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dunnettreader 's review for:
Frederica
by Georgette Heyer
I have been reading Georgette Heyer novels since I was a teen. Ms Heyer wrote dozens of 'regency' novels, and a number of others, including historical fiction and mysteries. With such a large ouevre, there is bound to be variation in quality. 'Frederica', one of the later novels (1965), is one of the better novels. It does follow a formula and there is little doubt as to what the outcome of the story will be, but there is pleasure to be had in getting there.
The protagonists of the story are the Marquis of Alverstoke and Frederica Merriville. Frederica, the eldest of five siblings, has brought her family to London to launch her sister Charis into London society. Charis is fabulously beautiful, which draws a number of suitors. The drawback is that Charis is exceptionally tender-hearted and a ninny. Naturally, she falls in love with a distant cousin who is also a dim bulb and gorgeous. Frederica, who is anxious to settle her sister in a comfortable marriage, does not look kindly on this attachment. She herself, at the age of twenty-four, regards herself as too old for marriage. But Frederica has called upon Alverstoke, a distant cousin, to assist her in making the entry into London society. Alverstoke, wealthy beyond imagining and bored by every woman he has ever met, is a reluctant partner in this endeavor. What changes his mind, and lifts this story above the average regency novel, is the introduction of Felix and Jessamy, Frederica's young brothers. They are curious, rambunctious, and constantly getting into scrapes that necessitate the intervention of Cousin Alverstoke. Will Alverstoke finally admit that he has met a woman who fascinates him, and will he be able to persuade Frederica to accept his proposal? The answer is never in doubt, but it does involve rudimentary train engines, steam pipes, and aerial balloons, which is a departure from the typical regency novel.
If you enjoy regency novels and Jane Austen's polite society, give 'Frederica' a try.
The protagonists of the story are the Marquis of Alverstoke and Frederica Merriville. Frederica, the eldest of five siblings, has brought her family to London to launch her sister Charis into London society. Charis is fabulously beautiful, which draws a number of suitors. The drawback is that Charis is exceptionally tender-hearted and a ninny. Naturally, she falls in love with a distant cousin who is also a dim bulb and gorgeous. Frederica, who is anxious to settle her sister in a comfortable marriage, does not look kindly on this attachment. She herself, at the age of twenty-four, regards herself as too old for marriage. But Frederica has called upon Alverstoke, a distant cousin, to assist her in making the entry into London society. Alverstoke, wealthy beyond imagining and bored by every woman he has ever met, is a reluctant partner in this endeavor. What changes his mind, and lifts this story above the average regency novel, is the introduction of Felix and Jessamy, Frederica's young brothers. They are curious, rambunctious, and constantly getting into scrapes that necessitate the intervention of Cousin Alverstoke. Will Alverstoke finally admit that he has met a woman who fascinates him, and will he be able to persuade Frederica to accept his proposal? The answer is never in doubt, but it does involve rudimentary train engines, steam pipes, and aerial balloons, which is a departure from the typical regency novel.
If you enjoy regency novels and Jane Austen's polite society, give 'Frederica' a try.