The other day, I read a Guardian post about how readers sometimes become addicted to authors.
Georgette Heyer was mentioned and I immediately realised I’d been an addict too.
Heyer (1902-1974), an English author of over thirty Regency romances and as
many historical novels and detective stories, has definitely been, not merely one
of my favourite authors, but my addiction too.
The addiction built
slowly. When I first discovered her books, I could only read books in my own
language and just four or five of her Regency romances had been translated to
it. I read them so many times I practically knew them by heart, but I didn’t consider
myself addicted, or Heyer as a favourite author. Once I began reading books in
English, I found a couple of more of her books, but that was all my local library had.
This was before
Internet, I should mention, specifically before online bookstores. My addiction
was unleashed after I discovered them, or – actually – after Amazon was founded.
I became an Amazon customer solely in order to buy all Heyer’s Regency novels.
Well, I meant to buy only one or two that sounded the best, but … well,
addiction.
It took me a while to buy all of them. I was
studying at the time and didn’t really have that much money. The books were out
of print and were being issued anew so I had to wait for them to show up on
Amazon catalogues. The books shipped from the US to Europe, an excruciating
four to eight weeks wait for each book. And every single book was worth it.
I’ve tried to analyse
many times what makes Heyer’s Regency romances so great. They have the spirit
of Austen with more modern sentiments. Her heroines are more likely to go
against the society’s dictates than in novels written in earlier times, but with such finesse that they don’t feel analogous. Her
heroes are dashing, often rogues who are redeemed during the course of the
novel, but not solely. She has a couple of particularly delightful young
heroes, like Freddy Standen in Cotillion (1953), who are good-natured and somewhat
clueless. Equally, she has heroines who are silly and not always likeable. She
regards all of them with an amused but beginning smile that allows the reader
to smile understandingly with her and root even for the silliest of them.
Her books are full of
historical details, too, that offer endless information without being dull. To
this day, most of my knowledge about Regency England comes from her books – and
I have a degree in English history. She made all the details in her books seem perfectly plausible and,
what’s more important, alive – something most modern authors of Regency
romances fail at.
I have my favourites
among her books, those that I have read more often than others – and I’ve read
them all more than once. They’re too numerous to bring up in detail here,
however. There simply isn’t a weak book among them. Even the dullest, either The
Toll-Gate (1954) or April Lady (1957), are good and worth reading again.
The book I’ve reread
most often is perhaps Regency Buck (1935), a story of brother and sister who travel to
London to force their reluctant guardian to bring them into society – a theme
of many of her books. It has everything that is perfect in her Regency novels,
a beautiful heroine, a dashing, slightly roguish hero, a lot of society
nonsense and a mystery to boot.
Another great book is
the aforementioned Cotillion, a delightful book I often read simply to feel
good. Venetia (1958), The Grand Sophy (1950) and Devil’s Cub (1932) are among the top ten too, as
are Arabella (1949), Lady of Quality (1972) and The Convenient Marriage (1934) – a book that has a
heroine who stammers, only one example of many among Heyer’s heroines who
aren’t utterly perfect and thereby lifeless.
My addiction subsided
eventually. I had all the books that I wanted – I have never been interested in
her detective stories – and had read them many times over. I haven’t stopped
loving her books, though. She is still my go-to author, the one I pick up when
I have nothing to read. It doesn’t matter which book I choose, or whether I
read all of it or just parts, I’m guaranteed a wonderful time. I’m even
considering buying all the books I already have as e-books. Partly because the
Arrow imprints I bought in the 90s were such poor quality that the pages fell
off after only one reading. Mostly, however, so that I would always have her
books with me.
Do you have a
favourite Heyer book, or hero or heroine? Please, share in comments.
