Group read November 23 Snowdrift / Pistols for Two: the first three stories

[Jenny]

I think the best way to avoid spoilers with these is to cut the remaining Pistols for Two stories into three chunks (by page thickness) so this thread is for
Pistols for Two
A Clandestine Affair
Bath Miss

without spoiler tags for those stories - but please don't forget to use spoiler tags for the other stories or other books.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I'm very fond of most of these stories - I expect I have read them at least 40 times before.

This is the edition I'm reading;
So Regency! 😒

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Pistols for Two - Is one I appreciate more as an older reader - its very funny! Really captures (view spoiler)[two young guys' first crush! (hide spoiler)] 5★

A Clandestine Affair GH captures such a lot in so few words in this short story! I feel nearly as sad as Iver about (view spoiler)[ the wasted years! (hide spoiler)] 5★

[Jenny]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "I'm very fond of most of these stories - I expect I have read them at least 40 times before.

This is the edition I'm reading;
So Regency! 😒"

That cover so spectacularly fails to depict anything about any of the stories! "It's set in 'olden times', right, and the title suggests violence, so this picture will do" seems to be the rationale behind it.

[Jenny]

A particular problem with short story romances is making anything of a realistic relationship in a few pages. I think on the whole, GH manages very well with this collection - usually the couple either know each other beforehand or the story ends with just the prospect of 'something more', rather than going from first meeting to engagement in the blink of an eye.

[Teresa]

This is the copy I'll be reading


This is the edition I'm reading. The stories are arranged differently.

[Susan in NC]

I’ve borrowed the same ebook from my library as Teresa, here’s the cover

First three are Snowdrift, Full moon and Pistols for Two.

[sabagrey]

Pistols for Two - a lovely story about, basically, friendship.

A clandestine Affair - this story does not work so well for me. The shift from younger to older couple and the reconciliation are a bit too abrupt.

but hey ... it's been so long since my last *first read* of any GH Regency work, I enjoy it!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Teresa wrote: "This is the copy I'll be reading


This is the edition I'm reading. The stories are arranged differently."

A far better cover!

I always liked this old Pan cover.

[Susan in NC]

“Pistols for two” is a very sweet story about friendship and (view spoiler)[the angst of first love - I really enjoyed the “gentleman from London’, and the tact and kindness he displayed to the young men. I laughed when one of the boys refers to his father and his friend as “ancients” at forty-five! (hide spoiler)]

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

sabagrey wrote: "Pistols for Two - a lovely story about, basically, friendship.

A clandestine Affair - this story does not work so well for me. The shift from younger to older couple and the reconciliation are a ..."

Yes friendship as a theme does work better than romance in short stories. I love how much GH was able to pack in like (view spoiler)[ future consequences if the duel had gone ahead (hide spoiler)]

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Susan in NC wrote: "“Pistols for two” is a very sweet story about friendship and [spoilers removed]"

Oh yes. Re your spoiler (view spoiler)[ I wouldn't even have blinked at 45 being considered old! (I would have been in my teens when I first read this & thought 30 was old! (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

I don't think we need spoiler tags for the stories in each section, do we? I separated them out so that they can be read in small chunks and we know which stories are being discussed where.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Ok! Old habits die hard! :)

[Jenny]

I really like Pistols for Two as well - especially, like Carol, as I've got older myself.
It's a rather sweet picture of two boys and puppy love, each convincing themselves they're madly in love and letting the madness overtake them to the extent of endangering their friendship, which is what is actually real in their lives. I remember convincing myself I was in love in my own youth, just because I wanted to be: romantic literature really has a lot to answer for, and stories like this in a small way make up for it!
It's a phenomenon - in boys at least - that GH seems very familiar with, and I can't help wondering whether her son was prone to it.

[Susan in NC]

Jenny wrote: "I really like Pistols for Two as well - especially, like Carol, as I've got older myself.
It's a rather sweet picture of two boys and puppy love, each convincing themselves they're madly in love a..."

So true, she really seems “to get” young men, their friendships, the precious, simple pleasures of being friends in the country, growing up together, and experiencing first love!

[Teresa]

Pistols for two annoyed me!! I wanted to slap the two brats who were acting like small children. Yes it's mainly about friendship and I think if it was as strong as it was supposed to be this situation would never have happened.

I liked The Clandestine Affair. I think I'm at the age where the romance with the older couple appeal to me more. Iver is the kind of guy I detest but it's nice to see at the end that he has a softer side.

