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The Great Roxhythe
Georgette Heyer’s second historical novel, published in 1923, was a far more ambitious undertaking than her first, 1921’s The Black Moth. The book was later suppressed from republication by its author during her lifetime.
The book is set at the court of Charles II, in the era after which he has returned to a grateful nation after his years of exile due to Oliver Cromwell’s Puritanical regime.
The book stars the Marquis of Roxhythe, a courtier and master manipulator who works behind the scenes to further his beloved King’s agenda.
The book is set at the court of Charles II, in the era after which he has returned to a grateful nation after his years of exile due to Oliver Cromwell’s Puritanical regime.
The book stars the Marquis of Roxhythe, a courtier and master manipulator who works behind the scenes to further his beloved King’s agenda.
418 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1923
211 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
Georgette Heyer
252 books5,519 followersGeorgette Heyer was a prolific historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth.
In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.
Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.
Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.
Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.
In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.
Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.
Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.
Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
September 19, 2022
1.5★
"I doubt it." My lord smiled insufferably.
Spoilerish second quote.
Don't click on the spoiler tags for this one unless you have either already read this book, or are quite sure you will never read it!
But both quotes encapsulate why this book is pretty much unreadable for me. As a tip, that Georgette Heyer as a naïve 20/21 year old Other than the spoilered quote above, this wasn't funny the second time around. Georgette Heyer's brother has described his sister as so square she was practically cubed. GH definitely didn't intend for this novel to be a
I don't think that books about royal intrigues are for me. This book was wwwaaayyy too talky-talky for me! No action happens for very long stretches.
Christopher Dart, who takes a position as Roxhythe's secretary, is an attractive character at the start, but by the end his rigid morals & start to pall. I would say by the time Chris makes his final appearance in the book he is around 32/33 which in those days would have been considered middle aged. It just doesn't ring true for me at all.
This book only gets an extra half star for a reasonably good beginning and because My Lord John and Helen are so much worse. Don't bother looking for my review for those two - I read them before I joined Goodreads and I am never going to read them again!
Even if you are a Heyer completist I would skip this one. If you really feel you must read this, don't be tempted to buy the edition with this cover.This is an cheap oversized knock off with photocopied pages. This so-called publisher shouldn't be encouraged.
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October 6, 2011
Georgette Heyer never allowed this book to be republished in her lifetime and, unlike Simon the Coldheart which laboured under a similar ban, it has never been republished after her death either. Because of this I approached The Great Roxhythe with some trepidation.
One obvious reason for this situation is the nature of the relationships between the leading characters. Heyer created a world where men have great depths of loyalty to each other (even if the two main friendships, between Charles II and the Marquis of Roxhythe, and Roxhythe and his secretary Christopher, are mainly one-sided). It is very easy for a reader reading this book in 2011 to misinterpret what Heyer has written.
Also, she is best known for her Regency-set romances and romantic love is lacking in this book. This is one of her straight historical novels although it does partake of that streak of adventure that runs through much of her earlier work, such as the Black Moth. Roxhythe is out of the same arrogant mould as the Alastairs and Lord Worth. Frequent balls and visits give a hint as to how Heyer's style was to develop in the future.
Language is a key feature of the work of Georgette Heyer and there is one notable eccentricity in The Great Roxhythe. There are almost no apostrophes. I never realised how many a book contains until I came across a book where most sentences were written out in full. While I did grow used to it, it did jar at the beginning of the book and hinder the flow of the prose.
Overall I enjoyed this book and it is well worth reading on its own merits not just as the "forgotten Georgette Heyer historical." It is not one of her best, and I would never recommend this to a new Heyer reader as a first or even an almost-first read. If you like Heyer's straight historicals and/or are interested in the reign of Charles II then if this comes your way, you might want to pick up a copy.
One obvious reason for this situation is the nature of the relationships between the leading characters. Heyer created a world where men have great depths of loyalty to each other (even if the two main friendships, between Charles II and the Marquis of Roxhythe, and Roxhythe and his secretary Christopher, are mainly one-sided). It is very easy for a reader reading this book in 2011 to misinterpret what Heyer has written.
Also, she is best known for her Regency-set romances and romantic love is lacking in this book. This is one of her straight historical novels although it does partake of that streak of adventure that runs through much of her earlier work, such as the Black Moth. Roxhythe is out of the same arrogant mould as the Alastairs and Lord Worth. Frequent balls and visits give a hint as to how Heyer's style was to develop in the future.
Language is a key feature of the work of Georgette Heyer and there is one notable eccentricity in The Great Roxhythe. There are almost no apostrophes. I never realised how many a book contains until I came across a book where most sentences were written out in full. While I did grow used to it, it did jar at the beginning of the book and hinder the flow of the prose.
Overall I enjoyed this book and it is well worth reading on its own merits not just as the "forgotten Georgette Heyer historical." It is not one of her best, and I would never recommend this to a new Heyer reader as a first or even an almost-first read. If you like Heyer's straight historicals and/or are interested in the reign of Charles II then if this comes your way, you might want to pick up a copy.
February 14, 2013
After listing this for years as Missing from my Heyer bookshelf, I actually read it on Kindle recently. Now I see why Heyer wanted it pulled from the shelves. She is probably somewhere upstairs cursing both her publishers and, ruefully,us her fans, whose ongoing demand for her stuff have pushed this out in the open again.
It's not that it's BAD - it's just the classic Second Book Syndrome, where the writer, like an over-enthusiastic kangaroo dog, starts half a dozen 'roos and tries to chase them all at once.
Good point, it IS about Roxhythe - from start to finish. And the finish is very affecting at the first reading. But this focus also leads to problems which leap out when you start to think back.
First problem is the Roxhythe/Christopher relationship. As others have noted, Roxhythe is a stage in Heyer's Old but Deadly Rakes between Tracy Belmanoir in *The Black Moth* and the more successful Duke of Avon in *These Old Shades*. The difference being that here, the attraction relationship is all male, rather than male/female as with Avon and Leonie in Shades.
So, Roxhythe the mighty, sophisticated, langorous but very intelligent noble hires ingenuous youth as secretary. Youth is partly repelled and then totally enchanted. Yep,as others have also noted, this is the prototype for the much better managed version of lord-and-secretary in Frederica. There, though, it was a sub-relationship, so to speak. Here it bids fair to claim central position, Christopher becoming a total Roxhythe worshipper, right or wrong - and then it gets truncated, first by a very detailed swashbuckle-and-spy mission to Holland, then as the book gets sucked into Charles II's time and politics.
A bit later we have an interesting crux where Christopher can't deal with a very callous action of Roxhythe's and eventually leaves him. OK, not bad, but then the relationship re-submerges in politics, and fizzles out when Christopher isn't in time for a final and doubtless wither-wrenching farewell. The primary emphasis on Roxhythe makes a fine closure, but actually militates against the book's overall unity.
On the other hand, Roxhythe's relationship with Charles never seems to develop beyond determination that he is Charles' man come hell or high water. Yes. And?
Worst problem, in the second half, Heyer gets involved with the minutiae of court events to the point where it's just a flood of names and actions that have cd. come straight from a history book. If I want history, I will read history. When I read Heyer, I want flesh on those bones, and Heyer flesh, as in *An Infamous Army*, and, perhaps not quite as successfully, *The Spanish Bride.*
Overall, then, it's an interesting read, a Heyer curiosity, bulging with goodies that don't quite come off but are obvious foreshadowings of the better later books. The biggest improvement between Roxhythe and Shades is the (re)-appearance of the love interest that makes a story between Avon and Leonie, a story that *The Great Roxhythe* seems to lean toward, but can't manage to tell - though a gay version of *These Old Shades* wd., indeed, have been something to see.
It's not that it's BAD - it's just the classic Second Book Syndrome, where the writer, like an over-enthusiastic kangaroo dog, starts half a dozen 'roos and tries to chase them all at once.
Good point, it IS about Roxhythe - from start to finish. And the finish is very affecting at the first reading. But this focus also leads to problems which leap out when you start to think back.
First problem is the Roxhythe/Christopher relationship. As others have noted, Roxhythe is a stage in Heyer's Old but Deadly Rakes between Tracy Belmanoir in *The Black Moth* and the more successful Duke of Avon in *These Old Shades*. The difference being that here, the attraction relationship is all male, rather than male/female as with Avon and Leonie in Shades.
So, Roxhythe the mighty, sophisticated, langorous but very intelligent noble hires ingenuous youth as secretary. Youth is partly repelled and then totally enchanted. Yep,as others have also noted, this is the prototype for the much better managed version of lord-and-secretary in Frederica. There, though, it was a sub-relationship, so to speak. Here it bids fair to claim central position, Christopher becoming a total Roxhythe worshipper, right or wrong - and then it gets truncated, first by a very detailed swashbuckle-and-spy mission to Holland, then as the book gets sucked into Charles II's time and politics.
