tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post7189378918637262263..comments2024-03-27T10:21:58.236-07:00Comments on FURROWED MIDDLEBROW: GEORGETTE HEYER, Bath Tangle (1955)Furrowed Middlebrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-92052187684893745702016-06-25T19:20:52.377-07:002016-06-25T19:20:52.377-07:00I discovered Heyer as a teen and I have read all h...I discovered Heyer as a teen and I have read all her mysteries and all her Regencies (and the odd Georgian ... ). I would recommend as her best SYLVESTER, FREDERICA, A CIVIL CONTRACT, and SPRIG MUSLIN. Probably a couple I'm forgetting. And the gloriously fun and very early THESE OLD SHADES.<br /><br />As for the early contemporary novels, like BARREN CORN and HELEN, I've read, I think, 1.5. Which was where I gave up. They are truly dire, in my opinion. (And very sexist.)<br /><br />The mysteries are fine -- not great, but fine. Worth a read.<br /><br />Rich Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659613066689174738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-42864709681230636052016-05-01T07:07:51.966-07:002016-05-01T07:07:51.966-07:00Many people have spoken about how enjoyable Heyer&...Many people have spoken about how enjoyable Heyer's novels are so I am not going to add to the chorus but write about what she means to me. As a timid, sickly, 14 year old Indian boy who was in awe of his elder brother, what was needed was for someone to take me under their wing. My mother recommended that I read The Foundling, where the Duke of Sale learns through action and adventure, to transition from being an unsure stripling to a confident young nobleman. I fell in love with Heyer's brand of exquisite magic and never looked back after that. I shed my inhibitions and now, at 26 am a business analyst at the worlds oldest bank, am the President of my Lions's club, and am the Captain of the company volleyball team. <br /><br />Georgette Heyer literally changed my life. Happy Reading!<br /><br />PS: These Old Shades was excellent. It beautifully fleshed out the characters in Devil's Cub. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-53189623712384759002015-04-13T13:50:17.254-07:002015-04-13T13:50:17.254-07:00I really think you should move over to WordPress -...I really think you should move over to WordPress - it took four goes to send my last comment.<br /><br />A really good review that romps as well as Heyer's novels - have you read any others since you posted?Victoria Maddenhttp://moulderslane.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-30128399788722398412014-08-10T16:02:15.931-07:002014-08-10T16:02:15.931-07:00I have to admit that on some perverse level all th...I have to admit that on some perverse level all the suggestions to avoid Penhallow is making me want to sample it! I'm going to try to resist at least until I've read a couple of others, but I may have to go for it before long just so see how different and hard to engage with it really is!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-19004002625374375072014-08-10T15:57:43.863-07:002014-08-10T15:57:43.863-07:00Thanks so much--it's lovely to have support fo...Thanks so much--it's lovely to have support for my reading! I have at least two more Heyers on my TBR shelves, but have been distracted by girls' stories lately. I will certainly get around to more soon though.Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-75318055168540125432014-08-07T13:46:40.062-07:002014-08-07T13:46:40.062-07:00I loved Behold, here's poison when I read it a...I loved Behold, here's poison when I read it as a teenager, so not sure it is that slow. The other title that is much harder going than most of the rest is Penhallow, a contemporary mystery, but much harsher than the rest.<br />Elizabeth Bentleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-9520868719254260862014-07-10T00:13:42.141-07:002014-07-10T00:13:42.141-07:00Just been rereading this post and comments and I h...Just been rereading this post and comments and I hasten to say that The Reluctant Widow is actually one of my favourites that I seem to have overlooked mentioning before. But as many of us have said - so many good ones, so little time! And I am delighted to note how many people have reread more that once. We've lost count I think.....Cestinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03050699324845479257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-18204276097965832762014-07-09T16:24:03.328-07:002014-07-09T16:24:03.328-07:00I love her books having discovered them as a teena...I love her books having discovered them as a teenager, she's seen me through good times and bad ever since. I basically agree with everything said here, though having never gone across any of the suppressed titles am interested to hear they're probably best left alone. