Would Georgette Heyer's Arabella be a Good Choice for Book Group?

[CDMforever]

We've never read anything oldish but want something a bit different to Austen, Dickens etc...

If not Heyer, then any other ideas for a great book thats not contemporaray and will have lots of things to talk about??

PS nothing too high brow

Arabella is lovely but so is the Grand Sophy and so many of the others

I'd be hard pressed to choose

The Grand Sophy is by far the best of the Georgette Heyers IMO, although Arabella is very enjoyable.

What about Anya Seton - especially Katherine, or Baroness Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel?

Ok will give The Grand Sophy a try.

Just so I know, Are Heyer's books all set in the 19th century?

Are they tongue in cheek?

Grand Sophy would also be my choice. The majority of Heyer's works are set in the Regency period (1811-1820) but a handful are set in the late 18thC and there are a few set even earlier (none of which are much cop) and a bunch of contemporary (mid-20th C) crime novels which are quite good but nothing special.

The majority of her books are fairly witty, and Grand Sophy is laugh out loud funny in places but I wouldn't say they're tongue in cheek exactly.

Agree with grand sophy as it is by a long way my favourite . There is one of them that is set against back drop of waterloo (it's a sequel to Regency buck) Is an infamous army . Although not as funny as grand sophy might be might br more to say re attitude to war, women, child rearing etc

Arabella is great, and not bad for book group as you can also talk about the Issues in it (climbing boys, slums) but I do find the annoying younger brother annoying on repeat readings - a pity cos otherwise it would be right up there.

Cotillion is my favourite, closely followed by These Old Shades and the end of Devil's Cub (the scene where Mary runs away and meets a certain gentleman in the inn).

Grand Sophy is good - but for me in the next tier.

Agree that Cotillion is hilarious, and Devil's Cub (although the former is far prefererable from a feminist/relationships POV).