A bit later we have an interesting crux where Christopher can't deal with a very callous action of Roxhythe's and eventually leaves him. OK, not bad, but then the relationship re-submerges in politics, and fizzles out when Christopher isn't in time for a final and doubtless wither-wrenching farewell. The primary emphasis on Roxhythe makes a fine closure, but actually militates against the book's overall unity.
On the other hand, Roxhythe's relationship with Charles never seems to develop beyond determination that he is Charles' man come hell or high water. Yes. And?
Worst problem, in the second half, Heyer gets involved with the minutiae of court events to the point where it's just a flood of names and actions that have cd. come straight from a history book. If I want history, I will read history. When I read Heyer, I want flesh on those bones, and Heyer flesh, as in *An Infamous Army*, and, perhaps not quite as successfully, *The Spanish Bride.*
Overall, then, it's an interesting read, a Heyer curiosity, bulging with goodies that don't quite come off but are obvious foreshadowings of the better later books. The biggest improvement between Roxhythe and Shades is the (re)-appearance of the love interest that makes a story between Avon and Leonie, a story that *The Great Roxhythe* seems to lean toward, but can't manage to tell - though a gay version of *These Old Shades* wd., indeed, have been something to see.
July 22, 2013
The Great Roxhythe (TGR), Georgette Heyer's second published novel, is an astonishing work of historical fiction, with two unconventional love stories at its center. It's a difficult book to review, as issues of writing "quality," by a precocious author writing in a time and place very different from ours, are irrelevant to the book's virtues. Heyer's style--conversational, with dialogue frequently used as exposition--was a familiar and accepted style for fiction in the 1920s and 30s, and there's little point in criticizing it for not meeting modern standards of literary snobbery. TGR is a thrilling example of this young novelist's masterly technique, mirroring the historical events of the setting in the narrative of the central characters' lives. On a more intimate level, TGR was a deeply moving story. It stayed with me, so that days after finishing it I was still experiencing that odd little leap of the heart, that mix of sadness at the ending and excitement at the pleasure I had had in reading it, which only the most extraordinary novels can produce.
The story takes place during the reign of Charles II, who returned in 1660 (the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy) from exile after the Civil Wars of the 1640s, the execution of his father, Charles I, in 1649, and the Interregnum of government by Parliament and Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s. At their core, these events are steps in the transition from a pre-modern form of government, absolute monarchy and the personal loyalty it requires, to parliamentary democracy and rule by "the people," that puts loyalty to country above loyalty to one individual. Charles, intelligent, promiscuous and cynical, was determined never to "go on his travels" again. He would do whatever it took to stay in power, while attempting to rule unobstructed by Parliament in a way that was no longer feasible.
Now, seven years later, David, Marquis of Roxhythe, is Charles's most devoted subject. His love for Charles, would-be absolute monarch, is absolute, a conflation of the personal and political that defines the nature of absolute monarchy. At a time when the causes of "king and country" are not necessarily one and the same, in any conflict between Charles's interests and those of England, Roxhythe will side with Charles. He routinely undertakes missions on Charles's behalf that could be called treason against his country. But a new love interest arrives in the person of Christopher Dart, a young man from a Parliamentarian family who becomes Roxhythe's secretary. For years, Roxhythe shields his naïve protégé from the reality of his work for the king, until the ugly truth inevitably emerges.
The story is far more nuanced than a simple black and white morality tale. Roxhythe's love for Charles may be indifferent to the ideals of Right and Wrong, but it is also "pure," disinterested, looking for no political or monetary advantages. By contrast, the supposed selfless patriots of the Country party are portrayed as unprincipled schemers. If absolute monarchy demands personal loyalty divorced from the greater good, parliamentary democracy encourages sordid politics, every man working for his own interests.
Of all Heyer's works, this is the most openly homoerotic story, and the character of David Roxhythe is the missing link in the evolution of Heyer's dangerous, morally-challenged and all-powerful rakish antihero from Tracy Belmanoir, Duke of Andover, in The Black Moth, to Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, in These Old Shades. Of course, a story does not to have to be explicitly sexual to be homoerotic: here it's about men's emotional attachment to each other. In those other books, whatever hidden homoerotic elements they may contain, there is a central heterosexual romance, but in TGR no women come between the men. Heyer takes pains to show Roxhythe as sexually active with women, in the rake's preferred mode, affairs with married women. But there is no affection there, and certainly not love. The longest affair of this kind, with a young woman frequently referred to as a "child," is notable primarily for the contempt Roxhythe feels for her and her understandably jealous young husband. The only women Roxhythe cares for are Charles II's beloved youngest sister (I rest my case), Henrietta Anne, married to Louis XIV's brother; and his cousin, Lady Frances Montgomery, a typical Heyer female of the admirable kind: smart, witty, a match for any rake but too sensible to fall for one, happily married to a decent man.
Was Heyer aware of the homoerotic nature of this story? It certainly reads as if she was. "Looking back, he realized how much Christopher meant to him…. In some vague way, Christopher's presence was necessary to his happiness," Roxhythe reflects before sending him on the compromising mission that will destroy their relationship. "…since I have been with Roxhythe he has had all my love. He has it still. There will never be another in his place. I'm a weak fool--but oh … I want him so much!" Christopher says to Lady Frances after he has left Roxhythe's service. Later, Lady Frances uses even more explicit language to Roxhythe: "You have sacrificed truth, honor, patriotism for man. …always it will be a weakness—a shame!" and "[Christopher] fought against losing his honor, his manhood, even as you must have fought, long, long ago. You gave way to inclination; Chris won his battle. He would not sacrifice all that was right and true for one man." Over time, "Slowly the ache within [Christopher] died…. He grew stronger, more virile, less morbid."
It was in the late seventeenth century that the concept of same-sex attraction as an orientation, not simply sexual acts, was beginning to develop. For the next three centuries, homosexuality and homosexuals were visible, crimes committed by criminals (a "weakness," a "shame"). In Heyer's time, sex between men was still shameful, but "pure" love could be admired. In the same way, the seamy politics of the Restoration era were beginning to tarnish the romantic luster the Stuarts held for Heyer and most of her generation. Significantly, the man that Christopher eventually chooses to serve, William of Orange, who became William III of England after the "Glorious Revolution" of 1689, was also same-sex oriented. Heyer's depiction of William is that of a cold man of the highest moral caliber, the opposite of the louche, charismatic, heterosexual Charles. And in one of the later scenes in the story, a comical exchange between the Duke of Sunderland and his wife clearly shows that Heyer was aware of Sunderland's likely involvement in a scandalous homosexual relationship, based on letters that appeared after his death. Heyer knew what she was doing, and it's possible that this, more than concerns about the quality of the writing, was behind her desire to restrict the reprinting or republication of her novel.
This book is a treasure, and a great Thank You is due from Heyer fans to Jennifer Kloester, Heyer scholar and biographer, for drawing new attention to this overlooked work--and who may be responsible for its rerelease now. Rather than worry over Heyer's possible posthumous upset with our modern rediscovery, let's celebrate instead that this beautiful story has survived to a time when men no longer have to feel unmanned by their love for each other, or equate same-sex desire with dishonor. Like many successful genre writers with ambitions to write "literary" fiction, Heyer was always hoping to give up her bestselling romances and concentrate on serious historical novels. But it was in her love stories that she displayed her greatest gifts. Modern readers may not give two hoots for the machinations of Charles II's court, but Heyer's skill as a writer of romance creates characters and situations that move readers and make them care. As Christopher says, "If you think any harm done to me could kill my love for Roxhythe, you do not understand love."
The story takes place during the reign of Charles II, who returned in 1660 (the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy) from exile after the Civil Wars of the 1640s, the execution of his father, Charles I, in 1649, and the Interregnum of government by Parliament and Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s. At their core, these events are steps in the transition from a pre-modern form of government, absolute monarchy and the personal loyalty it requires, to parliamentary democracy and rule by "the people," that puts loyalty to country above loyalty to one individual. Charles, intelligent, promiscuous and cynical, was determined never to "go on his travels" again. He would do whatever it took to stay in power, while attempting to rule unobstructed by Parliament in a way that was no longer feasible.
Now, seven years later, David, Marquis of Roxhythe, is Charles's most devoted subject. His love for Charles, would-be absolute monarch, is absolute, a conflation of the personal and political that defines the nature of absolute monarchy. At a time when the causes of "king and country" are not necessarily one and the same, in any conflict between Charles's interests and those of England, Roxhythe will side with Charles. He routinely undertakes missions on Charles's behalf that could be called treason against his country. But a new love interest arrives in the person of Christopher Dart, a young man from a Parliamentarian family who becomes Roxhythe's secretary. For years, Roxhythe shields his naïve protégé from the reality of his work for the king, until the ugly truth inevitably emerges.
