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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
This was a fairly harmless, pleasant little Heyer romance. The time period setting is not my favorite--I find it difficult to envision a hero as virile and masculine when he "minces along in red high heeled shoes", and wears powder and rouge and patches. so when Philip Jettan is sent off by his love and his father to learn to be a 'real man' I was a little irritated. yes, he was slightly pompous. it didn't hurt him to become better traveled/ experienced, and to learn some sword play. but I missed the old Philip about as much as Cleone found herself doing so.
There's a specific scene where Philip is talking to Aunt Sally, and she basically says that women need to be mastered, and we don't think. A) By thinking through enough to explain to him that women don't think, she disproved herself, and B) arrrggh! Yes, some of us like to be mastered occasionally. but still--the scene annoyed me. No matter how true the scene was to the time in which it was set. so, well done, Ms Heyer, and yet booooo!
But this was overall a pleasant read. a good way to fill a Christmas day road trip. :)
There's a specific scene where Philip is talking to Aunt Sally, and she basically says that women need to be mastered, and we don't think. A) By thinking through enough to explain to him that women don't think, she disproved herself, and B) arrrggh! Yes, some of us like to be mastered occasionally. but still--the scene annoyed me. No matter how true the scene was to the time in which it was set. so, well done, Ms Heyer, and yet booooo!
But this was overall a pleasant read. a good way to fill a Christmas day road trip. :)
Toxic misogyny. Run far, run fast.
After the hero's proposal is rejected near the end of the book, the "wise, maternal" aunt tells him "never tell a woman the truth" and "women need to be mastered" and "all girls are fools" and "women cannot reason like men" and "you wouldn't love her if you weren't her superior".
There's more, but that is plenty.
After the hero's proposal is rejected near the end of the book, the "wise, maternal" aunt tells him "never tell a woman the truth" and "women need to be mastered" and "all girls are fools" and "women cannot reason like men" and "you wouldn't love her if you weren't her superior".
There's more, but that is plenty.
A quick read, for a Heyer book--so not as much character development as usual. There was a bit too much of the "women need a masterful man to tell them what they really want" kind of sentiment for my taste, but it was a Georgette Heyer book, so it couldn't have been too bad. ;-) It won't ever be my favorite, but it did have its moments. Overall, I am glad I read it--cute story, just not quite up to her later standards.
A forthright and honest young gentleman goes forth into the world to gain the polish his sweetheart demands. He becomes the beautiful and caressed darling of society, and when his childhood sweetheart encounters him next, he behaves like a light-minded fop. She's horrified, and of course he's just pretending--they end up happily married. A fluffy story at best.
It's not often that I DNF a book 20 pages from the end, but the whole speech from Lady M. about women wanting to be mastered...it's not feeling good. Of course it's somewhat qualified by Lady M. saying that at the very least the female love interest is like that, and herself not being like that, but I don't know. Just, I gave up. It wasn't that good overall anyhow, and I know how it ends.
Classic Georgette Heyer. I've read so many I can pretty much tell you exactly how they're going to go, but they're still great for a fun, easy read.
I really like some things about this book and really dislike others.
The good :
This is a witty, light, sparkling story. It is perfect to take your mind off your life and disappear into a completely different universe for a little while. It's like being plunged in this charming, privileged, flashy lifestyle of these upper class Georgians and their particular customs.
Georgette Heyer's wit can't be overstated. So many funny exchanges and quips. It's worth reading for the language alone.
It's a lively story with duels, flirting, betrothals... All sorts of shenanigans.
I feel like she has improved her plotting since The Black Moth. The pacing was tighter and I was never bored.
Philip was a fairly interesting character, he was the one I found the most engaging, although he could be annoying at times. I liked his steadfastness and how he always knew that he wanted Cleone. I disliked his sometimes overbearing manner and playing with her.
Maurice and Tom were dears.
There is a lot of untranslated French in this book. It participates to building the affected attitude of some characters very effectively. Luckily French happens to be the other language I know so I barely noticed it, but people who don't know it could find themselves tied to Google translate or a dictionary quite a bit.
The bad :
God, the misogyny. The toxic messages cheerfully espoused. Ugh. It was so jarring to me to read such disgusting attitudes and ideas. Women are silly, flighty creatures who don't know their own minds. They never say what they mean to men so a man can just disregard them and take a "no" as "just try harder". Really, young women want to be "mastered" and will be secretly thrilled and relieved. Just... no.
In the same vein, Cleone is written as a tittering idiot, who needs to be managed like a child.
The servants are caricatures, there is some pretty ugly classism going on as well.
I hope Heyer lightens up a bit on the misogyny in her later books. It's a shame because I really enjoy the humour, the banter and the funny storylines, but I have to grit my teeth and attempt to disregard the toxic messages that rear their ugly heads.
It's an entertaining book but not particularly memorable. I'm looking forward to getting to those of Heyer's books that made her famous.
The good :
This is a witty, light, sparkling story. It is perfect to take your mind off your life and disappear into a completely different universe for a little while. It's like being plunged in this charming, privileged, flashy lifestyle of these upper class Georgians and their particular customs.
Georgette Heyer's wit can't be overstated. So many funny exchanges and quips. It's worth reading for the language alone.
It's a lively story with duels, flirting, betrothals... All sorts of shenanigans.
I feel like she has improved her plotting since The Black Moth. The pacing was tighter and I was never bored.
Philip was a fairly interesting character, he was the one I found the most engaging, although he could be annoying at times. I liked his steadfastness and how he always knew that he wanted Cleone. I disliked his sometimes overbearing manner and playing with her.
Maurice and Tom were dears.
There is a lot of untranslated French in this book. It participates to building the affected attitude of some characters very effectively. Luckily French happens to be the other language I know so I barely noticed it, but people who don't know it could find themselves tied to Google translate or a dictionary quite a bit.
The bad :
God, the misogyny. The toxic messages cheerfully espoused. Ugh. It was so jarring to me to read such disgusting attitudes and ideas. Women are silly, flighty creatures who don't know their own minds. They never say what they mean to men so a man can just disregard them and take a "no" as "just try harder". Really, young women want to be "mastered" and will be secretly thrilled and relieved. Just... no.
In the same vein, Cleone is written as a tittering idiot, who needs to be managed like a child.
The servants are caricatures, there is some pretty ugly classism going on as well.
I hope Heyer lightens up a bit on the misogyny in her later books. It's a shame because I really enjoy the humour, the banter and the funny storylines, but I have to grit my teeth and attempt to disregard the toxic messages that rear their ugly heads.
It's an entertaining book but not particularly memorable. I'm looking forward to getting to those of Heyer's books that made her famous.