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rebroxannape's review against another edition
5.0
Terrifically entertaining and interesting guide to the Regency World of Georgette Heyer. Kloester goes into just enough depth on such topics as Clothing, Sport, The wars, A typical day in a bachelor's or a Debutante's life, The Royal Family, etc. to both enlighten the Heyer fan, and to remind them of what they already know. It's not for the serious historian or sociologist. She keeps it light and entertaining. As she goes from topic to topic, she adeptly and smoothly weaves in illustrations and examples from Heyer's own novels. There are line drawings throughout on, for example, carriages, bonnets, underclothes, architecture, the leading figures of the day. One of the highlights are her appendices. The one on the cant or slang of the day is particularly entertaining and handy. I started out intending to just skip around and read the parts that particularly interested me, but I ended up reading the whole thing, cover to cover.
rosannelortz's review against another edition
4.0
When reading Georgette Heyer’s books, you can sometimes find the story so enjoyable and full of levity that it seems like you’re reading “fluff”, not serious historical fiction. But Heyer was a meticulous researcher using actual places, persons, foods, furnishings, and turns-of-phrase from the Regency period. I didn’t realize just how detailed Heyer’s books are until I read Georgette Heyer’s Regency World: the definitive guide for all fans of Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and the glittering Regency period.
In this book, Jennifer Kloester explains all the different aspects of the Regency period in either narrative or encyclopedia fashion, using examples from Georgette Heyer’s novels to add piquancy to her prose. She talks about the different levels of society, the floor plans of houses, the roles of men and women, styles of clothing, and a host of other topics. The book conveys a vast amount of historical information–and astounds you with how much information Georgette Heyer managed to convey–but hardly ever falls into the trap of tediousness.
As the subtitle of the book proclaims, this book would definitely be of interest to all fans of either Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen. Although Kloester’s book is written in a popular style (e.g. without footnotes), I can see how it would also be a useful handbook for authors doing research in this period. In fact, one historical fiction author told me just the other day that this book is “the Bible” when it comes to writing Regencies.
In this book, Jennifer Kloester explains all the different aspects of the Regency period in either narrative or encyclopedia fashion, using examples from Georgette Heyer’s novels to add piquancy to her prose. She talks about the different levels of society, the floor plans of houses, the roles of men and women, styles of clothing, and a host of other topics. The book conveys a vast amount of historical information–and astounds you with how much information Georgette Heyer managed to convey–but hardly ever falls into the trap of tediousness.
As the subtitle of the book proclaims, this book would definitely be of interest to all fans of either Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen. Although Kloester’s book is written in a popular style (e.g. without footnotes), I can see how it would also be a useful handbook for authors doing research in this period. In fact, one historical fiction author told me just the other day that this book is “the Bible” when it comes to writing Regencies.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Good overview of cultural norms, home life, habits, clothing, etc. of the Regency period used in the novels of Georgette Heyer. Very readable. However, many "examples" tend to use characters from Heyer novels (such as the Taverners and Lord Worth from the book Regency Buck) to explain everyday situations. Just be careful that the real people and the novel characters don't mix up in your head (it happened once or twice with me).
beecycling's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent reference for fans of Heyer and the Regency Romance genre. Fun to read, useful to keep handy for reference.
uzoma's review against another edition
3.25
More into vocabulary lists and lists of notables than I necessarily would have preferred but pretty comprehensive nevertheless. I did really like weaving in all the different stories and references from Heyer's novels. Definitely a book for someone who has already read many of Heyer's novels already.
indianajane's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this book makes me want to go back and read every Georgette Heyer that I've read and pay closer attention,maybe make an effort to pick out the real people. And though I have figured out much of the slang and may of the references after reading a number of Heyer's books, I plan to order a copy of this to have on hand. An enjoyable light history and a fun reference work for history buffs and Heyer fans alike.