The story is far more nuanced than a simple black and white morality tale. Roxhythe's love for Charles may be indifferent to the ideals of Right and Wrong, but it is also "pure," disinterested, looking for no political or monetary advantages. By contrast, the supposed selfless patriots of the Country party are portrayed as unprincipled schemers. If absolute monarchy demands personal loyalty divorced from the greater good, parliamentary democracy encourages sordid politics, every man working for his own interests.
Of all Heyer's works, this is the most openly homoerotic story, and the character of David Roxhythe is the missing link in the evolution of Heyer's dangerous, morally-challenged and all-powerful rakish antihero from Tracy Belmanoir, Duke of Andover, in The Black Moth, to Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, in These Old Shades. Of course, a story does not to have to be explicitly sexual to be homoerotic: here it's about men's emotional attachment to each other. In those other books, whatever hidden homoerotic elements they may contain, there is a central heterosexual romance, but in TGR no women come between the men. Heyer takes pains to show Roxhythe as sexually active with women, in the rake's preferred mode, affairs with married women. But there is no affection there, and certainly not love. The longest affair of this kind, with a young woman frequently referred to as a "child," is notable primarily for the contempt Roxhythe feels for her and her understandably jealous young husband. The only women Roxhythe cares for are Charles II's beloved youngest sister (I rest my case), Henrietta Anne, married to Louis XIV's brother; and his cousin, Lady Frances Montgomery, a typical Heyer female of the admirable kind: smart, witty, a match for any rake but too sensible to fall for one, happily married to a decent man.
Was Heyer aware of the homoerotic nature of this story? It certainly reads as if she was. "Looking back, he realized how much Christopher meant to him…. In some vague way, Christopher's presence was necessary to his happiness," Roxhythe reflects before sending him on the compromising mission that will destroy their relationship. "…since I have been with Roxhythe he has had all my love. He has it still. There will never be another in his place. I'm a weak fool--but oh … I want him so much!" Christopher says to Lady Frances after he has left Roxhythe's service. Later, Lady Frances uses even more explicit language to Roxhythe: "You have sacrificed truth, honor, patriotism for man. …always it will be a weakness—a shame!" and "[Christopher] fought against losing his honor, his manhood, even as you must have fought, long, long ago. You gave way to inclination; Chris won his battle. He would not sacrifice all that was right and true for one man." Over time, "Slowly the ache within [Christopher] died…. He grew stronger, more virile, less morbid."
It was in the late seventeenth century that the concept of same-sex attraction as an orientation, not simply sexual acts, was beginning to develop. For the next three centuries, homosexuality and homosexuals were visible, crimes committed by criminals (a "weakness," a "shame"). In Heyer's time, sex between men was still shameful, but "pure" love could be admired. In the same way, the seamy politics of the Restoration era were beginning to tarnish the romantic luster the Stuarts held for Heyer and most of her generation. Significantly, the man that Christopher eventually chooses to serve, William of Orange, who became William III of England after the "Glorious Revolution" of 1689, was also same-sex oriented. Heyer's depiction of William is that of a cold man of the highest moral caliber, the opposite of the louche, charismatic, heterosexual Charles. And in one of the later scenes in the story, a comical exchange between the Duke of Sunderland and his wife clearly shows that Heyer was aware of Sunderland's likely involvement in a scandalous homosexual relationship, based on letters that appeared after his death. Heyer knew what she was doing, and it's possible that this, more than concerns about the quality of the writing, was behind her desire to restrict the reprinting or republication of her novel.
This book is a treasure, and a great Thank You is due from Heyer fans to Jennifer Kloester, Heyer scholar and biographer, for drawing new attention to this overlooked work--and who may be responsible for its rerelease now. Rather than worry over Heyer's possible posthumous upset with our modern rediscovery, let's celebrate instead that this beautiful story has survived to a time when men no longer have to feel unmanned by their love for each other, or equate same-sex desire with dishonor. Like many successful genre writers with ambitions to write "literary" fiction, Heyer was always hoping to give up her bestselling romances and concentrate on serious historical novels. But it was in her love stories that she displayed her greatest gifts. Modern readers may not give two hoots for the machinations of Charles II's court, but Heyer's skill as a writer of romance creates characters and situations that move readers and make them care. As Christopher says, "If you think any harm done to me could kill my love for Roxhythe, you do not understand love."
September 4, 2022
A profoundly dreadful book, which the author rightfully suppressed.
This story takes place in the seventeenth century under the reign of King Charles II. The “great Roxhythe” of the title is a fictional courtier loyal to the king, and the story is about the various court and international intrigues he pursues in the king’s service. The tale presumes a far greater knowledge of the political figures of the day than most readers would possess; it is both convoluted and stylized. It is also weirdly homoerotic, with several characters adoring their masters to the point of obsession, kissing their hands repeatedly, going into declines when separated from them, and so on. Perhaps this was Heyer’s view of the mores of the era, her notion of how people enacted loyal service, but it came up over and over and was striking in a book otherwise devoid of romance.
Heyer was a talented writer but you wouldn’t know it by reading this. The slavish-devotion thing often substituted for absent character-building and alternated with knee-jerk bluster and threats of sword fights. Women are for the most part kittenish caricatures. Roxhythe himself, to the extent he has a personality, is of a type that featured often in Heyer’s more juvenile works—the enigmatic, arrogant courtier who inspires awe in lesser beings who are unable to understand his genius. That character is tolerable in works like These Old Shades, which has an interesting plot, but here Heyer is too bogged down in the politics of the day to be able to craft a meaningful story arc. And the book suffers from annoying verbal tics intended to convey a feeling for the era—“zounds,” “oddsblood,” and the bizarre and baffling word-order reversal of “the King his household,” “the Duke his wife,” and so on.
No matter how much you may admire Georgette Heyer, please don’t read this book.
This story takes place in the seventeenth century under the reign of King Charles II. The “great Roxhythe” of the title is a fictional courtier loyal to the king, and the story is about the various court and international intrigues he pursues in the king’s service. The tale presumes a far greater knowledge of the political figures of the day than most readers would possess; it is both convoluted and stylized. It is also weirdly homoerotic, with several characters adoring their masters to the point of obsession, kissing their hands repeatedly, going into declines when separated from them, and so on. Perhaps this was Heyer’s view of the mores of the era, her notion of how people enacted loyal service, but it came up over and over and was striking in a book otherwise devoid of romance.
Heyer was a talented writer but you wouldn’t know it by reading this. The slavish-devotion thing often substituted for absent character-building and alternated with knee-jerk bluster and threats of sword fights. Women are for the most part kittenish caricatures. Roxhythe himself, to the extent he has a personality, is of a type that featured often in Heyer’s more juvenile works—the enigmatic, arrogant courtier who inspires awe in lesser beings who are unable to understand his genius. That character is tolerable in works like These Old Shades, which has an interesting plot, but here Heyer is too bogged down in the politics of the day to be able to craft a meaningful story arc. And the book suffers from annoying verbal tics intended to convey a feeling for the era—“zounds,” “oddsblood,” and the bizarre and baffling word-order reversal of “the King his household,” “the Duke his wife,” and so on.
No matter how much you may admire Georgette Heyer, please don’t read this book.
June 25, 2020
When I first discovered Georgette Heyer, it was right at the beginning of the re-releases from Sourcebooks Casablanca. I read The Convenient Marriage, was entranced, and then went on something of a binge. When I ran out of re-releases from Sourcebooks, I had to hunt for older used copies from other publishers because the rest of her books were out of print. And, here we come to the point. I read all the historicals that were in print save one. It was not available for a decent price anywhere and in many places, three figures was being asked. Forlornly, I turned away and forgot to keep looking. Then, a sale newsletter came out and what should be on it, but that one that got away, The Great Roxhythe.
Now, that I've shared that bit of inanity, I'll get to the book.
The Great Roxhythe, unlike most of her others, is one of the historical fictions and not historical comedies. It is also one of her earlier works. Though, that said, I found this a nice follow up to The Royal Escape about Charles II's escaping England and working to return. This book picks up after Charles' return and focuses on the remainder of his life by way of an aristocratic intriguer who did all to further Charles' interests in a time when intrigue was as important as Statescraft and war.
Roxhythe is an enigmatic figure. He is recognized by all and is the greatest in England and beyond. He has power and wealth, but even more a steel charisma that makes him feared and loved in turn. He plays the foppish courtier, but that hides his work in the shadows. He makes love, but he loves only one person, his King (and I mean this in a loyal, platonic way). He sees the flaws in his object of love because Charles is extravagant and changeable, but not a fool. Charles cares for Roxhythe most of all even over his own flesh and blood and knows he has Roxhythe's complete loyalty in return. They scheme and they work for England, but mostly for Charles' interests.
