The Black Moth - Georgette Heyer

[lazymonkeyface]

Is today when we review it?

Is there already a thread? I can't find it. Can someone link if there is?

If there isn't - I just couldn't get on with it. I'm still not passed chapter 5. It's awkwardly written for me and just too much information, like she was trying to be too cleaver iyswim.

Agreed, in fact I should have said "both are horrible" rather than "which is horrible" because either way is what I meant.

The above has reminded me, bearing in mind that most of the posters will have read nearly all the books there's bound to be some overlap and comparison which means plot points leaking out. I've belonged to forums where you could get shot, stabbed and sent to coventry for "spoilers". I personally think it's going to cramp our style if we rigidly stick to the book at hand and it's not like it's a TV show that's only a few days old; but I'm willing to fall into line with what everyone else wants e.g no talking about books that the group hasn't read or, a SPOILER warning or, a free for all.

What does everyone else think?

Oh, Wyrd, I think we've just got to put up with the spoilers, and frankly, if you can't work out who's going to end up with whom within the first couple of chapters, then you can't have read that many of her books!

Sorry, I don't mean you, personally, I mean "one" can't have read.......

I don't think we need a spoiler warning. I've not finished the book but im not upset to learn what happens. I always find GH easy to work out who goes with who iyswim

Her worst books are not the Georgian ones, but the medieval ones like Lord John (yawn).

"...if you can't work out who's going to end up with whom within the first couple of chapters, then you can't have read that many of her books!"

Yes and if I'd bothered to follow that train of thought a bit further I would have rememberd that it was the TV shows that everyone got all snarly about not 60 year old books

There are a couple which have "who's the bad guy" twists, but tbh I think you'd have to be pretty naive not to spot them.

So when do we do These Old Shades? Do we need to allow a bit of extra time for people to finish The Black Moth, so they can see the "prequel" aspect?

I think that we should stick to 2 weeks a book. I've not finished the book yet because im struggling with it. I'm also away from home until Sunday so won't get a chance. But I will.
I took for granted the next review would be on 14th?

Surprised by some of what's here ... I adore Jack Carstares! Those very blue, wistful eyes - oh yes, I'll have him any day. Nor do I find his departure unbelievable (given that we are reading GH here!). I think that is very much of her as well as his time - when paying off a tradesman was considered far less important than 'debts of honour' ie. gambling debts to other rich people, and social hierarchies were so critical. (Having said which, no true GH hero wouldn't pay off a tradesman's bills - they may patronise their servants to our eyes, but they usually adore them and are swiftly put right by the heroine if they are uncaring to those around them.) Only started last night and I'm whizzing through it very happily. Yes, it is also very much of her earlier phase, and the language and style is different, but that's fine by me - (I also love The Masqueraders which someone else here disliked). I like GH's elegant heroes, sometimes more than the domineering bad boys of the later years. Off to Jack's blue eyes again ... and his horse, Jenny, that comes when he calls!

I think Jenny the magic horse is the only unmissable clue that this book was written by a teenaged girl.

It has been years since I read this and I now see why. The characters have no depth to them which is not true of the later books. Still a good start .

If we are doing These Old Shades and Devils Cub in order then we need to read Regency Buck before An Infamous Army as Charles is Worth's brother.

Oh what a gorgeous thought, Dilys! Pony book meets historical romance! A Gymkhana for Jack; Jack Takes the First Fence ... (I'm sure Jenny's not the only magic horse, thinking about it ... now I'm going to be looking throughout ...)

Re the accent, Hugo in the Unknown Ajax does V Good Yorkshire despite his Harrow education, so presumably Miles will have similar from his nurse/groom

more using it where appropriate - Hugo uses Yorkshire to speak to his horse and occasionally to his groom, as well as putting it on for the family. I do agree with you about Miles though, both he and Molly are more Irish that we might have expected. GH lack of research showing at this early stage perhaps?

Hello! I've finally finished Black Moth. I struggled to get into it and found the male characters very flat, which I suppose is a reflection of her age when she wrote it.

I will make an immediate start on These Old Shades!

Am loving this thread. Am re-reading some GH that I haven't read for years.

My only question on here is, if we are reading These Old Shades now, after The Black Moth, when are we going to read Powder and Patch? Are we going to read Devil's Cub after These Old Shades and then go back to Powder and Patch?

I read Devil's Cub as my first GH. I was introduced to it by a girl at secondary school. I loved it immediately. Have tried to pass on my love of GH to DM, who couldn't stand them. Recently asked DD if she would like to try. No . None of my other friends read her, either.

When I re-read Devil's Cub now (Vidal was my teenage fantasy) I am quite shocked about the near-rape. When I read it as a teenager I just loved the whole thrill of being abducted by a dark-haired nobleman (not a gentleman!).

It's very interesting reading some of GH now as a grown woman as opposed to a teenager. My attitudes towards some of the characters and social mores has really changed. This thread is also very interesting in that I can see that it is the same for some other MNers.

Ooh totally agree Judy. I had such a crush on Vidal too in my teenage years, but when I re-read it now, he just seems a bit spoiled and I can't really see what Mary sees in him (seems more like she wants to mother him ).

Can I also vote for going back to read Powder and Patch at some point? I know it's a bit silly (lacks a good central female character to put some spine into it) but I do enjoy all the clothes descriptions

Will start on These Old Shades but I have read it so many times I can probably join in any discussion already...

In the quiet bits between books we could have a bunfight debate on the current book regarding who we'd cast in the (long overdue) TV adaptation?

Bazillion versions of Dickens and only one adaptation of The Reluctant Widow in 1950, I ask you is this right?

Has anyone seen it btw?

imdb link, but that's as much as I know

I have just found part 1 on You Tube.

I didn't know about the TV veto. That is very interesting, perhaps she was worried about the kind of hatchet job that might be done.

Good choices I like Rupert Everett in the role especially, I shall go and have a think and get back to you.

Ooh, WrydMother, I was pondering that very question on the way to work this morning.

I think the veto is a direct result of the Reluctant Widow adaptation, which GH apparently detested - I have a vague recollection that she hated whoever was cast as Carlyon but I don't know where I read that.

I want to see Frederica or Sylvester adapted, with Richard Armitage as Sylvester or Alverstoke - I'm not fussed .

The girl who played Anne Elliot in the ITV Persuasion has the right look for Phoebe but possibly not enough spirit.

Will keep thinking...