The Spanish Bride: Georgette Heyer book club no 10

[thewhistler]

Ok, I'll start this but not finish it, if only because I am towards the beginning of rereading it. I'm finding some of the authorial interpolations and uses of the continuous past about Harry Smith a bit tedious, and ok, I confess I still can't really picture what went on with Picton's men at Badajos, but as portrait of a marriage, so far, between two impetuous young people with respect for each other and standards, I find it convincing.

The accents are cod, again, but the descriptions of the sack deplorably realistic. And I like the pictures of the minor characters, George Simmons, Kincaid, Wellington (hardly a minor character but ykwim).

My question, however, is: will I get bogged down in the mud of war or will it be exciting enough to take me with it? And will Juana and Harry develop from their initial positioning?

All to play for.

[MooncupGoddess]

Oh, well done thewhistler. I haven't read it for years but remember the first chapter being very strong - but after that it struggles rather to keep the narrative thread going (a problem with fictionalised treatments of history generally - with the author having so little control over the basic plot it is so easy for them to read like just one damn thing after another).

[GinGirl]

Only one of GH's that I plowed through deliberately. Having always been swept along/entertained by/loved her books, found it a very odd experience.
Found it harder going than An Infamous Army, perhaps because it takes place over a much longer time scale.
Keep going, you'll be glad you did!

[thewhistler]

Just finished. It has taken me far far longer than the usual ones that take a couple if hours max. And tbh if I hadn't read it younger I am not sure I would still have continued. I do want to read his memoirs and also Johnny Kincaid's.

I think she might have had more fun writing a serious biography of him.

Having seen a portrait of Juana I can't see how she was so beautiful. Reality problem there.

Some of the scenes are very touching. The meeting between Harry and his father, for example. And some if the stories authentic . But I'm not a great fan of histories of military campaigns.

So, not a disappointment really, but can I recall what happened at Badajos? What do you think?

What do you think?

How soon shall we move on?

[thewhistler]

Ps, but I enjoyed it far more than Simon the Coldheart or that one set in the Elizabethan period around the Inquisition.

And it was quite amusing seeing London and a middle middle class family - a surgeon - through foreign eyes, which she did well.

[crumpet]

I've just found Harry Smith's autobiography online (link on his wiki page). Huge amount of the book has been taken almost word for word from it.

[thewhistler]

Crumpet, that's fantastic. Will follow suit.

[MooncupGoddess]

Well, I have just reread The Corinthian and am raring to go. How is everyone else doing? Maybe aim for Monday 15?

[thewhistler]

She was actually 13.

Far far too young. But what were the options?

His account is more interesting than GH's.

Let's move swiftly on. Honour is satisfied.

[thewhistler]

She was actually 13.

Far far too young. But what were the options?

His account is more interesting than GH's.

Let's move swiftly on. Honour is satisfied.

Can we start next week? I am very fond of Richard Chandon.

[thewhistler]

Sorry about double post. On bus and on phone.

[thewhistler]

FFS. Just giving up.

[thewhistler]

Yay.

[HoratiaWinwood]

Oops, I missed TSB so have started a thread for The Corinthian although I cocked up the numbering.

[deleted203]

Oops...I've just posted on 'The Corinthian' that I hadn't managed to struggle through TSB and was it worth it....and then spotted this thread. Apologies.