The story is told by multiple narrators who surround Roxhythe and can often change narrators from paragraph to paragraph. There is a great deal of saying rather than doing particularly when the time jumps forward from one great event (read plotting intrigue) to the next.
Surrounding Roxhythe and his loyal friends are Chris his secretary who has staunch principles that Roxhythe finds endearing in Chris and that he won't tolerate in any other. Chris' love for his employer makes him ignore what everyone tries to tell him about Roxhythe's intrigues and how ruthless he is to get what King Charles need. He's like this angel of pure light that Roxhythe learns to appreciate like no other.
There is his cousin, Lady Frances who, unlike Chris, sees him as he really is and is still his friend though often exasperated with him.
William of Orange as he rises to power and fights off the French.
And, all the powerful of England that move in Roxhythe's circle.
There are exciting moments of espionage, but the truly intense moments are when Roxhythe is pulling the strings against those plotting to take the throne from Charles.
The historic backdrop is fascinating because the time period is fascinating. The author spends time including many of the movers and shakers of the day around her fictional players. The social and cultural details are painted well without taking over the book. Sometimes the story sounds like a history lesson rather than a story, but then again, it is necessary when getting the reader to understand the significance of certain pieces of the story.
So, this book is not a romance (ignore some of the blurbs out there), but it is an engaging story of intrigue in the days of the Stuart era reminiscent of something Dumas would write of the going on in the French court. The period and the actions are detailed well while the main character can feel a little distant at times. Did I enjoy finally getting to this book? Absolutely! It was worth the wait.
Now, I must hunt up all those other out of print stories of Heyer that are now available and see what other gems she has to offer.
Now, that I've shared that bit of inanity, I'll get to the book.
The Great Roxhythe, unlike most of her others, is one of the historical fictions and not historical comedies. It is also one of her earlier works. Though, that said, I found this a nice follow up to The Royal Escape about Charles II's escaping England and working to return. This book picks up after Charles' return and focuses on the remainder of his life by way of an aristocratic intriguer who did all to further Charles' interests in a time when intrigue was as important as Statescraft and war.
Roxhythe is an enigmatic figure. He is recognized by all and is the greatest in England and beyond. He has power and wealth, but even more a steel charisma that makes him feared and loved in turn. He plays the foppish courtier, but that hides his work in the shadows. He makes love, but he loves only one person, his King (and I mean this in a loyal, platonic way). He sees the flaws in his object of love because Charles is extravagant and changeable, but not a fool. Charles cares for Roxhythe most of all even over his own flesh and blood and knows he has Roxhythe's complete loyalty in return. They scheme and they work for England, but mostly for Charles' interests.
The story is told by multiple narrators who surround Roxhythe and can often change narrators from paragraph to paragraph. There is a great deal of saying rather than doing particularly when the time jumps forward from one great event (read plotting intrigue) to the next.
Surrounding Roxhythe and his loyal friends are Chris his secretary who has staunch principles that Roxhythe finds endearing in Chris and that he won't tolerate in any other. Chris' love for his employer makes him ignore what everyone tries to tell him about Roxhythe's intrigues and how ruthless he is to get what King Charles need. He's like this angel of pure light that Roxhythe learns to appreciate like no other.
There is his cousin, Lady Frances who, unlike Chris, sees him as he really is and is still his friend though often exasperated with him.
William of Orange as he rises to power and fights off the French.
And, all the powerful of England that move in Roxhythe's circle.
There are exciting moments of espionage, but the truly intense moments are when Roxhythe is pulling the strings against those plotting to take the throne from Charles.
The historic backdrop is fascinating because the time period is fascinating. The author spends time including many of the movers and shakers of the day around her fictional players. The social and cultural details are painted well without taking over the book. Sometimes the story sounds like a history lesson rather than a story, but then again, it is necessary when getting the reader to understand the significance of certain pieces of the story.
So, this book is not a romance (ignore some of the blurbs out there), but it is an engaging story of intrigue in the days of the Stuart era reminiscent of something Dumas would write of the going on in the French court. The period and the actions are detailed well while the main character can feel a little distant at times. Did I enjoy finally getting to this book? Absolutely! It was worth the wait.
Now, I must hunt up all those other out of print stories of Heyer that are now available and see what other gems she has to offer.
September 18, 2025
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
I made the post-processing of this book for DistributedProofreaders and Project Gutenberg will publish it pretty soon.
A romantic historical novel about the loyal but reckless spy Roxhythe, whose daring exploits and unwavering devotion to his king lead to intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy in Restoration England.
I made the post-processing of this book for DistributedProofreaders and Project Gutenberg will publish it pretty soon.
A romantic historical novel about the loyal but reckless spy Roxhythe, whose daring exploits and unwavering devotion to his king lead to intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy in Restoration England.
April 9, 2013
In later life, Georgette Heyer disavowed this historical novel she wrote early in her career and refused to have it reprinted. While Ms Heyer was correct in thinking The Great Roxhythe is not up to the standard of her other books, it is a fascinating read for the serious Heyer fan, because here are rough templates for characters who appear again and again in her historical romances--for example, the sardonic, cool headed Roxhythe is a draft for many of her later heros. The history of Restoration England is interesting; however, the sparkling writing and skillful plotting are yet to come.
Want to read
January 28, 2020NOTE: As of yet I haven't read this title. This is merely a comment on the book copy itself (ISBN 9788087830598). The internal information says it was published in 2014 by "Important Books." Yet the CPSC Tracking Label Number on the last page indicates a publication date of January 29, 2015 in Breinigsville, PA. The cover art is incredibly low resolution, making the images on the front and back out of focus and pixellated. There is no summary or author information on the back. The pages of text themselves look like someone has taken an earlier publication of the book and simply photocopied all of the content. There is a gray/black strip across all of the pages, showing the edge of the machines's copying plate.
I'm glad to have a copy of this Georgette Heyer novel, but I can't recommend the production value of this edition. I will be looking for a nicer book in the future.
I'm glad to have a copy of this Georgette Heyer novel, but I can't recommend the production value of this edition. I will be looking for a nicer book in the future.
Read
January 4, 2020Decided not to read because Heyer herself requested it be pulled from circulation after writing it at 19.
February 10, 2015
“It is probably the worst book Georgette Heyer ever wrote.” – Jane Aiken Hodge
Have you ever read a book and it was kind of awful, but you kept reading it because it had to get better? And then it never does?
It pains me to say that about The Great Roxhythe. It pains me to say that about any of Georgette Heyer’s novels. She is a favorite, as the Marquis of Roxhythe himself was a favorite of Charles II, and one does not like to think ill of one’s favorite; but I suppose that every author–even a favorite–is entitled to a dud. And even while I didn’t care much for Roxhythe, it is not a dud, not completely.
The novel is set in the years between 1668 and 1685, during the reign of Charles II. There is a power struggle between England, France, and the Netherlands, each constantly at war among themselves or close to it, it seems to me (who is no student of the period) more to keep the others at bay than to gain anything by it. There is always intrigue at the highest levels. Charles needs money, and Parliament will not give it to him, so he attempts to get it from his fellow kingly leaders, Louis XIV or the rising William of Orange. When Louis proves recalcitrant, Charles sends his favorite Roxhythe to Holland to make an offer to William. His uncle, Charles, will endeavor to put him in power and take his side against Louis, if William will promise to give his uncle a small allowance once he is in power. William, who is portrayed as intelligent and upright and a bit Puritanical, refuses this offer. Roxhythe is then dispatched to Louis, who, having established that Charles will sell himself, then only has to quibble over the price.
Roxhythe employs a young secretary, Christopher Dart, whose brother is in the service of William and could help Roxhythe gain access to His Highness. Young Chris is a patriot and an idealist. He admires Roxhythe tremendously, and Roxhythe in his turn likes Chris and keeps him on when the episode with William is past. Chris is repeatedly warned by various people, including Roxhythe himself, to not place his trust in Roxhythe, whose entire life is dedicated to Charles, but Chris refuses to believe that his lord would be involved in political intrigues. He asked Roxhythe, and Roxhythe denied it! His lord would not lie to him! He was a great man! As he himself would say, “I am Roxhythe.” Chris loves his lord, and will believe no ill of him.
Now we come to a major issue with this novel. Heyer biographer Jennifer Kloester puts it gently. After Heyer suppressed the novel, “It is possible that one of the reasons for Georgette’s growing dislike of the novel arose from the shift in public awareness of homosexual love which had evolved by the Second World War.” (p. 59) Knowing that Heyer’s father no doubt exposed his intelligent daughter to elements of a classical education that likely included reading Plato and the concept of erotic vs. platonic love, one feels a bit dirty-minded to read about Chris’ love for his master–love that does not die even after his eyes are opened to Roxhythe’s true nature–and think that he sounds like a really tiresome lovelorn teenage girl, but, well, he does!