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-64516049267421071012014-07-09T16:19:44.129-07:002014-07-09T16:19:44.129-07:00Can I add my voice to the general excitement that ...Can I add my voice to the general excitement that you've discovered HeyerDesperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-82219832151723609032014-06-17T04:45:27.159-07:002014-06-17T04:45:27.159-07:00So glad you discovered Heyer. It doesn't matt...So glad you discovered Heyer. It doesn't matter if she's well-known since she's clearly considered middle brow by those in the "know". I agree with Susan and Tom about the mysteries and Envious Casca as one of the better ones. When I read Heyer I didn't see it as just a woman waiting for a man to "save" her, but enjoyed the inner resources the heroines had in all sorts of situations.elljayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03475401098769442019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-66202041259137859852014-06-09T19:30:41.540-07:002014-06-09T19:30:41.540-07:00That's funny, Susan. They certainly do look l...That's funny, Susan. They certainly do look like they're doing the tango, but it looks like a fancier bathroom than anyone I know has!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-81622425141649886292014-06-09T19:28:13.626-07:002014-06-09T19:28:13.626-07:00Thank you, Kristi! My list is getting longer--I&#...Thank you, Kristi! My list is getting longer--I'll have my reading cut out for me!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-43557581862940354992014-06-09T14:44:46.419-07:002014-06-09T14:44:46.419-07:00P. S. When I was a teenager, my mother saw the pa...P. S. When I was a teenager, my mother saw the paperback copy of Bath Tangle I was reading, the one with Serena and Ivo on the cover, looking like she's about to slap him and he's grabbing her arm. <br />This one: http://www.tikit.net/PAN%202010%20M/PANM237.htm <br /> <br />Mom's comment:<br />Whose bathroom are they tangoing in?Susan Dhttp://www.susannastone.blogspot.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-79395088120151160052014-06-09T12:57:48.611-07:002014-06-09T12:57:48.611-07:00I agree about Roxhythe and am interested in Susan&...I agree about Roxhythe and am interested in Susan's opinion of the contemporary novels - but I still want to try them! I guess they are GH's practice pieces. On Civil Contract, also mentioned, I didn't like it much when I was younger but now I appreciate it much more. It is more real than many of her novels, for all the period touches. Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11871344153749710528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-59458467692237473332014-06-09T12:47:13.789-07:002014-06-09T12:47:13.789-07:00I enjoy GH next to DES and have reread them inumer...I enjoy GH next to DES and have reread them inumerable times since first finding them in the '60s. She is so funny! Frederica and Sprig Muslin are favorites and A Civil Contract is my favorite of all. That's one that people either like a lot or not much at all. The Unknown Ajax and The Grand Sophy are high on my reread list, too....You'll enjoy getting to know her work.Thickethouse.wordpresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17187303460677067276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-15759024969148805492014-06-09T06:55:31.587-07:002014-06-09T06:55:31.587-07:00Good to know. It looks like Great Roxhythe has be...Good to know. It looks like Great Roxhythe has been reprinted recently, so it's helpful to know that's one to stay away from. Thanks!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-55199619167944312142014-06-09T06:53:26.400-07:002014-06-09T06:53:26.400-07:00Thank you, Susan! I'm adding your recommendat...Thank you, Susan! I'm adding your recommendations to my database too. I've practically become a Heyer expert just from reading all of these knowledgeable comments. I love it!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-22039460528806231582014-06-09T02:03:23.504-07:002014-06-09T02:03:23.504-07:00Yet another vote here for Arabella and The Grand S...Yet another vote here for Arabella and The Grand Sophy. <br />A very rare early book which GH wanted suppressed is The Great Roxhythe. I was once lucky enough to find a copy and thought it dreadful! It's the only one of her books I haven't kept. callmemadamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12711070764040041338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-63480804681331495912014-06-08T13:51:45.524-07:002014-06-08T13:51:45.524-07:00Oh joy, you've discovered Heyer. And I think ...Oh joy, you've discovered Heyer. And I think you've picked a good example to start with. Although I'm not completely enamoured of her Alpha heroes. <br /><br />Now then, Arabella is, I think, the quintessential Heyer Regency romance, and an excellent one to go on with. All full of seasons, and the young miss up from the country, and mild adventures. A rare one in that the hero has no title, but is definitely a leader of society. Also, don't miss The Grand Sophy.<br /><br />For books more in the romance and suspense and danger field, we slip into an earlier time, late 18th century, where nothing can beat The Talisman Ring. Get it. Read it. The Tollbooth (ca 1815) is another good adventure.