Thursday, August 15, 2013

The Convenient Marriage - Georgette Heyer

Having finally noticed that Arrow Books had re-jacketed six Georgette Heyer titles I got mildly excited,
certainly excited enough to make a cheeky request for review copies and the charming lady at Arrow was kind enough to oblige. I've said it many times before but I love Georgette Heyer - her books have never failed me and I think she is in her way a writer of rare genius.

I do already have a complete set (suppressed novels excluded) of Heyer's fiction, the romances all being the pan editions from the mid 1980's (I am half minded to collect the slightly earlier pan paperbacks which I judge to come from the late 60's early 70's because they're gloriously camp) which was partly why I felt cheeky asking for new copies but I really wanted to have a good look at these new copies. I think the new cover designs are great and hope that they get rolled out to the rest of the series - the last lot of jacket designs are inoffensive but convey none of the fun of a Heyer book, these new ones do. The cover for 'The Convenient Marriage' with it's rococo blue and gold and bold black silhouettes seems to me to reference both the 18th century setting and the original 1930's publishing date as well as looking suitably contemporary - in short it looks like a job well done. 

Another reason this selection attracted me is that (with the exception of 'The Grand Sophy' none of these titles were particular favorites when I was first reading them which makes it easier to approach them now without any particular prejudice. Settling down with 'The Convenient Marriage' was a treat. After reading a pile of M C Beaton's regency romances I can appreciate all over again the quality of Heyer's writing. She might deal in cliche's and stereotypes - her hero here is handsome (in a tall dark smoldering way), handy with a sword, intelligent, is conveniently wealthy, and has a sense of humor (like so many of the men I meet...) her heroine is small, dark (with heavy eyebrows) a stammer, a gambling habit, and a no nonsense attitude. It could all be rubbish, but it isn't, because Heyer makes me laugh. She also makes me feel safe and convinces me that all is well with the world. I am a more sophisticated reader now than I was at 13 when I first discovered these books but the joy i get from them is just the same - happy escapism. 

12 comments:

  1. I so agree - warm and safe and happy and amused: that's how her books make me feel. I've just re-read one of my absolute favourites, The Reluctant Widow.

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    1. want to read my way through about half of them again now but suppose I should exercise some restraint...

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  2. I have just bought Grand Sophy to read as I have not read any Heyer and it was something I challenged myself to do this year.

    I am looking forward to reading it.

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    1. I've just finished 'The Grand Sophy' and think it's a nice place to start. I'm inclined to think of it as one of Heyer's comedies as well as having a bit of a feminist streak to it. If you like it you'll love Heyer and with 50 odd titles in print she'll keep you going for a while :)

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  3. Yes, reading Heyer shortly after another Regency Romance author only makes her look better, doesn't it? She was a master at what she did and, like you, I am always so happy to escape into her books. It's lovely to see that at least a few of the titles are being reissued this way; hopefully they'll attract more new readers. I still love the old Arrow covers but I appreciate how much thought went into these new ones. Clearly, whoever did the art read the books (or at least had a thorough brief): the cover on The Grand Sophy even has a monkey!

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    1. These new covers really appeal to me, I think they capture something about the books really well, I hope the whole series gets a make over eventually. I find going back to Heyer that romance is only part of what her books are about whereas with the other books I've come across in the 'Regency' genre are basically all about a romance with no depth behind them. They can be fun in a throwaway style but Heyer is the only one I can imagine reading over and again. (I wonder if I'd like Sharpe between the pages of a book and not in the form of Sean Bean?)

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  4. I loved Heyer in high school and hers are some of the few books that have remained in my library over 40 years -- even though I have on occasion been unable to resist buying a new edition of an old favorite just because of the cover. The Grand Sophy, The Nonesuch, Devil's Cub (which has a tangential connection to Regency Buck revealed in An Infamous Army), Venetia and Frederica are particular favorites of mine. But I can reread almost any of them when in need of a fix.

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    1. Devil's cub was my favourite for years though now I prefer books with slightly less flamboyant characters, (The Toll Gate and The Unknown Ajax spring to mind). I haven't read Venetia for a long time and should probably pick it up again soon. She's such a good writer and like you she's staid with me for a long time - and will continue to do so.

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    2. I liked both the books you mention very much. Sylvester is a real charmer too ... and I am very very fond of the older heroine (whose name escapes me at the moment) in The Talisman Ring. I have always wondered why the BBC and PBS haven't done film versions of her novels or mysteries, especially considering that just in my viewing lifetime they have done 3 versions of Pride and Prejudice, and there have been three Miss Marples.

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    3. I couldn't agree more, and those are two of my favourites :)

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  5. I've been meaning to re-read some Heyer for so long, and keep not quite getting around to it. I've going to put one of hers in my bedside bookcase...

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