[Susan in NC]

Teresa wrote: "Pistols for two annoyed me!! I wanted to slap the two brats who were acting like small children. Yes it's mainly about friendship and I think if it was as strong as it was supposed to be this situa..."

Thank you, Teresa, you summed up my feelings on “Clandestine Affair” perfectly- I admit, I love those second chance romances with a more mature couple!

[Mela]

I am reading this time the same edition as Teresa. So, I am reading the stories in a different order.

I love "Pistols for Two" - a funny, charming story about friendship and calf love.

[sabagrey]

Mela wrote: "I love "Pistols for Two" - a funny, charming story about friendship and calf love."

After having read all the stories, including the extras, (view spoiler)[ I still think "Pistols for Two" is the best one of the lot. In most of the others, GH tried to squeeze too much action into the short form, leaving no room for what she was really good at: sparkling dialogue and funny situations. What you get are her usual cast of characters (underdeveloped and thus cartoonish), implausible romance, and a surfeit of elopements and duels. There's potential for both - dialogue and situation - in some of the stories, and I wish GH had focussed on developing them more while cutting away the frills and furbelows (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

I think Clandestine Affair is very well done. The real reason for Iver's objection to the marriage of the young people - his bitterness over his own broken engagement - is a startling revelation and Elinor's own ambivalence interesting. She wants Lucy and Arthur to be able to marry, but her own pride won't let her admit to wanting anything that Iver can deny her, yet she knows that giving in to her pride would be letting Lucy down. She's more admirable than Iver in this, who can't seem to overcome his own bitterness for Arthur's sake, even out of justice to Arthur, whom he admittedly doesn't love as Elinor does Lucy.

I love the gradual thawing of their relationship as the journey proceeds: they begin to open up to each other about their real feelings, and begin to show concern for each other's weariness. The revelation of their journey's futility is the perfect trigger for their reconciliation. I think it's a little gem.

[Susan in Perthshire]

I love to see the origins of so many of her full length books in these short stories. She wrote these short stories when there was a huge market for them in women’s magazines. There are now so few outlets that if she were writing today, she’d probably never find an outlet - which would be an enormous loss for us. Looking forward to re-reading them.

[Susan in NC]

Maybe she’d self-publish on the internet!

I made a note in my review not to read too many stories per day or it’s overload, so I’ll fit in one or two a day on this reread.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Jenny wrote: "I think Clandestine Affair is very well done. The real reason for Iver's objection to the marriage of the young people - his bitterness over his own broken engagement - is a startling revelation an..."

As well as bitterness, I imagine Iver would have found it hard to be in contact with Nell again, since he still had feelings for her.

[Jenny]

Lucy's letter is a scream, though, isn't it? Clearly she went to the same school of letter-writing as Charis Merriville - it's a letter Cecilia Rivenhall might have written too! It establishes her as part of the Young and Drippy couple, that so often contrasts with the more mature and pragmatic one in GH stories.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Jenny wrote: "Lucy's letter is a scream, though, isn't it? Clearly she went to the same school of letter-writing as Charis Merriville - it's a letter Cecilia Rivenhall might have written too! It establishes her ..."

Other than the letter Lucy does seem very resolute though - & far brighter than Charis or Cecilia!

[Teresa]

Jenny wrote: "I think Clandestine Affair is very well done. The real reason for Iver's objection to the marriage of the young people - his bitterness over his own broken engagement - is a startling revelation an..."

I really enjoyed this one as well. A perfect summing up!

[Teresa]

Susan in Perthshire wrote: "I love to see the origins of so many of her full length books in these short stories. She wrote these short stories when there was a huge market for them in women’s magazines. There are now so few ..."

Well said Susan. Yes she definitely expanded on these for her books. I laugh out loud frequently when I'm reading the novels and I did reading these as well. Maybe not as often but it was still there.

[Teresa]

Susan in NC wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Pistols for two annoyed me!! I wanted to slap the two brats who were acting like small children. Yes it's mainly about friendship and I think if it was as strong as it was supposed t..."

Good to know I'm not the only one Susan who thought that as it seems to be a favourite with quite a few.

[Teresa]

I liked Bath Miss and a Husband for Fanny. I don't know how she manages to convey to us that a sudden short meeting leads to a romance that will work but she does!

[Susan in Perthshire]

I’ve always loved ‘ A Clandestine Affair’ and I enjoyed it just as much this time. I think I have always appreciated the way it and Black Sheep resonate.

Elinor is Abby, if she’d given in to the selfish Selena. Iver’s contempt for Clara in this short story is as much deserved as Miles’ was in BS.