<br /><br />Her contemporary books: Helen, Barren Corn, etc. I found Helen many years ago at a thrift shop for about 50 cents, and was over the moon, since it was a Heyer I'd never heard of. It was, to me, lifeless and unmemorable. I tried reading it again some years later. Again, no spark. So I wasn't surprised to learn GH had suppressed those early contemporary novels. They will bring no joy to readers, I believe.<br /><br />The mysteries. They are pretty good, overall; I have three total favourites I reread constantly. Like Tom, I read Envious Casca at Christmas, and this past year treated myself to a new (to me) vintage hardcover, because my paperback edition has tiny tiny print and is falling apart. The same with Duplicate Death, which just arrived from England the other day (1952 copy, but with no jacket). The 3rd (or first) is They Found Him Dead, which must be read before Duplicate Death.<br /><br />Whew. It's hard to go wrong with GH, but there are, as others have said above, a few duds. Check with us, Scott, before spending lots of money on one if you're not sure.Susan Dhttp://www.susannastone.blogspot.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-56020819936003363862014-06-08T11:26:53.311-07:002014-06-08T11:26:53.311-07:00Grace - Thanks for the tip about the Open Library....Grace - Thanks for the tip about the Open Library. I think daughter and I would both have dropped Arabella in favour of Venetia but when we were discussing what should make the cut she said "Well really you might as well list all of them with just a few warnings about things like Cousin Kate!" I don't much like Charity Girl either actually....<br /><br />Yes Simon is medieval but then so is The Conqueror and I think that's much less turgid. I also have a fondness for the battle ones like The Spanish Bride and An Infamous Army, though they are somewhat different to the Regencies. I gather the latter has been used to train officers in tactics, it's so meticulously researched.<br /><br />Scott - of course it includes the insults! And my daughter is a Shakespeare specialist so we have some of them too :-)Cestinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03050699324845479257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-56291584820048304182014-06-08T11:15:20.329-07:002014-06-08T11:15:20.329-07:00Maybe you should sample another of the romances, T...Maybe you should sample another of the romances, Tom? I note that Reluctant Widow is not one of the favorite titles of the other commenters. I'm certainly going to check out some of their faves for my next foray into Heyer. And of course I have to sample one or more of the mysteries soon (hopefully before Envious Casca at Christmastime!).Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-14799036523656778982014-06-08T11:11:20.697-07:002014-06-08T11:11:20.697-07:00Thanks, Cestina! I've made a note of your sug...Thanks, Cestina! I've made a note of your suggestions as well. I have lots to look forward to. I imagine I will have to track down one of her early novels eventually, just to see what it's like, but I imagine they're quite different from her later work. <br /><br />I wonder if your quoting of Heyer includes using her insults. I am picturing you muttering animadversions against twiddle-poops and popinjays!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-49353856766330612082014-06-08T11:06:04.090-07:002014-06-08T11:06:04.090-07:00Thanks, Peggy Ann. I really liked this one a lot,...Thanks, Peggy Ann. I really liked this one a lot, but bear in mind the other comments here from Heyer connoisseurs who consider it not among her best work. That must mean I have even better things to look forward to!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-23448237604771004752014-06-08T11:04:16.173-07:002014-06-08T11:04:16.173-07:00Thank you, Grace. Oh, I wish I could have been ha...Thank you, Grace. Oh, I wish I could have been having lunch with you in a pub in northern England, discussing your favorite Heyers! I'm making a note of your recommendations. If Bath Tangle isn't even a favorite, when I enjoyed it so much, then I must have lots to look forward to!Furrowed Middlebrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065110409019861653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5595702824833504762.post-64250893212488837272014-06-08T10:44:27.460-07:002014-06-08T10:44:27.460-07:00The only one of Heyer's Regency romances I hav...The only one of Heyer's Regency romances I have ever red is "The Reluctant Widow," and it was quite enjoyable. Not altogether plausible, but does that ever stop us? I started with her mystery novels, and like them very much, especially "Footsteps in the Dark," which ought to be filmed! I suggest one doesn't start with "Behold, here's Poison." Too slow. And, of course, the psychological one, "Penhallow," which is almost a separate oeuvre.<br />Best wishes, from the now-famous, and highly flattered TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com