Georgette Heyer - give me your top five

As a teenager I loved these old shades, but I think at age of 60 there’s something slightly dodgy in it now..all that boy- girl thing and the age gap

If These Old Shades was written now, there would be a load of bollocks about gender identity & pronouns, & Leonie would probably be nonbinary

As a teenager I loved these old shades, but I think at age of 60 there’s something slightly dodgy in it now..all that boy- girl thing and the age gap 😱 🤣🤣🤣🤣
who can’t love the grand sophy - verging on a feminist icon !!
My dear departed mum was an English teacher, studied and read all the classics…but I still have her well used Heyer collection (virtually all of them) that she’d turn to to destress . They’re beautifully written and highly under rated . They’re still my “comfort” reads !

@HonoriaBulstrode
Thanks. I was haunted by the prospect of novels of hers I hadn’t read! I remember seeing these titles listed in a Heyer library book I borrowed in my long ago teens.

I’m .sure that I read somewhere that there are a few books by her that I haven’t read. Has anyone read ‘ It Happened in Vauxhall Gardens’ or ‘Lilith’ and if so, any idea where to get hold of them?

They are not books by GH. They might be short stories, originally published in magazines. A couple of collections have been published, but I think there are some stories which have not been republished.

There were also some early novels which GH suppressed later because she was dissatisfied with them when she had developed as a writer. They are not available anywhere (except in the BL etc.) They are not Regencies.

@CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan I was just about to mention Lous Bujold’s Vorkisigan series here as the space opera version of a Heyer novel, for those who are open to it. How cool to meet a fellow Vorkosigan fan!

My favorite heroes are Sir Anthony in Masqueraders and Hugo in the Unknown Ajax, I guess Ive got a type. But having read the books from 12-64 I think each of them has had their moments, for me. As Ive grown my taste in Heroes gas changed.

I’m .sure that I read somewhere that there are a few books by her that I haven’t read. Has anyone read ‘ It Happened in Vauxhall Gardens’ or ‘Lilith’ and if so, any idea where to get hold of them?

I wanted to call my DD Leonie but DH didn't like it. I'm still annoyed about it! She has red hair too!

I think the one about the runaway might be Sprig Muslin. 17 year old Amanda runs away repeatedly, and has a nasty encounter with a handsy man who mistakes her social class or character or something. But is rescued by a respectable older man, who does not fall for her charms, opting for a much more suitable woman of his own age.

And I really wanted to call my son Felix. But DH wasn't a Georgette fan unfortunately.

I too used to have a thing about Vidal. I didn't know this about An Infamous Army (which is one I never read). I think perhaps These Old Shades was the first I read too.

This is making me want to read them all over again.

I can't see any love for Faro's Daughter here...It's one of my faves.

I think Regency Buck or April Lady was my first. It was in my parents little book room and an absolute one off as my mother was a poet and blue stocking and I never knew her to read a romance at all. And I’m damned sure it was’nt my father’s pick! But I have really loved all of them and especially some of the harder nuts like The Conqueror or The Spanish Bride or A Convenient Marriage.

Also: no love for her mysteries? Envious Casca is the BOMB!

Oh but then The Nonesuch! Regency Buck, Faro’s Daughter ❤️, Arabella, Devil’s Cub, Masqueraders!
So much reading fun and joy!

LOVE Georgette Heyer.

tops books are:

These Old Shades
Venetia
Frederica
The Grand Sophy
Friday’s Child

Lady Aurelia with her generations of lords ranked behind her. Fantastic.

That’s exactly what I’d dread! Poor Darcy objectified in a wet T-shirt scene. Fitzwilliam would never do that.

I love Heyer but a decent adaptation that didn’t drift into Bridgerton or 50 Shades is hard to prevent.

And when Lady Aurelia walks in and takes command, putting all the men in their place.

I love, love, love the unknown Ajax. Oh my god the scene where the old lord finally realizes Hugo can buy and sell him!

She refused to go and see the film. Her son Richard did (expecting the worst) and walked out in disgust part way through.

She had talks about filming or televising other books, but after that experience she was determined to have the final say about scripts etc and no-one would agree to it. Only JKR has the clout to demand that level of control!

Re anti-Semitism, Georgette's paternal grandfather was possibly Jewish. He was from Russia (now Ukraine) and came to the UK in the mid19th century. One of Georgette's brothers was called Boris, but she apparently had no interest in her heritage.

From the biography by Jennifer Kloester: [when she received the advance publicity for the film] "A few moments' perusal was enough to convince her that her story was being advertised as a kind of bodice-ripper: 'I feel as though a slug had crawled over me. I think it is going to do me a great deal of harm, on account of the schoolgirl public. ... to turn a perfectly clean story of mine into a piece of sex-muck is bad faith'".

I’ve just found it on YouTube, described as the reason Heyer refused to have any more of her books filmed or televised.

There was a film of The Reluctant Widow in 1950. If I'm remembering correctly, Heyer thought it was awful.

The Nonesuch! Patience rushing to save the little boy, and Tiffany flouncing & pouting all over the place.

Oh what am I saying? They all would! The Talisman Ring! Frederica! Arabella!

Simon the Coldheart!

The way Andrew Davies adapted Pride and Prejudice is the sort of adaptation she needs. Long episodes and plenty of them, all the very best dialogue kept in and good casting. I remember thinking Colin Firth was very underwhelming as Mr Darcy but he was so good he’s the pinnacle of Mr Darcies to me now!

Faro’s Daughter would dramatise well. And the Unknown Ajax.