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?

Georgette Heyer is wonderful
Fabulous heroines and even more fabulous heroes
Well written and you know the plot will always end up the way you want it to

Keep trying the charity shops, always loads in there when I look, or the recycle warehouse tipshop

I only went in to the oxfam bookshop, I inagine the charity shops will have some. Have too much marking this weekend to read one anyway.

A copy of These Old Shades for £1.50 from Amazon

Gosh, I will admit that the vast majority of my Heyers came from charity shops but I haven't seen any in charity shops around here for a few years - I did leave my name and number and ask to be called if any came in a few years back, that's how scarce they were in this area. The last few in my collection I had to buy brand new (the latest reprint editions).

I always check the books in our local charity shops and still haven't seen any for ages. Second hand book shops/stalls might be better.

Thanks quattro, dp will be proud if I keep to my budget!

They had some on abe books as well. Will compare prices

There are lots listed on Ebay too.

There are lots available on ReaditSwapit
here

I may have ot try them

I think the murder stories have their flaws - the dodgy approach to relationships between the sexes which you can cope with in the historical novels seems embarrassingly anachronistic even in the 1930s the murder stories are set in, which lets face it was not the decade of futuristic thinking as regards equality of the sexes (just ask Scarlett O-Hara).

But I do love the brilliant realisation of a period, and the witty dialogue. My favourites are probably The Unfinished Clue (with refreshing heroine Dinah) and Duplicate Death. They are slightly less rubbish than the others.

I've only read a handful of Heyer's historical novels because am reading snob (with English degree + am serious woman TOO), but on the other hand I stole a Barbara Cartland from the doctor's surgery last week because I wanted to finish it. Was it possible that the spirited younger sister married to brutal Lord Sebastian to settle her father's debts could possible come to LOVE HIM? I needed to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Georgette Heyer wrote two types of historical novels - the frothy Regency ones which she had to keep writing because they were so popular and hence paid the bills and the serious historical ones such as An Infamous Army, The Conqueror etc. She regarded these as her real work and her historical research is impeccable - The Spanish Bride is a very well-researched and accurate account of Wellington's Peninsular campaign for instance. There is no need at all to feel embarrassed about reading them - they are positively educational.

I think it is the historical ones I will like am going to order some this evening.

You've got it arse about tit, Patricia (which one are you, btw? My favourite is Carey Silence). You can't possibly read the detective novels but be too snobby to try the historical ones! She is a superb historical writer, detective novels are definitely second-rate.

Get The Spanish Bride Twinset. It's fab.

An Infamous Army is said by people who ought to know to be one of the very best, most accurate, descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo.

i LOVE georgette heyer. i swooned over sprig muslin when i was younger.

Yes, Edam, they say it is so accurate it was used as a textbook at Sandhurst - must ask FIL if that is indeed true.

have ordered conqueror and if I enjoy it will order another.

Edam - you are right, I have it all wrong. The trouble is that as a fan of detective stories, I read those GH wrote, and as a non-fan of historial novels, I didn't bother with those. But now that this thread has demonstrated my error, I will try the hist.novels.

Re which PW heroine I am, it all depends whether I am choosing most agreeable heroine or hottest (relatively speaking) hero. If the latter, I would have to be Valentine Grey in Poison In The Pen because Jason Leigh is irresistible. But Valentine herself is bit of a drip. So poss. Ione Muir from Ladies Bane even though Jim Severn is dull dull dull and has questionable approach to ladies stranded in fog ie lure them to empty house and attempt to spend night there with them. Why didn't he wake her up when the Professor left???

As for Carey Silence, frankly I think she fell on her feet. Fancy being adopted by a rich, childless old widow and proposed to by an American millionaire all in the same week.

Finally Edam is my very favourite kind of cheese.

I haven't read one of hers for years! I must track some down - I remember loving them but couldn't tell you the titles although it was definitely Regency period.

Blimey, it's not often someone rolls over quite so easily, PW!

I sometimes wonder what sort of woman Frank Abbott would have fallen for, in the end. Would love to write that story...

Btw, most irritating heroine - that one out of Grey Mask. I know one can't really bang the lovers' heads together or there would be no Romeo & Juliet etc. etc. etc. but I really do want to scream 'why the hell didn't you TALK to him rather than just nobly resign yourself to remaining single forever to protect your frankly implausible stepfather? Huh?'

All PW heroines roll over easily when spoken to firmly, whether by the hero, the police or the villain.

Frank Abbott did fall for Judy in Pilgrim's Rest but as Miss Silver so crushingly observed, it would never have worked, prob. because unlike almost every PW heroine, Judy had a mind of her own and a job of her own.

The story I would love to write is either the one in which Miss Silver segued from governess to detective for the first time, or the horrible affair of the poisoned caterpillars in which she saved Randall March's life. It might even be possible to conflate them into one... [broods over possible plot.]

I take your point re Margaret in Grey Mask. Stacey Forrest is just as bad - she wakes up in the night and sees her husband holding a pearl necklace, assumes he has stolen it and divorces him on the spot without ever telling him why. Dur!!!!

We have hijacked this thread. Perhaps we should start another one.

Good idea but I think the thread has gone off the boil anyway.

You are quite right about Stacey Forrest, pathetic excuse for a plot. Am sure PW could have done better. Still a good read, though.

Would love to read poisoned caterpillars, she's a real tease about that.

Come to think of it Phyllida Wray is nearly as bad, feebly believing that Elliot was keepinga mistress and letting him walk out on her.

But to be fair, she had slightly more evidence to go on, and Elliot was his own worst enemy in saying he didn't have to explain himself thank you very much.

Have you ever read any of the non-Miss Silver ones? Clearly Silence In Court, but there are some others, eg the frankly barking Adventure of Jane Smith and one called Kingdom Lost.

They are early efforts of PW and tbh, make the Miss Silver ones look like rigorously-planned, intellectually-demanding tours de force. Which takes a bit of doing.