507 reviews for:

Arabella

Georgette Heyer

3.94 AVERAGE


3.5 stars

this was adorable fun for my jane austen loving heart and i appreciate the rush of serotonin it gave my brain
funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
funny lighthearted medium-paced

I love Heyer’s eye for historical detail, and though this book was not as bitingly satirical as others of hers I have read, it was another enjoyable read. A lot of similar tropes and characters from other books, but they work well, and thankfully there were no kidnappings or abductions in this one. 

Plot-wise, I felt that the stakes were a little lower in this book, but it made for a more gentle, and possibly more romantic read, which is not a bad thing.

The scenes where Beaumaris talks to his dog are perfect! 
funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was exactly my type of ridiculous fun. I got it this afternoon from the library and was so absorbed that I finished it by dinner.

Unlike Sophy in "The Grand Sophy," who had few visible character flaws, Arabella's choices (and mistakes) throughout the novel are actually somewhat realistic. She's a bit airheaded, and doesn't think things through, but has a good heart and an irrepressible temper towards those who attempt to harm those are weaker than themselves. I was never terribly awed by her, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book.

Mr. Beaumaris, her main admirer, is an entirely enchanting character, although I do see other reviewer's points that he seems like just another extension of the Heyer Man Archtype: rich, cynical, sarcastic, and seemingly poised to be won over by a charming, frank young woman. However, if my regard for K-dramas is any indication, I'm almost entirely immune to boredom with that style of literary or televised romantic interest. [EDIT: Just finished Frederica, the reading of which kindly exposed the fact that I'm not at all immune to that boredom.]

While I don't think this book's plot or ending will surprise anyone accustomed to the genre, it does what you'd suspect it means to do, and does it perfectly. Recommended reading for anyone who wants a handful of light-hearted hours.

Halo, Netfliks, molim jednu adaptaciju Arabele, spakujte mi za poneti!

E, ljudi moji, ponekad se stvarno isplati pročitati nešto totalno nasumično, jer mi je "Arabela" Džordžete Hejer bila apsolutno otkriće. I dalje sam u šoku da ima ravno jedna ekranizacija ovog romana i to je u pitanju neki NN film iz Nemačke na koji je i bog zaboravio. Tako da ne znam šta se čeka, jer je Arabela veoma vickasta i može da pojede makar 3 junakinje Džejn Ostin za doručak.

DakleM, Arabelica je iz nekog sela u Jorkširu i otac joj je svešteno lice, te je nerado pušta u pohod na London (ali ima još šestoro dece pored nje, pa hajde nek' se bogato uda).

Na putu do Londona pokvari joj se kočija (pukne valjda deo koji povezuje konje sa kočijom, ne znam, nisam kočijomehaničar
funny lighthearted slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I am always fascinated by how much Georgette Heyer set the pattern for nearly every plot in the Regency romance canon. I can't say that I enjoyed the bit where the heroine's young brother gets himself in too deep gambling - I could see it coming a mile away but then had a moment wondering whether that particular plot might be hackneyed because it happened here first.

What I loved the most is Ulysses the mutt, his ecstatic devotion to the hero, and the one way banter of man to dog.
emotional funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced