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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An aristocratic family is reeling from the loss of two family members only to learn the son of the family prodigal is the new heir. And what a prodigal he is likely to be reared provincially in the wilds of Yorkshire in the wool industry and only attaining some respectability through an officer's rank in Wellington's army. Oh yes, the Darracotts are in an uproar about Hugo, the Unknown Ajax. As one of the most sparkling of Georgette Heyer's gems, I couldn't resist picking this one up in audiobook and enjoying it once again.
Georgette Heyer has a gift for the Regency comedy of manners, spirited Regency dialogue and cant, ripping plots, and slow-burn sweet romance. The Unknown Ajax takes us to a family estate on the coastal border of Sussex and Kent where the majority of the story is the happenings during a family gathering for the arrival of a long lost family member. This is just after the allied victory at Waterloo ending the Napoleonic Wars when many military are returning home including the new heir of the family.
The Darracotts are all in an uproar about some country bumpkin from Yorkshire inheriting their prestigious family title and estates. None want him and least of all Anthea whom her grandfather, the current Lord Darracott, is insisting she marry this new heir while Vincent another grandson feels the injustice of giving way to the rural interloper. Into this atmosphere of genteel hostility arrives large, phlegmatic Major Hugo Darracott.
The book introduces the situation, the characters, and then how Hugo's arrival is like the cat among the pigeons- a part he gladly plays because he is well aware what they all think of him. He was curious about his dead father's estranged family and now he's seen them. He knows he must inherit and take over the estate after his grandfather so he has his work cut out for him to charm them in his own whimsical way. But, of all of them, he most seeks to win over his beautiful, sharp tongued and equally sharp-witted cousin Anthea. Meanwhile, an over-zealous custom's agent hangs about hoping to catch the smugglers operating in the area and there are rumors of a ghost at the family dower house.
I have enjoyed most of Georgette Heyer's books over the years, but this one is probably one of my top favorites. It all boils down to Hugo. He's such an engaging hero. He puts up with a great deal from all his new-found family and their ignorance about his past that he faces with either silence or amusement. He's humble and doesn't need to show off just how capable he is. It all comes out slowly though so that by the end not one member of the family is in doubt of his worth.
The comedy of how Hugo fools them all and just the quirky, fun characters surrounding him particularly Claude the high-strung dandy who studiously sets out to bring Hugo into fashion or that rivalry among the valets going on below stairs. Just so much to make one smile and laugh.
But, she doesn't neglect the suspenseful moments or the sweet sparkling romance to give the story its heart. The way the final scenes play out is riveting even while delighting the reader's sense of humor. The adorable way Hugo courted Anthea into first liking him to finding herself falling for him was another master stroke.
The focus of this book is on the family as a whole and the dynamics of having such characters all under the same roof. I thought this was all painted so well and was itself an entertaining part of the story.
This was my first occasion to hear Daniel Philpott narrate and I was impressed with his range of voices from curmudgeonly old Lord Darracott to tart Anthea, dramatic Claude and stately Lady Aurelia. And many more. Genders, classes, regional accents, pacing, tone, and timing were all splendidly worked.
All in all this revisit to an old favorite went prodigiously well, as Hugo might say. I can heartily recommend this one to those who enjoy sweet Regency era comedy romance or want to ease their way into the classics through this almost-classic.
Georgette Heyer has a gift for the Regency comedy of manners, spirited Regency dialogue and cant, ripping plots, and slow-burn sweet romance. The Unknown Ajax takes us to a family estate on the coastal border of Sussex and Kent where the majority of the story is the happenings during a family gathering for the arrival of a long lost family member. This is just after the allied victory at Waterloo ending the Napoleonic Wars when many military are returning home including the new heir of the family.
The Darracotts are all in an uproar about some country bumpkin from Yorkshire inheriting their prestigious family title and estates. None want him and least of all Anthea whom her grandfather, the current Lord Darracott, is insisting she marry this new heir while Vincent another grandson feels the injustice of giving way to the rural interloper. Into this atmosphere of genteel hostility arrives large, phlegmatic Major Hugo Darracott.