“He--doesn’t count, you know. I--never cared for him greatly, and since I have been with--Roxhythe–he has had all my love. He has it still. There will never be another in his place. I’m a weak fool--but--oh, Lady Frances, I want him so much!”
Oh for the love of baby Elvis.
You may be wondering about the plot, and I’m afraid there isn’t much of one. Roxhythe engages in various intrigues over the remaining years of Charles’ reign. I am not at all a student of this period and often had recourse to Wikipedia to get a quick overview of the various wars and plots. Heyer does a very good job of putting Roxhythe at all the important events and plots against Charles. He works for Charles mostly in secret; most people underestimate him, thinking him a stupid, silly court-card, but like the Scarlet Pimpernel, Roxhythe has abilities that he does not let show publicly. He acts as envoy for the king to both Louis and William, and becomes involved in the plots around the succession. Charles has no legitimate heirs; his brother James is openly Roman Catholic, and there is a large contingent who would prefer a Protestant king in England and have no problem using violence to get their way. The plots revolve around assassinating James and Charles and placing the Duke of Monmouth, Charles’ illegitimate son, or William of Orange, who is married to James’ daughter Mary, on the throne. Roxhythe insinuates himself into these plots and destroys them all. He’s a bit of a Gary Stu, to be honest–he’s way too perfect, and always succeeds. “I am Roxhythe,” he says, either to explain why his plan will no doubt succeed, or why the person who is defying him needs to step off. He is Roxhythe. He speaks about himself in the third person. He is fascinating, but at the same time it’s all a bit much. However, one also sees hints of other Heyer heroes in him. His languid manner, his all-knowing demeanor, his ability to read people and act when the time is right: say hello to the precursor to Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, and several Regency gentlemen as well. In those descriptions, and even in some of the dialogue, and frankly in the refusal to buckle under to modern literary convention and stubbornly cling to what was proper from history and too bad if the reader is too stupid or ignorant or immature to deal with it, it is all recognizably Heyer.
That being said, Heyer herself said, “this very jejeune work, written when I was nineteen (and just the kind of book you’d expect from an overambitious teenager!) was withdrawn, at my own urgent request, from circulation years ago.” (Kloester, p. 59) That’s a good description. It has accomplishment, but not great interest for the reader; though perhaps we’ve been spoiled by Hilary Mantel and other modern writers of fictionalized history. That’s what Heyer was trying to do, and while she didn’t succeed, she certainly learned from the book and used those lessons as she moved on in her career.
There's a longer version of this review on my blog, This Delightful Habit of Journaling.
Have you ever read a book and it was kind of awful, but you kept reading it because it had to get better? And then it never does?
It pains me to say that about The Great Roxhythe. It pains me to say that about any of Georgette Heyer’s novels. She is a favorite, as the Marquis of Roxhythe himself was a favorite of Charles II, and one does not like to think ill of one’s favorite; but I suppose that every author–even a favorite–is entitled to a dud. And even while I didn’t care much for Roxhythe, it is not a dud, not completely.
The novel is set in the years between 1668 and 1685, during the reign of Charles II. There is a power struggle between England, France, and the Netherlands, each constantly at war among themselves or close to it, it seems to me (who is no student of the period) more to keep the others at bay than to gain anything by it. There is always intrigue at the highest levels. Charles needs money, and Parliament will not give it to him, so he attempts to get it from his fellow kingly leaders, Louis XIV or the rising William of Orange. When Louis proves recalcitrant, Charles sends his favorite Roxhythe to Holland to make an offer to William. His uncle, Charles, will endeavor to put him in power and take his side against Louis, if William will promise to give his uncle a small allowance once he is in power. William, who is portrayed as intelligent and upright and a bit Puritanical, refuses this offer. Roxhythe is then dispatched to Louis, who, having established that Charles will sell himself, then only has to quibble over the price.
Roxhythe employs a young secretary, Christopher Dart, whose brother is in the service of William and could help Roxhythe gain access to His Highness. Young Chris is a patriot and an idealist. He admires Roxhythe tremendously, and Roxhythe in his turn likes Chris and keeps him on when the episode with William is past. Chris is repeatedly warned by various people, including Roxhythe himself, to not place his trust in Roxhythe, whose entire life is dedicated to Charles, but Chris refuses to believe that his lord would be involved in political intrigues. He asked Roxhythe, and Roxhythe denied it! His lord would not lie to him! He was a great man! As he himself would say, “I am Roxhythe.” Chris loves his lord, and will believe no ill of him.
Now we come to a major issue with this novel. Heyer biographer Jennifer Kloester puts it gently. After Heyer suppressed the novel, “It is possible that one of the reasons for Georgette’s growing dislike of the novel arose from the shift in public awareness of homosexual love which had evolved by the Second World War.” (p. 59) Knowing that Heyer’s father no doubt exposed his intelligent daughter to elements of a classical education that likely included reading Plato and the concept of erotic vs. platonic love, one feels a bit dirty-minded to read about Chris’ love for his master–love that does not die even after his eyes are opened to Roxhythe’s true nature–and think that he sounds like a really tiresome lovelorn teenage girl, but, well, he does!
“He--doesn’t count, you know. I--never cared for him greatly, and since I have been with--Roxhythe–he has had all my love. He has it still. There will never be another in his place. I’m a weak fool--but--oh, Lady Frances, I want him so much!”
Oh for the love of baby Elvis.
You may be wondering about the plot, and I’m afraid there isn’t much of one. Roxhythe engages in various intrigues over the remaining years of Charles’ reign. I am not at all a student of this period and often had recourse to Wikipedia to get a quick overview of the various wars and plots. Heyer does a very good job of putting Roxhythe at all the important events and plots against Charles. He works for Charles mostly in secret; most people underestimate him, thinking him a stupid, silly court-card, but like the Scarlet Pimpernel, Roxhythe has abilities that he does not let show publicly. He acts as envoy for the king to both Louis and William, and becomes involved in the plots around the succession. Charles has no legitimate heirs; his brother James is openly Roman Catholic, and there is a large contingent who would prefer a Protestant king in England and have no problem using violence to get their way. The plots revolve around assassinating James and Charles and placing the Duke of Monmouth, Charles’ illegitimate son, or William of Orange, who is married to James’ daughter Mary, on the throne. Roxhythe insinuates himself into these plots and destroys them all. He’s a bit of a Gary Stu, to be honest–he’s way too perfect, and always succeeds. “I am Roxhythe,” he says, either to explain why his plan will no doubt succeed, or why the person who is defying him needs to step off. He is Roxhythe. He speaks about himself in the third person. He is fascinating, but at the same time it’s all a bit much. However, one also sees hints of other Heyer heroes in him. His languid manner, his all-knowing demeanor, his ability to read people and act when the time is right: say hello to the precursor to Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, and several Regency gentlemen as well. In those descriptions, and even in some of the dialogue, and frankly in the refusal to buckle under to modern literary convention and stubbornly cling to what was proper from history and too bad if the reader is too stupid or ignorant or immature to deal with it, it is all recognizably Heyer.
That being said, Heyer herself said, “this very jejeune work, written when I was nineteen (and just the kind of book you’d expect from an overambitious teenager!) was withdrawn, at my own urgent request, from circulation years ago.” (Kloester, p. 59) That’s a good description. It has accomplishment, but not great interest for the reader; though perhaps we’ve been spoiled by Hilary Mantel and other modern writers of fictionalized history. That’s what Heyer was trying to do, and while she didn’t succeed, she certainly learned from the book and used those lessons as she moved on in her career.
There's a longer version of this review on my blog, This Delightful Habit of Journaling.
June 21, 2008
THis is a rare book that Heyer would most likely not give a 5-star rating herself, but the scarcity made it intriguing to me and the relationship that she explores is poignant and the characters are compelling.
I have heard that Heyer refused to allow this book to be reprinted before she died and I can see how it could easily be misread. I do not believe that she intended anything but a pure and respectful relationship between the main character and the Great Roxhythe but there are going to be plenty of people out there who disagree with me. Still I cried at the end so it was well worth the read.
I have heard that Heyer refused to allow this book to be reprinted before she died and I can see how it could easily be misread. I do not believe that she intended anything but a pure and respectful relationship between the main character and the Great Roxhythe but there are going to be plenty of people out there who disagree with me. Still I cried at the end so it was well worth the read.
April 14, 2021
Georgette never disappoints!
I am just swept away by what a fantastic author she is. It's my first time reading this book, but not the last. I have never read a more poignant depiction of the love and loyalty between men in turbulent times.
