Georgette Heyer
Aug 10
2004
I firmly hold the following to be true:
Georgette Heyer wrote her first book at seventeen. Over the course of the next fifty-odd years she wrote nearly sixty romance and mystery novels. She is best known as the originator of the "Regency romance", although several of her modern mystery stories were excellent. While a handful of her books are admittedly pretty bad (and one is truly unreadable) the majority are highly entertaining, and almost twenty of them are superb. At her best, Heyer's mysteries are clever and amusing, while her romances are sweet and dazzlingly funny.
Note: Heyer's A Civil Contract was one of our Book of the Week picks.
Aftertaste:
None.
Availability:
While some of Ms. Heyer's books are being re-released here in the United States, many of her more obscure titles and mysteries are only available in libraries or online. I'm very excited about the recent British re-releases of many of her romances (gorgeous covers, available at amazon.co.uk), but if you're more budget-minded you can frequently find her books for pocket change on eBay.
Other Recommendations:
Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons
Anything by Jane Austen
Anything by Lisa Kleypas
Sorcery and Cecelia, by Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede
Website:
http://www.georgette-heyer.com/ -
- Georgette Heyer was an amazing writer.
- She is tragically underappreciated (particularly here in the United States).
- The fact that no one has made a film version of one of her romances or a TV version of one her mysteries is CRIMINAL.
Georgette Heyer wrote her first book at seventeen. Over the course of the next fifty-odd years she wrote nearly sixty romance and mystery novels. She is best known as the originator of the "Regency romance", although several of her modern mystery stories were excellent. While a handful of her books are admittedly pretty bad (and one is truly unreadable) the majority are highly entertaining, and almost twenty of them are superb. At her best, Heyer's mysteries are clever and amusing, while her romances are sweet and dazzlingly funny.
Note: Heyer's A Civil Contract was one of our Book of the Week picks.
Aftertaste:
None.
Availability:
While some of Ms. Heyer's books are being re-released here in the United States, many of her more obscure titles and mysteries are only available in libraries or online. I'm very excited about the recent British re-releases of many of her romances (gorgeous covers, available at amazon.co.uk), but if you're more budget-minded you can frequently find her books for pocket change on eBay.
Other Recommendations:
Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons
Anything by Jane Austen
Anything by Lisa Kleypas
Sorcery and Cecelia, by Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede
Website:
http://www.georgette-heyer.com/ -
Posted by: Julia
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Comments
lori
I just finished reading the Nonesuch again last night. I feel like I got a steal because it cost me less than a dollar at the used book store. Georgette Heyer is definitely one of my favorite authors. She's intelligent, witty, often funny, and always historically accurate. My favorite will always be the Grand Sophy, but Cotillion is a close second. I just need to get my hands on a copy of the Unknown Ajax, and I will want for no more (yeah, right). If you haven't read her books before, be sure to add her name to your "To Read" list.
hecate
Ooh! Heyer! My favorites are "Arabella", "The Nonesuch", "The Grand Sophy", and "Venetia", but any of the ones on the recommended books list are awesome.
helena
My favorite is "The Unknown Ajax", but I think "A Civil Contract" is one of the most interesting and least rose-tinted romances I've ever read. It's more about how real families try to blend together than it is about the romance between the hero and heroine.
Statler
It's not my favorite Heyer, but "False Colours" does include the character of Ripple, who is not to be missed. I snicker whenever I think about the scene where, after decades of wooing his ladylove, she suddenly decides to marry him and he's desperate to get out of it....