The book introduces the situation, the characters, and then how Hugo's arrival is like the cat among the pigeons- a part he gladly plays because he is well aware what they all think of him. He was curious about his dead father's estranged family and now he's seen them. He knows he must inherit and take over the estate after his grandfather so he has his work cut out for him to charm them in his own whimsical way. But, of all of them, he most seeks to win over his beautiful, sharp tongued and equally sharp-witted cousin Anthea. Meanwhile, an over-zealous custom's agent hangs about hoping to catch the smugglers operating in the area and there are rumors of a ghost at the family dower house.
I have enjoyed most of Georgette Heyer's books over the years, but this one is probably one of my top favorites. It all boils down to Hugo. He's such an engaging hero. He puts up with a great deal from all his new-found family and their ignorance about his past that he faces with either silence or amusement. He's humble and doesn't need to show off just how capable he is. It all comes out slowly though so that by the end not one member of the family is in doubt of his worth.
The comedy of how Hugo fools them all and just the quirky, fun characters surrounding him particularly Claude the high-strung dandy who studiously sets out to bring Hugo into fashion or that rivalry among the valets going on below stairs. Just so much to make one smile and laugh.
But, she doesn't neglect the suspenseful moments or the sweet sparkling romance to give the story its heart. The way the final scenes play out is riveting even while delighting the reader's sense of humor. The adorable way Hugo courted Anthea into first liking him to finding herself falling for him was another master stroke.
The focus of this book is on the family as a whole and the dynamics of having such characters all under the same roof. I thought this was all painted so well and was itself an entertaining part of the story.
This was my first occasion to hear Daniel Philpott narrate and I was impressed with his range of voices from curmudgeonly old Lord Darracott to tart Anthea, dramatic Claude and stately Lady Aurelia. And many more. Genders, classes, regional accents, pacing, tone, and timing were all splendidly worked.
All in all this revisit to an old favorite went prodigiously well, as Hugo might say. I can heartily recommend this one to those who enjoy sweet Regency era comedy romance or want to ease their way into the classics through this almost-classic.
Another glorious comfort re-read of the divine Miss Heyer.
This was not a romance, Hugo and Anthea barely talk to each other. So in that I was a little disappointed. But man was this book funny. I was laughing a lot reading it. Claud really grew on me. Every character was hilarious.
Mixed feelings about this one. I read all Georgette Heyer's Regency novels as a teenager and thought they were brilliant. Re-reading this one now and I found it slow to start with an abrupt ending. While I loved the main characters (particularly Hugo), they had to share their time with too many minor characters (who were ALL given backstories) that I didn't really care about. And there were far too many exclamation marks!!!!
Only Hugo, an entertaining plot and the terrific final few chapters saves it from three stars.
Only Hugo, an entertaining plot and the terrific final few chapters saves it from three stars.
Things have come to a pretty pass at Darracott Place. Following the unexpected death of Lord Darracott's eldest son and grandson in 1817, the family is horrified to learn that the title and the (admittedly ill-funded and rather run-down) estate will pass to a previously unknown cousin, Hugo--a Darracott, in a manner of speaking, but also a former soldier, and the son of a Yorkshire weaver's daughter. Still, Lord Darracott hasn't given up completely. He's counting on his spinster granddaughter Anthea (she is twenty-two, after all) to teach the commoner a thing or too ... and if the low-born imbecile can be bullied into marrying her, thereby preserving some measure of the Darracott line, so much the better. But when the rather enormous Hugo (hence the Ajax reference) arrives on the scene, the family doesn't know what to make of him. He is unfailingly good-natured and amiable in the face of his cousin Vincent's cutting remarks, and he genially resists his cousin Claud's attempts to improve his fashion and eradicate his appalling Yorkshire dialect (much to the chagrin of both). But there may be more to the seemingly stolid Hugo than meets the eye. Meanwhile, the local Riding Officer is closing in on a band of smugglers, and he suspects some of the local gentry may be aiding and abetting their activities. Lord Darracott, outraged by the extortionate tax rates, is certainly sympathetic to the smugglers. But Hugo suspects that young Richmond--Anthea's brother, whose desire to join the army has been repeatedly thwarted by his grandfather--may be doing more than just sympathizing. Will the Darracott heir be able to win Anthea's heart and save the family from ruin?