I am just swept away by what a fantastic author she is. It's my first time reading this book, but not the last. I have never read a more poignant depiction of the love and loyalty between men in turbulent times.
December 9, 2015
Easily the most intriguing book Heyer ever wrote.
Want to read
November 30, 2021Georgette Heyer Group Readalong for January, 2022. I look forward to exploring it with others.
September 25, 2025
Historical novel of intrigue during the time of King Charles. I wonder how realistic the love each man had for his master was.
Read
January 4, 2023My 49th Georgette Heyer
Mrs. Heyer, you saucy wench! No wonder you didn't want to have this republished!
Mrs. Heyer, you saucy wench! No wonder you didn't want to have this republished!
Read
September 16, 2022Not the kind of book I'd look for, if it weren't for the GH Group Reads. And I'm not sure if I would have liked it even if I did like historical novels. There wasn't much structure to it, no semblance of the witty dialogue and lush descriptions of Heyer's later works.
It read more like an epic, as it spans 20 years of King Charles reign from 1668-1689, and moves us through the years, plot point after plot point, yet funnily enough even though Roxythe is the protagonist, we don't really get much of his POV and the intricate details of his intrigue, which would have made the novel more entertaining to read.
It read more like an epic, as it spans 20 years of King Charles reign from 1668-1689, and moves us through the years, plot point after plot point, yet funnily enough even though Roxythe is the protagonist, we don't really get much of his POV and the intricate details of his intrigue, which would have made the novel more entertaining to read.
April 26, 2020
I just finished reading this book for the first time. Even though it is considered one of Georgette Heyer's worst efforts I still enjoyed the story. I read it as a tale about the depth of fraternal love and the character and principles of each of the main characters in regards to how he serves the master he loves. The one a peer serving his king and the other a secretary serving his employer.
Unfortunately the publishing of this particular issue of the book was very poor. My training as a graphic artist made the lack of quality in the cover design and the typography offensive. The cover image of a painting was distorted to fit the dimensions of the book instead of cropped. There were spelling and typesetting errors on practically every page. Including, random spaces in the middle of words, random capital letters inserted into the middle of words, misspelled words and paragraphs that were ended in the middle of sentences with the remainder of the sentence in the next paragraph causing awkward pauses. One sentence in the last chapter had a wrong word in it causing it to make absolutely no sense. Any proof reader could have caught and corrected those mistakes before the book was printed. I hope never to buy another book printed by Wilder publications Inc.
Unfortunately the publishing of this particular issue of the book was very poor. My training as a graphic artist made the lack of quality in the cover design and the typography offensive. The cover image of a painting was distorted to fit the dimensions of the book instead of cropped. There were spelling and typesetting errors on practically every page. Including, random spaces in the middle of words, random capital letters inserted into the middle of words, misspelled words and paragraphs that were ended in the middle of sentences with the remainder of the sentence in the next paragraph causing awkward pauses. One sentence in the last chapter had a wrong word in it causing it to make absolutely no sense. Any proof reader could have caught and corrected those mistakes before the book was printed. I hope never to buy another book printed by Wilder publications Inc.
May 30, 2020
Only the second book she wrote, Heyer was only 19 when she wrote this book. Later she tried to suppress a reprint of the book. No one knows for sure but possibly because many people read one of the lead characters as having homosexual feelings for the title character, which she never intended. It’s a shame because I feel she shows the nobility of a character who is in love with his master but loves honor and integrity more; whereas, the lead character shows his great love for his king at the expense of his honor and integrity. Quite a complex plot for a 19 year old. I also learned a great deal about a time in British history that heretofore I did not know much about. Always a plus. Not the normal light Georgette Heyer read, but well worth the time.
October 22, 2023
fantastic book!
There is so much accurate history woven into the plot! This was a wonderful joy to read. Anyone who delights in historical novels will find a great deal of pleasure in this book. It has inspired me to delve once again into the history of the period. Very highly recommended.
There is so much accurate history woven into the plot! This was a wonderful joy to read. Anyone who delights in historical novels will find a great deal of pleasure in this book. It has inspired me to delve once again into the history of the period. Very highly recommended.
June 1, 2013
When I found this previously undiscovered by me Heyer, I was so excited. However, there was a reason this book is not well-known. It just wasn't up to Heyer's normal standard. I am glad I read it, just to help complete my Heyer collection but it was sadly disappointing.
July 28, 2024
It was a little bit confusing, keeping track of all the characters, but I found myself with tears running down my face at the end of the book!
August 29, 2025
The Great Roxhythe was Georgette Heyer's second published novel (after Powder and Patch, but is best known because Heyer disowned it and would not allow it to be reprinted in her lifetime.
Reading it today, it does seem to to me fit quite well with other early Heyer novels, but betrays her novice status in others.
The story is set in England between 1668 and 1695, in the last years of the reign of Charles II (with a gap of about ten years in the middle which is not written about). Fictional character David Marquis of Roxhythe is an important courtier, close to the king, and is easily seen to be a precursor to the Duke of Avon in These Old Shades: there are many similarities between the two characters.
The story itself follows political manoeuvring around what would happen when Charles II (in the days when political power was vested in the monarch), who was Protestant but without legitimate children, dies, and his brother, the staunch Catholic James II, would ascend to the throne. (The early volumes of Thomas Babington Macaulay's The History of England, which cover this period, are a major source for the book). It is usual for Heyer's work to have references to the politics of the time she is portraying, but it plays a far bigger part here than in any of her other novels except for An Infamous Army - and there is no significant romantic subplot.
Like other early Heyer novels (such as Powder and Patch, and to a lesser extent, These Old Shades it uses more florid prose than her best known later books, which to me recalls the historical novels of a best selling author of the previous generation, Baroness Orczy - though I suspect that there may be other romances from the early part of the twentieth century which do much the same thing. It is perhaps not handled as well here, mainly because of what I think is the biggest problem of the book: the length.
The edition I'm reading runs to over 400 pages, much longer than any of her other novels; the closest is her last, My Lord John at 375 pages. The rest are all below 350 and some considerably less than that. It could be - and should have been - heavily cut, possibly as much as by half.
Heyer became accomplished at creating the historical background without that impeding the story, and The Great Roxhythe would have benefited by another look at pruning the overgrown foliage. She wrote much less about the politics in her later books, which also helps the reader unfamiliar with the times of Charles II.
It is also a very dialogue-heavy novel; there are many instances when all the text on a page is a dialogue, in what is now very stilted language. It's not particularly a problem, if a bit lacking action or the description which can bring the dialogue to life. I'm used to it being fairly easy to visualise a book alongside the text as I read, but found it harder than usual here. I suspect that reading it would have been more difficult if I wasn't familiar with the historical era in which the the book is set - apart from a general interest in British history, I happen to have read the whole of Macaulay's history a few years ago, meaning that most of the historical characters portrayed in the book were familiar to me.
Overall, it's interesting to read such an early Heyer, and I think it could have been salvaged with some cutting and rewrites. The subject holds at least as much potential interest for a novel as her more familiar Regency. But as it is, I think that The Great Roxhythe is probably a reading experience I will not repeat.
Reading it today, it does seem to to me fit quite well with other early Heyer novels, but betrays her novice status in others.
The story is set in England between 1668 and 1695, in the last years of the reign of Charles II (with a gap of about ten years in the middle which is not written about). Fictional character David Marquis of Roxhythe is an important courtier, close to the king, and is easily seen to be a precursor to the Duke of Avon in These Old Shades: there are many similarities between the two characters.
The story itself follows political manoeuvring around what would happen when Charles II (in the days when political power was vested in the monarch), who was Protestant but without legitimate children, dies, and his brother, the staunch Catholic James II, would ascend to the throne. (The early volumes of Thomas Babington Macaulay's The History of England, which cover this period, are a major source for the book). It is usual for Heyer's work to have references to the politics of the time she is portraying, but it plays a far bigger part here than in any of her other novels except for An Infamous Army - and there is no significant romantic subplot.
Like other early Heyer novels (such as Powder and Patch, and to a lesser extent, These Old Shades it uses more florid prose than her best known later books, which to me recalls the historical novels of a best selling author of the previous generation, Baroness Orczy - though I suspect that there may be other romances from the early part of the twentieth century which do much the same thing. It is perhaps not handled as well here, mainly because of what I think is the biggest problem of the book: the length.
The edition I'm reading runs to over 400 pages, much longer than any of her other novels; the closest is her last, My Lord John at 375 pages. The rest are all below 350 and some considerably less than that. It could be - and should have been - heavily cut, possibly as much as by half.
Heyer became accomplished at creating the historical background without that impeding the story, and The Great Roxhythe would have benefited by another look at pruning the overgrown foliage. She wrote much less about the politics in her later books, which also helps the reader unfamiliar with the times of Charles II.
