By: Georgette Heyer
Format: Paperback
Published: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Oct. 2007; Originally Published 1953
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Miss Catherine Charing is in a difficult situation. Her irascible and eccentric guardian, Mr. Matthew Penicuik, will bestow his entire fortune on her only if she will marry one of his great-nephews, not a choice lot. The Rev. Hugh Rattney is a self-righteous prig; Capt. Claud Rattney is a well-known rake; Lord Dolphinton is none too bright and frightened to death of his Mama; the Honorable Frederick Standon is a useless fribble; and Kitty's hero, Capt. Jack Westruther, resisting Uncle Matthew's tyrannical ways, has refused to even show up. If Kitty does not accept one of them, she will be penniless and homeless. Driven to folly by these circumstances, she attempts to flee to London to find a position as a governess. Heyer's characterizations are at their sharpest as her people change and grow in unexpected directions.
My Take: I've been seeing Ms. Heyer's books all around the blogosphere since I started reading book blogs. I was intrigued by her. How had I never heard of one of the mother's of the historical fiction genre? How did she completely pass me by? Yet she did and so I felt it was time I try to catch up. I read multiple reviews and for the most part everyone seemed to love her so I needed to figure out which book I should read first. Sourcebooks has picked up her titles and is reprinting them in the US with these delightful covers so I was definitely intrigued.
And yet, and yet, alas it didn't work. Do you ever feel like everyone loves something and you ... just ... don't ... get ... it! You think there is something wrong with you. You pick it up and put it down at different times assuming it is just your mood. It's not you it's me. But no, it is you, not me. I tried Georgette I really did. You had all of the makings for a book I would love. Regency setting, lots of men vying for a women's attention, a damsel who couldn't decide what to do. Yet I couldn't get past page 50 try as I might.
The reasons for this? Well, the language was a big hurdle for me. Most of it seemed superfluous and fluffy. I think I am a pretty well read person. I have a fairly large vocabulary. Yet I didn't know what a lot of the words in this book were. I've read lots of books set in this time period, even books written during this time period and I had a better time following the plot. The other issue for me? There were so many characters introduced at one time that I couldn't really keep them straight. So, well, I couldn't get on the Heyer bandwagon. But I tried, I promise I really did.
Has this ever happened to you? Where everyone loves a book or an author but you?
Need some Heyer love? Here's some bloggers who love her:
Jane Austen's World
A Book Blogger's Diary
Austenprose
Cover Lust: I will say this, I absolutely adored Sourcebooks covers for their republishing of Heyer's novels. They make me want to buy them all, whether or not I'd ever read them! They capture the time period beautifully.
(I purchased this book)
Eeek if you didn't know words then how could I when English is not my first language. I guess heyer is not for me
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about not liking books everyone else loves. I'm almost afraid to say anything for hear of the response.
ReplyDeleteOH NO! I am (was?) just like you in that I had not heard of this author until book blogging and keep meaning to try something. But now? Maybe I'll just check something out at the library and read the first few pages there and decide.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any author that has been beloved, that I hadn't heard of, and then couldn't get into... so maybe I WILL like GH?
So sorry to hear you didn't like it. I haven't read Heyer yet but I have one of her books on my shelf. Guess I'll find out for myself soon enough.
ReplyDeleteI had a very similar reaction to my first (and thus far only) Heyer. I liked a lot of it, but man she used a lot of unknown language to me too!
ReplyDeleteI tried reading one of novels before, but I had the same problems you had. But I am going to give her book one more try, since I own it. There must be something I missed the first time.
ReplyDeleteI think you should give Heyer another try! I hated the first one I read--The Corinthian, absolutely thought it was stupid, and vowed never to read another one. But a friend convinced me to try Bath Tangle, and from then on I was hooked. I've now read nearly all of them. You might try listening to one: two I've enjoyed on audio are The Quiet Gentleman and Friday's Child (very funny).
ReplyDeleteI won a giveaway on the Austen Authors site for 4 of Georgette Heyer's Regency romances that I'm interested in reading at some point, but I think I want to try her mystery books -- I've heard those are particularly good.
ReplyDeleteA shame that this one didn't work out -- I'm going to give it a go at some point when I find time in the good ole reading schedule! I'll try a different one than you read to start with! (Fingers crossed that it's a good one?) :)
Bummer that you didn't enjoy this one. By the sound of it, I wouldn't either!
ReplyDelete