changes descriptions that shouldn't be changed like foreign languages, information that this is an alternative cover edition which shares an ISBN, etc.

I onl..."

I bow to your experience.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Ha, yes I've cleaned up after that has happened a few times.

[Jackie]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Ha, yes I've cleaned up after that has happened a few times."

we goodreads users appreciate all the work you do!