It is also a very dialogue-heavy novel; there are many instances when all the text on a page is a dialogue, in what is now very stilted language. It's not particularly a problem, if a bit lacking action or the description which can bring the dialogue to life. I'm used to it being fairly easy to visualise a book alongside the text as I read, but found it harder than usual here. I suspect that reading it would have been more difficult if I wasn't familiar with the historical era in which the the book is set - apart from a general interest in British history, I happen to have read the whole of Macaulay's history a few years ago, meaning that most of the historical characters portrayed in the book were familiar to me.
Overall, it's interesting to read such an early Heyer, and I think it could have been salvaged with some cutting and rewrites. The subject holds at least as much potential interest for a novel as her more familiar Regency. But as it is, I think that The Great Roxhythe is probably a reading experience I will not repeat.
July 12, 2025
I read, somewhere, a review that declared "The Great Roxhythe" as the worst novel that Georgette Heyer had ever written.
Ah! I suppose, if one is basing this novel on expectations of Georgette Heyer's well-known and beloved romance tones...then, yes, they might consider "The Great Roxhythe" to BE the "worst" novel Heyer has ever written.
But...
Considering the very young age of Heyer when she wrote this very detailed, very vivid, in-depth historical fiction tale, I can only think what a remarkable offering this is from the author.
I'll go even further to say that David, Marquis of Roxhythe, is one of THE most mesmerizing, intricate, elegant, endearing characters I have ever read.
Everything about him---the physical imagery, the delicious dialogue with its suave, sarcastic, witty tones. His steadfast loyalty to his master and friend, King Charles II, his wonderful mix of gentleness and strength---made him one of Heyer's most intriguing characters. In fact, I personally think he might have been the mold from which ALL Heyer's male characters were created.
The fact that the relationships between Roxhythe and his devoted secretary Christopher Dart and his deep love for Prince Charles II have widely been interpreted as "homoerotic" seems to be one of the factors that many Heyer fans find a giant fault with the novel and perhaps one of the major reasons the author withdrew it from publication. And that---the homoerotic tone to it---may very well BE correct. But, in my mind, so what? The novel was never projected as a romance, simply historical fiction. With the times the novel was written, however, such subject matter (even though there was never such actually mentioned in the novel, only very, very lightly implied) would have surely been taboo.
I never discuss plot in reviews, which is a good thing as this plot was intricate yet highly fascinating and informative, not to mention accurate and well-researched.
The heart of the story, to me, was one of loyalty. One of very clear danger in a time and government where no one was ever truly safe, particularly in the royals courts and their governments. One of luscious dialogue, memorable characters. (I had read this novel years ago and, for this second reading, was just as beautifully love-struck by Roxhythe and just as lost in another world as I had been so long ago).
The heart of that loyalty theme, for me, was the unconditional love that Chris Dart has for his master Roxhythe and the same unconditional, monstrously loyal love that Roxhythe has for his King.
Anyway....all that to say this: To this reader, this novel most certainly is NOT the worst novel Heyer had ever written but, by far maybe her very BEST.
Ah! I suppose, if one is basing this novel on expectations of Georgette Heyer's well-known and beloved romance tones...then, yes, they might consider "The Great Roxhythe" to BE the "worst" novel Heyer has ever written.
But...
Considering the very young age of Heyer when she wrote this very detailed, very vivid, in-depth historical fiction tale, I can only think what a remarkable offering this is from the author.
I'll go even further to say that David, Marquis of Roxhythe, is one of THE most mesmerizing, intricate, elegant, endearing characters I have ever read.
Everything about him---the physical imagery, the delicious dialogue with its suave, sarcastic, witty tones. His steadfast loyalty to his master and friend, King Charles II, his wonderful mix of gentleness and strength---made him one of Heyer's most intriguing characters. In fact, I personally think he might have been the mold from which ALL Heyer's male characters were created.
The fact that the relationships between Roxhythe and his devoted secretary Christopher Dart and his deep love for Prince Charles II have widely been interpreted as "homoerotic" seems to be one of the factors that many Heyer fans find a giant fault with the novel and perhaps one of the major reasons the author withdrew it from publication. And that---the homoerotic tone to it---may very well BE correct. But, in my mind, so what? The novel was never projected as a romance, simply historical fiction. With the times the novel was written, however, such subject matter (even though there was never such actually mentioned in the novel, only very, very lightly implied) would have surely been taboo.
I never discuss plot in reviews, which is a good thing as this plot was intricate yet highly fascinating and informative, not to mention accurate and well-researched.
The heart of the story, to me, was one of loyalty. One of very clear danger in a time and government where no one was ever truly safe, particularly in the royals courts and their governments. One of luscious dialogue, memorable characters. (I had read this novel years ago and, for this second reading, was just as beautifully love-struck by Roxhythe and just as lost in another world as I had been so long ago).
The heart of that loyalty theme, for me, was the unconditional love that Chris Dart has for his master Roxhythe and the same unconditional, monstrously loyal love that Roxhythe has for his King.
Anyway....all that to say this: To this reader, this novel most certainly is NOT the worst novel Heyer had ever written but, by far maybe her very BEST.
January 16, 2024
Heyer changed her mind about this book being out here in the wild after publication, and I wonder whether we truly know why.
I don't much hold with authors retroactively trying to suppress publication of their works. Yeah, so this is maybe "jejeune" in a sense, being only her second novel, written as a teenager, as Heyer herself claimed. But for earnest admirers of an author, trust me, we don't care that it's not your best; we're much more interested in your journey from your beginnings on into your prime. It's quite interesting for me to read juvenalia, and I think authors should leave it to us to decide whether we want to.
So, no, this isn't her best. It doesn't have that sparkling banter and lively tone that characterizes her Regencies. And it might be interpreted with malice, still, because the book features relationships that could be seen as homosexual, and there were certainly plenty of people in Heyer's time who would have gone "ew, gross" or even "criminal". Maybe that's the truth behind her withdrawing it. Did she even know how it could be read? Her being such a thorough researcher, she must have known about the rumours regarding for example, Charles, the 3rd Earl of Sunderland, and about William of Orange, who is also a character in this book. Maybe she was fine with it originally, but then people around her reacted badly? She was so private; we just don't know. Fortunately we seem to be coming out of that period where "sinful" was the prevailing societal judgment of same-sex relationships that even had a hint of romance or eros.
And the relationships in this book are definitely romantic, in the sense of men treating men with the sort of devotion and love that people nowadays associate with the term. While I can't ever avoid wondering about such relationships in the times when it was criminal, I am actually fine with not reading any homoerotic subtext into either Roxhythe's relationship with Charles II nor with his secretary Chris Dart. I think romance and sex needn't be linked, and friendships can have aspects of romance without going beyond. I've certainly felt that with some same-sex relationships, and wasn't even in the slightest sexually attracted. Maybe that is harder to recognize these days, when people who're asexual are considered weird, but at a time when many upper class marriages were political and arranged, and hetero friendships rarely even existed, there was more room for strong same-sex relationships even if they were platonic friendships. One can read this book like that, and I don't think it changes anything. Close relationships matter, whether they include a romantic or sexual aspect or not. I am sad that they tend to be relegated to "lesser" these days. I can't stand it when somebody says "they're just friends"; there is no "just" about it for me.
Roxhythe isn't a particularly likeable character, but he's the prototype for the cool rakes in Heyer's oeuvre, such as the Duke of Avon, and interesting to examine in that light.
I don't much hold with authors retroactively trying to suppress publication of their works. Yeah, so this is maybe "jejeune" in a sense, being only her second novel, written as a teenager, as Heyer herself claimed. But for earnest admirers of an author, trust me, we don't care that it's not your best; we're much more interested in your journey from your beginnings on into your prime. It's quite interesting for me to read juvenalia, and I think authors should leave it to us to decide whether we want to.
So, no, this isn't her best. It doesn't have that sparkling banter and lively tone that characterizes her Regencies. And it might be interpreted with malice, still, because the book features relationships that could be seen as homosexual, and there were certainly plenty of people in Heyer's time who would have gone "ew, gross" or even "criminal". Maybe that's the truth behind her withdrawing it. Did she even know how it could be read? Her being such a thorough researcher, she must have known about the rumours regarding for example, Charles, the 3rd Earl of Sunderland, and about William of Orange, who is also a character in this book. Maybe she was fine with it originally, but then people around her reacted badly? She was so private; we just don't know. Fortunately we seem to be coming out of that period where "sinful" was the prevailing societal judgment of same-sex relationships that even had a hint of romance or eros.