The young couple are of no interest whatsoever as they serve solely to be the plot device that brings Iver and Elinor back together.

I do admire GH’s ability to pack so much, so skilfully into a short story. Brilliant!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Clara sounds worse than Selina. (The Black Sheep spoiler) (view spoiler)[ there is no doubt that in her way Selina genuinely loved Abby. (hide spoiler)]

I'm going to need to look up the first published dates on these stories! Maybe GH did expand on them to create her novels!

[Susan in Perthshire]

A Clandestine Affair was included in Pistols for Two published in 1960 but was written several years earlier. Black Sheep was pain 1966.

[Susan in Perthshire]

I forgot to mention the additional link to Bath Tangle!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Thanks Susan. I know there was a story (not in any of the GH short story anthologies) that was the basis for Faro's Daughter.

[Susan in NC]

Susan in Perthshire wrote: "I’ve always loved ‘ A Clandestine Affair’ and I enjoyed it just as much this time. I think I have always appreciated the way it and Black Sheep resonate.

Elinor is Abby, if she’d given in to the ..."

Yes! And thank you, Iver’s comments about the selfish sister definitely seemed familiar, you’ve spotted it for me!

[Susan in NC]

“Bath Miss” - I enjoyed this one; I think Nan comes across as young, but not annoying or clueless - we are told the hero finds her conversation a combination of “innocence and worldly wisdom” so the obvious HEA worked for me

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Susan in NC wrote: "“Bath Miss” - I enjoyed this one; I think Nan comes across as young, but not annoying or clueless - we are told the hero finds her conversation a combination of “innocence and worldly wisdom” so th..."

Innocence & worldly wisdom was also a description of (view spoiler)[ Leonie (hide spoiler)] & the detested fiancée seemed to come from (view spoiler)[The Corinthian. This one is sweet & light. I enjoyed it. 5★ (hide spoiler)]

[Susan in NC]

Yes, great examples, thank you! I agree, sweet and light!

[GreyGirl]

Teresa wrote: "This is the copy I'll be reading


This is the edition I'm reading. The stories are arranged differently."

Same one as me. I have Pistols For Two as well, but grabbed this when I saw it last year.

[GreyGirl]

Teresa wrote: "Pistols for two annoyed me!! I wanted to slap the two brats who were acting like small children. Yes it's mainly about friendship and I think if it was as strong as it was supposed to be this situa..."
Oh, I don't know...very often intense friendships suffer badly when one of them falls in love for the first time - and if both friends fall for the same person...I imagine that would be very difficult to get over!

[QNPoohBear]

I'm reading Snowdrift and Other Stories

I own it and I read it and I had read the original Pistols for Two. I haven't read it in a long time though and I had forgotten how GOOD Heyer's writing is. The way she uses words is fantastic and she really knows how to set a scene.

"Full Moon" was funny and charming but an odd romance.

I didn't love the story "Pistols for Two". The girl sounds like a vain, spoiled brat who led on the two silly boys.

Bath Miss is #5 and a A Clandestine Affair is #4. I haven't gotten there yet but I will tonight.

[QNPoohBear]

A Clandestine Affair borrows from Austen. This is the first incidence of her borrowing the Bath setting, the former lovers reunited and at least one line. Yet, it's different because this is Heyer and she does alpha heroes. I can see she expanded this one into Lady of Quality. The plot twist on the road to Greta Green was so unexpected and funny!

[QNPoohBear]

Bath Miss should be called "Bath Minx". Of course Anne behaves like modern day college kids away from home and their parents. She's far more innocent though. I don't really buy the romance. Anne is a child, a school girl. I don't see why a grown man would want to marry her.

[Teresa]

The age difference doesn't rankle as much when the H and h are older, I think but definitely it's hard to stomach when the h is a very young girl.

[QNPoohBear]

Teresa wrote: "The age difference doesn't rankle as much when the H and h are older, I think but definitely it's hard to stomach when the h is a very young girl."

Yes I like the older heroines. I'm over silly teen girl drama but when I WAS a silly teen girl I probably would have liked those stories.

[Jackie]

exactly, QNPoohBear, I think that true for me as well

[Susan in Perthshire]

QNPoohBear wrote: "Teresa wrote: "The age difference doesn't rankle as much when the H and h are older, I think but definitely it's hard to stomach when the h is a very young girl."

Yes I like the older heroines. I'..."

Actually, even when I was. silly teen, these characters didn't appeal. Much prefer the older, more intelligent heroines.