I have just pondered over buying a Georgette Heyer book, when and how did I become that person.

[twinsetandpearls]

I have been reading a lot of hostorical books to update my subject knowledge and was just buying another and then pondered iver buying Georgette Heyer's The Conqueror.

I have never read a romantic book in my life and am shocked at myself. Although I do love biographies and historical novels, is this the next step? Is this what happens when you move to Dorset?

someone really ace loves Georgette Heyer and I just can't think who it is - Alan Bennett possibly ?

Actually Heyer is quite superb and very witty.

But don't start with The Conqueror. Try one of her regency novels instead.

(My Heyer addiction dates from before we moved to the land time forgot otherwise known as Aberdeenshire).

Margaret Drabble really rates Georgette Heyer. She is not your run of the mill romantic writer.

I love her books.

Try Venetia, it's fab, or These Old Shades and Devil's Cub. They are fabulous.

TSAP I am a very SERIOUS woman. A serious woman with a proper career and a good degree in Eng Lit. And I have adored Georgette Heyer since I was nine years old. Comfort reading at its best.

AS Byatt also rates her - she has loads of very highbrow fans.

Plus of course the many highbrow mumsnetters who love her - there is an appreciation thread in mumsnet classics...

here is the thread

Now you have seen the light go back and buy your first Heyer, run a hot bath and enjoy.

Heyer fan over here, too. Ditto English degree, ditto grown up serious (sometimes) person.

Fantastic historical research, but more importantly just brilliant, witty writing. Snobs are people who've never tried her.

Be out and proud!

(Off to GH thread now to wallow in her fabulousness)

ah yes, it was Stephen Fry who rates her - I knew it was someone I admire

lol at I am a serious woman.

It only appealed as that is the peroid of history I am teaching so spent my holiday swotting up on. It felt like some light relief.

So if I like Phillipa Gregory and similar will I enjoy this? Our charity shops are full of them.

I don't think you should be LOLing at a serious woman TSAP

Start with These Old Shades. I am still in love with the Duke of Avon.

I love Agatha Christie too I can see a pattern emerging

The Conqueror is not a fluffy romance book - she was a thorough researcher and it is a very good story about William the Bastard. Get it.

Only go onto the historical romances (btw, they are not all Regency, they span a 150 year period!) if you want to go a bit lighter - or you could read her novel about Charles II's escape from England next (Royal Escape); equally historically valid is her book called An Infamous Army, which discusses the Battle of Waterloo.

She also wrote some excellent murder-mysteries - I think they are every bit as good as Agatha Christie's with more humour.

IMO she is about 12million times better than Philippa Gregory!

The main difference is that GH is funny (mostly) while Gregory is generally serious, also Heyer very rarely writes about real historical characters except in passing, her hero and heroine are usually fictional characters. (There are some exceptions though).

She's generally considered to be a very good historian.

[whisper] I have to admit I don't like her murder mysteries, I don't think they are well plotted. Her husband used to think up the plots and it shows, in fact there's one - I think it might be Why Shoot a Butler - where she admitted even she was never quite sure what the solution was.

I feel a bit mean saying this though, as I do think she is a genuinely very fine writer.

There is a lot of snobbery about here, totally undeserved - for some reason she got lumped in with the Mills & Boon type books; absolutely unjustified. Much more like a more humorous Jane Austen.

My favourite skill of hers is her ability to make you hear the different styles of speech - when some are being rigidly correct and punctilious and others are more natural - it's brilliant writing!

Do you know I actually bought a GH book after a thread on here, Federica I think it was, but I've never gotten around to reading it.

I've never read and proper historical fiction before (apart from Austen) but I really like some of the Penny Vincenzi (trashy I know) that are set between the 1900s and the 1950s.

I love Austen so I may enjoy. Am popping out with dd in a moment for a walk to the bookshop.

I too suggest 'These Old Shades' to start with, then 'Devil's Cub'...I envy you having the complete works of Georgette Heyer to discover!
Favourite quote from TOS:
'"Leonie, you will do well to consider. You are not the first woman in my life."
She smiled through her tears.
"Monseigneur, I would so much rather be the last woman than the first," she said.'
I have to reread it now!

DH bought me 6 first edition hardback Georgette Heyers for my birthday last month! What a lucky girl I am!

I was reading Shakespeare, Byron, Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott and dipping into eighteenth century gothic genre novels by the age of 13, thanks to my discovery of Georgette Heyer at age 11. Seriously. (God, I was SUCH a nerd ) The above authors are all referenced and quoted from at length in her books, and got my literary curiousity juices flowing. That sounds a bit rude actually, but I'm sure YSWIM!

And my first literary crush was: Justin, Duke of Avon.

devils cub is my fave! I read my mum's Georgettes as a child and have never looked back! (another serious woman in a proper career here )

oops (actually I did probably mean )

Heyer is great, especially her murders

Well went into town but spent a huge chunk of my book budget on dd as she wanted the new jacqeline wilson book and a Roald Dahl book for school. I also bought a reference book for work. None of the second hand bookshops had any, smiths a few but they were £7 which took me above budget. May have a look online.