And the relationships in this book are definitely romantic, in the sense of men treating men with the sort of devotion and love that people nowadays associate with the term. While I can't ever avoid wondering about such relationships in the times when it was criminal, I am actually fine with not reading any homoerotic subtext into either Roxhythe's relationship with Charles II nor with his secretary Chris Dart. I think romance and sex needn't be linked, and friendships can have aspects of romance without going beyond. I've certainly felt that with some same-sex relationships, and wasn't even in the slightest sexually attracted. Maybe that is harder to recognize these days, when people who're asexual are considered weird, but at a time when many upper class marriages were political and arranged, and hetero friendships rarely even existed, there was more room for strong same-sex relationships even if they were platonic friendships. One can read this book like that, and I don't think it changes anything. Close relationships matter, whether they include a romantic or sexual aspect or not. I am sad that they tend to be relegated to "lesser" these days. I can't stand it when somebody says "they're just friends"; there is no "just" about it for me.
Roxhythe isn't a particularly likeable character, but he's the prototype for the cool rakes in Heyer's oeuvre, such as the Duke of Avon, and interesting to examine in that light.
September 17, 2020
“The Great Roxhythe” isn’t Heyer’s finest novel, but I liked it more than some of her later works.
Political intrigue is the order of the day, featuring Roxhythe working unconditionally for his master Charles II. Although some scenes are engaging, much of the time nothing substantial happens. While l like novels that are dialogue heavy, this one has so much “talking” that there’s little room for action. So, despite the fast pace created through copious dialogue, the story suffers from a lack of engaging conflict.
Roxhythe as a character is appealing. He’s something of a prototype for Heyer’s characters in later novels.
While the authentic language in this author’s Georgina and regency novels works well, her emulation of seventeenth-century speech is less effective, owing to it being that much older and therefore difficult for a modern audience to follow. For example, it took me some time to gather that “an” means “if”. Sometimes a character will say “hath”, and sometimes “has”, which feels inconsistent. I’d rather the author used contemporary language for her contemporary readers.
When characters write letters to each other, we get old spelling as well:
“Nowe he at last hath His Rightfull Place, after soe Many Yeares Patient Waiting.”
Doubtless some readers will appreciate the authenticity, but others will agree with me when I state that this approach slows the narrative down. Yes, the old style is understandable, but it requires more concentration, which interrupts the narrative flow.
My biggest criticism is this sort of thing:
“I mean le Marquis de Roxhythe, who is perhaps epris de Madame, who is sans doute eprise de lui. He is ever in Attendance on her, and Shows himself tres beau cavalier ...”
I hate it when authors presume that because they understand a foreign language, all their readers will do as well. It’s arrogant on an author’s part to do this. Using foreign words or phrases locks out any readers who can’t speak the language in question. A good author should never leave any reader in the dark. Challenge them, yes, but don’t exclude them from the story by using foreign words and/or expressions. Always put the reader first, or else why bother writing for publication?
Another element that spoils this novel is the amount of “telling” instead of “showing”. For example, “Lady Frances was surprised” and “Charles was angry” are blatant telling. The high number of adverbs in the book also “tell”.
I understand that “The Great Roxhythe” is the author’s second book, so you could argue that this is why it’s not brilliant, yet I really like her first book.
Political intrigue is the order of the day, featuring Roxhythe working unconditionally for his master Charles II. Although some scenes are engaging, much of the time nothing substantial happens. While l like novels that are dialogue heavy, this one has so much “talking” that there’s little room for action. So, despite the fast pace created through copious dialogue, the story suffers from a lack of engaging conflict.
Roxhythe as a character is appealing. He’s something of a prototype for Heyer’s characters in later novels.
While the authentic language in this author’s Georgina and regency novels works well, her emulation of seventeenth-century speech is less effective, owing to it being that much older and therefore difficult for a modern audience to follow. For example, it took me some time to gather that “an” means “if”. Sometimes a character will say “hath”, and sometimes “has”, which feels inconsistent. I’d rather the author used contemporary language for her contemporary readers.
When characters write letters to each other, we get old spelling as well:
“Nowe he at last hath His Rightfull Place, after soe Many Yeares Patient Waiting.”
Doubtless some readers will appreciate the authenticity, but others will agree with me when I state that this approach slows the narrative down. Yes, the old style is understandable, but it requires more concentration, which interrupts the narrative flow.
My biggest criticism is this sort of thing:
“I mean le Marquis de Roxhythe, who is perhaps epris de Madame, who is sans doute eprise de lui. He is ever in Attendance on her, and Shows himself tres beau cavalier ...”
I hate it when authors presume that because they understand a foreign language, all their readers will do as well. It’s arrogant on an author’s part to do this. Using foreign words or phrases locks out any readers who can’t speak the language in question. A good author should never leave any reader in the dark. Challenge them, yes, but don’t exclude them from the story by using foreign words and/or expressions. Always put the reader first, or else why bother writing for publication?
Another element that spoils this novel is the amount of “telling” instead of “showing”. For example, “Lady Frances was surprised” and “Charles was angry” are blatant telling. The high number of adverbs in the book also “tell”.
I understand that “The Great Roxhythe” is the author’s second book, so you could argue that this is why it’s not brilliant, yet I really like her first book.
September 8, 2020
Even meh Heyer is good reading
Georgette Heyer wrote this book early in her career, and it is one of six manuscripts her publishers refused to put on their lists.
The dialog sparkles, as with all of her work, and the characters scintillate as well. But it's soon apparent why it wasn't published in 1925, nor during Heyer's lifetime.
Heyer could and did create interesting characters at the drop of a hat. The trouble here is that there are two of them, and she cannot let the lesser go to concentrate on the greater.
The lesser character is secretary to the titular Roxhythe for the first two-thirds or so of the book. That, I feel, was wise. An undiluted book of Roxhythe himself would have been an experience like four straight courses of chocolate-frosted chocolate cake. Eventually you would put the book or your fork down. It would be a long time before you enjoyed chocolate cake or reading Georgette Heyer again.
The book's plot is stretched around the last 17 years of the life of Charles I of England. Thus it is truly an historical novel. However, its plot is not knitted together well, and there is no character payoff.
If you are already familiar with Heyer's work, you may well enjoy this. If you are thinking to try her out with an inexpensive purchase, this book will not give you an idea of how well she wrote. Download a sample of her Regency romances or her country-house mysteries. Either will be a better reading experience than this clunker.
Even the best writers can fall into traps. That's what happened here.
Georgette Heyer wrote this book early in her career, and it is one of six manuscripts her publishers refused to put on their lists.
The dialog sparkles, as with all of her work, and the characters scintillate as well. But it's soon apparent why it wasn't published in 1925, nor during Heyer's lifetime.
Heyer could and did create interesting characters at the drop of a hat. The trouble here is that there are two of them, and she cannot let the lesser go to concentrate on the greater.
The lesser character is secretary to the titular Roxhythe for the first two-thirds or so of the book. That, I feel, was wise. An undiluted book of Roxhythe himself would have been an experience like four straight courses of chocolate-frosted chocolate cake. Eventually you would put the book or your fork down. It would be a long time before you enjoyed chocolate cake or reading Georgette Heyer again.
The book's plot is stretched around the last 17 years of the life of Charles I of England. Thus it is truly an historical novel. However, its plot is not knitted together well, and there is no character payoff.
If you are already familiar with Heyer's work, you may well enjoy this. If you are thinking to try her out with an inexpensive purchase, this book will not give you an idea of how well she wrote. Download a sample of her Regency romances or her country-house mysteries. Either will be a better reading experience than this clunker.
Even the best writers can fall into traps. That's what happened here.
March 4, 2025
An indepth look at the machinations of Charles II's court and international affairs.
With the Marquis of Roxhythe as the devoted courtier and manipulator working behind the scences, England's fate is wending a path between the needs of the Restoration, France's hopes, the Catholic exclusion and declaration of indulgence and with growing influence of William of Orange.
It gives great insight to a time long past and the societal norms of the time (at least at the upper levels of society!)
This was her second novel, published in 1023, after The Black Moth, but later withdrawn at her request.
With the Marquis of Roxhythe as the devoted courtier and manipulator working behind the scences, England's fate is wending a path between the needs of the Restoration, France's hopes, the Catholic exclusion and declaration of indulgence and with growing influence of William of Orange.
It gives great insight to a time long past and the societal norms of the time (at least at the upper levels of society!)
This was her second novel, published in 1023, after The Black Moth, but later withdrawn at her request.
August 23, 2021
Dull. Fascinating setting with plenty of opportunity for adventure but in the end, dull. Too many one dimensional characters, too much plot without a through line of character development. It ends up reading like a Wikipedia entry with a lot of flouncing. Only one character grows, and he is permanently shunted off-stage the moment he does so. She had done better to choose an episode and illustrate it vividly than attempt a comprehensive lecture on the entirety of the latter half of Charles II his reign (to use her own affectation), overstuffed and made, well, dull.
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