Tuesday 22 May 2012

Arabella by Georgette Heyer

I am a stranger to the romance sections of bookshops and libraries.  I tend to stick with historical fiction, classics, literary fiction and contemporary fiction.  I'm not adverse to romance taking place in the stories I read but I have this perception of the romance genre as being a bit tacky and bodice busting, not 'proper literature' (judge me for this if you like!).  But I've seen Georgette Heyer's name mentioned on lots of blogs I follow and last week felt the need for a read I could escape into, so I braved the romance section of the library and came out with Arabella.

Arabella is the daughter of a country vicar who is sent into London for the season to live with her Godmother in the hope of making a fortunate match.  On the way to town, her carriage breaks down and she meets wealthy and sarcastic Robert Beaumaris.  Arabella overhears him accuse her of being yet another girl only after his money and reacts strongly.  Soon all of London believes her to be a wealthy heiress and Arabella finds herself caught in her own deception.

I have to admit that I very much enjoyed Arabella.  The writing was sharp, witty and events moved on at a good pace.  Arabella herself was a sympathetic main character as she wasn't perfect (although of course she was perfectly gorgeous), and it was easy to see her character develop over the course of the novel.  Robert Beaumaris was a leading man in the mold of Rhett Butler, a man so fabulously rich he could think whatever he liked and have a sarcastic, half-joking, half-sneering manner, even though he's a bit of a softy underneath.  I was rooting for the two of them to get together by the end of the book.

I was also impressed with the historical setting of Arabella.  It was clear that Heyer really understood the time period and consequently there were lots of small details about dress, meals and social events that I as a historical fiction fan definitely appreciated.

Of course, I could argue that events in the novel were predictable, which they were.  It's easy to see the consequences of Arabella's deception before they actually happen and what will happen between Arabella and Robert is obvious from their first meeting.  But I was in a mood where I found the predictability comforting and Heyer still took me on a fun ride to the predictable ending.  Arabella is a great comfort read for times when you simply want to lose yourself in a good story, well told.  It's not going to change the world but I can guarantee you will have a smile on your face when you finish it.

Source: Library
First Published: 1949
Score: 3.5 out of 5

21 comments:

  1. I'm not a fan of the romance genre either...but right now is the the time for comfort reading...I'm trying to pack in as much as I can before summer school starts and I have to begin reading essays again :(

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    1. You guys have broken up for the summer hols already? Term here doesn't end until July 20th, still 2 long months to go before the summer holidays :(

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  2. Romance is not my thing either but I do read GH on odd occasions. I enjoy her wit and the historical background too.

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    1. She must be a crossover author as it seems she does have quite a lot of appeal outside of the genre.

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  3. I like romance for comfort reads. :) I'm not a huge reader of the genre, but I tend to dip in from time to time. I might have to keep an eye out for this when I am in need of something new.

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    1. Comfort reading, that's the perfect description for it! What other writers would you recommend?

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  4. I like to escape into a romance when life has stressed me out and I don't want to think to hard.

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    1. Exactly! My brain was all caught up with starting studying again so I think that's why I craved something a bit lighter.

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  5. I think Heyer appeals to a lot of people who don't generally read romance because her settings and characters and wit are so great. I've only read a couple of her books, but I loved them and am looking forward to reading more.

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    1. Teresa, I think the link many people make between her and Jane Austen is why a lot of people end up trying her books. What other books by her would you recommend?

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  6. I have to admit I also do not normally read romance, although I have read a couple of young adult titles in the last twelve months for work but Georgette Heyer has been on my to read list for awhile. There is a generall concensus that she is a novelist of merit and I keep thinking I should broaden my horizons and dip more of a toe in the romance pool and I do like historical fiction.

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    1. It was a nice pleasant read, I think best saved for when life is a bit stressful - it's perfect escapism. Let me know what you think if you do get a chance to try one of her books, Arabella.

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  7. Yes, Heyer really is the grande dame of Regency romance. I don't read much in the romance genre, but someone recommended The Grand Sophy, also by Heyer, and I ended up loving it. You're exactly right when you call her writing sharp and witty.

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    1. I'll have to try The Grand Sophy, it's quite intimidating the amount of books she has written!

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  8. For some reason the comment form on your blog never shows up when I use Firefox...

    I actually read this one! I don't read very many romance novels, but I'll read the occasional one if I'm visiting family and run out of books to read. I did like the fact that Heyer was so good at presenting a very accurate picture of life in Victorian society. At the same time, she's definitely not someone I could read all the time.

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    1. I don't use Firefox myself, so I'll have to investigate that issue a little bit, I don't want anyone deterred from leaving comments! :P

      I agree with you, I liked Arabella but would need quite a bit of a break now before trying one of her other books.

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  9. I love Georgette Heyer!I've reviewed some of her novels at FLY HIGH. However, I haven't read Arabella yet. My next Heyer book (next summer) will be instead, The Grand Sophy :-)

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  10. I tend to share your feelings about the romance genre. It seems rather predictable to me and I like books that surprise me. However, I understand why it is a great choice for high-stress times. It's sort of like re-visiting an old favorite.

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  11. I'm a total stranger to the romance section, too, but have Georgette Heyer on my wish list. Guess I didn' t even realize she fits the category...

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  12. Thanks for the review. Romance is my go to genre when I'm sick and your review inspired me to try out Heyer and Arabella. It was a fun, light read.

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  13. I liked this one very much. But, then I like them all.

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