AUSTEN-L "Pre-FAQ" Comments on Similar Authors -- Georgette Heyer (Collected by Juliet A. Youngren) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments on Georgette Heyer on the Jane Austen discussion list (AUSTEN-L) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [See http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/austen-l.html and http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/pre-faq.txt ] Q. I like Jane Austen's novels very much, but there are only six of them! What other authors might I enjoy? A. Without a doubt, the number one choice of Austen-L is Georgette Heyer. Below are some comments on Heyer from the list, followed by recommendations of other books and authors that might appeal to Jane Austen fans. GEORGETTE HEYER "I always have recourse to her novels for light reading. I have lots of favorites, but want to put in a vote for THE RELUCTANT WIDOW as being especially 'light, bright and sparkling' and for a wealth of Austen allusions. Specifically, Lord Carlyon's scattered-brained sister, Lady Flint, ... must be a direct steal from Charlotte Palmer, Mrs. Jennings' daughter in S&S." (Cheryl Kapec, 5 January 1994) "They're extremely entertaining comedies of manners, and ... she did do her homework ... [T]he books contain exact descriptions of clothes, house decorations, carriages, etc. from the Regency era. I LOVE these books." (Ann Zook, 21 July 1995) "Rachel Brownstein ... says of course she reads Georgette Heyer 'because Jane Austen didn't write any more novels.' --can't argue with such a respected critic." (Edith Lank, 22 July 1995) "Georgette Heyer's Regency (and Georgian) romances are enormous fun. It's impossible to suppose that anybody on this list who enjoys the comedy-of- manners aspect of Austen would find Heyer wanting. The woman could write like a bandit, and it's always clear (without, at least in my view, ever being obtrusively so) that she was meticulous in her background research. She also loved language, and her use of Regency-era slang and cant speech is something else that makes the books glow for me ... It's difficult to name favorites, but off the top of my head here are some titles to look for: SYLVESTER, VENETIA, THE TALISMAN RING, THE INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE, FRIDAY'S CHILD, THE GRAND SOPHY, and A CIVIL CONTRACT." (John Hopfner, 23 July 1995) "Georgette has been one of my favorite authors for years and years. One thing I like is that she fills in details that Jane assumes her readers know--and which certainly her contemporary readers did know--such as styles of clothng, carriages, how to get around Bath, household servants, etc. She did lots of research for her books." (Mary Margaret Benson, 24 July 1995) "[S]he excelled in the Regency novels ... one of my favourites is AN INFAMOUS ARMY (Wellington/Waterloo) ... [She] does indeed give us details (but so unobtrusively) that Jane Austen assumes of her readers." (Ursula Rempel, 25 July 1995) "Three cheers for Georgette, who wrote great Regencies ... Record my vote for Heyer's DEVIL'S CUB although I think A CIVIL CONTRACT is probably the better place for an Austen lover to start." (Pamela Regis, 25 July 1995) "My wife and I had to chime in in praise of Georgette Heyer and while we would acknowledge the pleasures of the novels already mentioned, especially DEVIL'S CUB, we must give homage to the great Triumvirate: THE UNKNOWN AJAX, THE MASQUERADERS, and, of course (ALLELUIA) THE GRAND SOPHY. I sincerely hope that there are some readers out there who have not yet read Heyer and therefore will discover these treasures for the first time thanks to this wonderful list." (Ted Blaisdell, 25 July 1995) "But what about VENETIA and FREDERICA?! Two delightfully different heroines." (Wendy Jones, 25 July 1995) "As for GH books, my favorite is THE CORINTHIAN. GH is a delight to read. I fully expect to laugh at all exploits whenever I pick up her novels." (Joanna Loss, 26 July 1995) "I particularly like FREDERICA, BLACK SHEEP, and A LADY OF QUALITY. I started out liking THE GRAND SOPHY, but my enjoyment was spoiled because of the grossly stereotypical portrayal of the bloodthirsty, conniving, dirty Jewish moneylender ... I am still reading and enjoying Heyer's other books, however." (Marjorie Shustak, 27 July 1995) "I got to know Heyer through her mysteries, which are brilliant and witty ... I finally sampled a few of her romances and found them (mostly) delightful. My favorite so far is SPRIG MUSLIN, which had me (pardon the pun) in stitches ... Heyer's attitude is sometimes a bit dated, though: she does put in the spirited woman who really wants to be mastered (POWDER & PATCH) or the emotional/illogical woman, which is supposed to be charming and feminine (FARO'S DAUGHTER)." (Juliet Youngren, 27 July 1995) "IMO some of Heyer's strongest heroines are: Miss Wychwood in LADY OF QUALITY, Mrs. Cheviot in THE RELUCTANT WIDOW, the governess in THE NONESUCH, and the older heroine (Sir Hugh's sister) in THE TALISMAN RING ... I believe that for most of her life Georgette Heyer was the main breadwinner in her family--I like to imagine that she saw herself in the heroines of good family who were forced to support themselves and were too proud to take help from family members ...." (Ann Zook, 28 July 1995) "She's okay but not rereadable. Her characters are much more stock types, and she overuses period phrases, I think." (Connie S. Paul, 9 August 1995) "Anyone interested in the [Brighton] Pavilion might want to look at REGENCY BUCK, which offers lots of description of it. The heroine attends parties there. Other topics include prize-fighting, driving (the heroine is a whip- hand nonpareil), snuff, and fashions (esp men's--Brummell is a speaking character) ... If you've never read Georgette, start with A CIVIL CONTRACT." (Pamela Regis, 12 August 1995) "A great deal of the power in [her] writing comes from [the] complex dialogues. These dialogues are crafted. They convey a great deal of information about the characters. As well, [she has] a very dry wit that mocks society's expectations in a rather gentle way. Characters ridicule society but do not hate it." (Cynthia Whissell, 18 September 1996) "IMO, Heyer provides readers with the historical and social minutiae which Austen assumes her readers will know in diction close to Austen's. No--not Austen--but surely the best of 20th C. `imitators.'" (Ursula Rempel, 18 January 1997) "In Heyer, you get a historically accurate picture of the regency--as well as witty, ironic satire and usually a good romance to go with it. Heyer dealt with usually the wealthiest and the London 'ton' in her novels but you also get a good understanding of the country gentry, the merchants and all those Lords and Ladies. And you also have lots of fun!!! It was not until I read Heyer that I really began to understand many of the social conventions taken for granted in Austen." (Eileen Kendall, 1 March 1997) "No one should be misled into believing that they are going to be exposed to great literature when they pick up either Hayer or O'Brian. As filler and background, they have value. The books should be viewed as entertainments, not literature. And, because I have experienced these two novelists [via books on tape] while I was doing other worth-while activities, at least when I finish the book, I have the fruits of my hands to show for the time invested." (Judith Abbott, 8 March 1997, e-mail to compiler) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------