In other words, it's a sort of Downton Abbey redux. Except this was published in 1959, so I guess that makes Downton Abbey an Unknown Ajax redux. (The commoner-becomes-heir part, not the smuggling part.)
Although there's adventure here (see above re: smuggling), this is a classic Heyer romance. There is plenty of witty banter, and nary a kiss to be seen. It is a romance of personalities, not physicalities. Which, if you're a fan of Jane Austen, should be familiar territory.
The book is full of Heyer's trademark humor and liveliness (along with an outlandish escapade, just for kicks). We find out early on that Hugo isn't the clueless lug he pretends to be, but is merely living down to his family's expectations. He is, as a matter of fact, quite clever and observant (and well-educated), and is possessed of a lively sense of humor and a tendency toward levity. Which means he can't help teasing the family by deliberately infuriating them with his deplorable Yorkshire accent and slang. But he's not the only source of humor. Cousin Claud, a confirmed dandy, is a hoot, and an excellent addition to any scene he graces. Mrs. Darracott (mother of Anthea and Richmond, and daughter-in-law to Lord Darracot) is amusingly scatterbrained and rather frippery.
As in all her books, Heyer clearly holds her characters in deepest affection--with the possible exception of the autocratic Lord Darracott, whose stubborn selfishness has caused grief to his family on more than a few occasions. But even he has his ridiculous moments, and anyway, his uppance is not long in coming. And other than Lord Darracott, the characters are all likable (if occasionally foolish), and reading about them is an absolute and unqualified lark. Plus, I learned quite a bit about the history of the smuggling trade along the Sussex and Kent coasts.
Definitely worth reading, particularly if you're looking for a romance in the Jane Austen vein and don't mind a dash of (slightly outlandish) adventure mixed in with your period romance.
In other words, it's a sort of Downton Abbey redux. Except this was published in 1959, so I guess that makes Downton Abbey an Unknown Ajax redux. (The commoner-becomes-heir part, not the smuggling part.)
Although there's adventure here (see above re: smuggling), this is a classic Heyer romance. There is plenty of witty banter, and nary a kiss to be seen. It is a romance of personalities, not physicalities. Which, if you're a fan of Jane Austen, should be familiar territory.
The book is full of Heyer's trademark humor and liveliness (along with an outlandish escapade, just for kicks). We find out early on that Hugo isn't the clueless lug he pretends to be, but is merely living down to his family's expectations. He is, as a matter of fact, quite clever and observant (and well-educated), and is possessed of a lively sense of humor and a tendency toward levity. Which means he can't help teasing the family by deliberately infuriating them with his deplorable Yorkshire accent and slang. But he's not the only source of humor. Cousin Claud, a confirmed dandy, is a hoot, and an excellent addition to any scene he graces. Mrs. Darracott (mother of Anthea and Richmond, and daughter-in-law to Lord Darracot) is amusingly scatterbrained and rather frippery.
As in all her books, Heyer clearly holds her characters in deepest affection--with the possible exception of the autocratic Lord Darracott, whose stubborn selfishness has caused grief to his family on more than a few occasions. But even he has his ridiculous moments, and anyway, his uppance is not long in coming. And other than Lord Darracott, the characters are all likable (if occasionally foolish), and reading about them is an absolute and unqualified lark. Plus, I learned quite a bit about the history of the smuggling trade along the Sussex and Kent coasts.
Definitely worth reading, particularly if you're looking for a romance in the Jane Austen vein and don't mind a dash of (slightly outlandish) adventure mixed in with your period romance.
Well done again, Georgette Heyer! However, (SPOILER)
It would have been nice if they'd realized he wasn't totally dumb sooner.
It would have been nice if they'd realized he wasn't totally dumb sooner.
The ending was rushed, the love story never stopped feeling mostly one sided, and I didn't care for the casual acceptance of the "petticoat line" and ruining the blacksmith's daughter's reputation. However, I loved the hijinx and character development. Great humor and mystery, but not as satisfying as most of Heyers books as far as romance goes.
Bravo! Such a great tale, and original characters that light up every page. It takes me a while to get used to her vernacular, but once I'm settled in it is such a great ride.
funny
lighthearted
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