Georgette Heyer Fans discussion

I didn't want to brag until they were in my hot little hands, but I won an auction on TradeMe (Our answer to Ebay) & won 38, yes 38 Heyers! There is a duplicate The Nonsuch (which my neighbour has just borrowed!) but out of all of her historicals & regencies I think I have the lot other than The Great Roxhythe (I'm trying to source that for a very dear friend who thinks she has a complete GH collection!) My Lord John (or similar name - no intention of reading that turkey again) Royal Escape (didn't like it at the time but am intending to reread as I may have been unfair) & The Conqueror (my favourite of her historicals,so I am a little disappointed about that) but I can get the latter two from my friend. The vendor also threw in Koestler's Regency World. I can remember finding that a bit dull but I'm sure it's going to be a very valuable reference tool!

Wow!

I'm so happy for you!

Enjoy!

Congratulations! What fun. You could go on a Heyer reading binge.

Omigod, I thought I had a complete Heyer collection, and I’ve never heard of The Great Roxhythe. Scurrying off to the Web this instant . . .

What fantastic luck! Now you'll be ready for all our read alongs for the next five years.

Oh, well done!! I can just imagine you opening the parcel when it arrives and drooling over them, deciding which to read first.

Who is the publisher?

Are they all from the same publisher and the same editions?

Abigail wrote: "Omigod, I thought I had a complete Heyer collection, and I’ve never heard of The Great Roxhythe. Scurrying off to the Web this instant . . ."

Abigail has probably already found it out but TGR, was GH's second book & one of the titles she suppressed - with good reason! It's the most unintentionally funny book I've ever read. I think you guys can get hold of it through Amazon, but it appears to not have been re-released in NZ & the old copies are a bit pricey. I may weaken & go through an overseas source like Amazon, but my credit card was compromised a few months ago & I'm now wary of buying online.

@ Amy. Yes indeedy! But I didn't acquire any of the mysteries, so I am still reliant on my friend for those. I have found Death in the Stocks online, but it's a bit more than I want to pay.

@HJ. I was drooling indeed! & during the auction I was hunched over the screen, shrieking abuse at my competitors. I think I looked a bit like the bad guy from The Incredibles! But I already know which one I'm going to read - The Unknown Ajax & I'll add my thoughts to the end of the threads!

@Andrea 22 of them were new, the others looked new. I've put them back in the box as I'm going to clear out some shelves in my bedroom & put them there, but they are all the same publisher Arrow books.

O_O wow you are so lucky... 38!

Ooh yes, Carol, The Unknown Ajax is a guaranteed winner! I love Hugo; he's one of my favourite Heyer heroes.

Mine too! Robert Beaumaris, Miles Calverleigh & (blush) Lord Vidal are all up there though.

excellent, so glad to hear it!

That is awesome, Carol!! Lucky duck. :)

How exciting! Congrats! I found The Royal Escape at a used/rare bookstore near me but didn't buy it.

Wow, Carol, that's a wonderful addition to your house!

& I have just got The Conqueror cheaply second hand!

***Carol*** wrote: "& I have just got The Conqueror cheaply second hand!"

I think you just exceeded your lucky duck quotient!

***Carol*** wrote: "& I have just got The Conqueror cheaply second hand!"

Awesome!!

I haven't read that one yet - let us know what you think of it!

Karlyne wrote: "***Carol*** wrote: "& I have just got The Conqueror cheaply second hand!"

I think you just exceeded your lucky duck quotient!"

Hmm, not so sure of that , When she has slogged through it she may not think it was all that lucky! ( only my opinion of course!)
It never ceases to amaze me that GH , who wears her research so gaily and cleverly in the Georgian/ Regencies etc can be so leaden in the 'armour' ones.

Barbara wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "***Carol*** wrote: "& I have just got The Conqueror cheaply second hand!"

I think you just exceeded your lucky duck quotient!"

Hmm, not so sure of that , When she has slogged th..."

I read it years ago and still have a copy, but I've never re-read it...

I found The Conqueror very readable, much better than the other historicals which, as 21 wrote, are just leaden. I think what makes the Conqueror so fun is the supporting characters. The friendship between Raoul and Edgar and then the relationship between them and their lords William and Harold are well done. GH manages to get some of that sparkle in this novel but not nearly to the level of the Regencies. Beauvallet is a very fun adventure novel. Lord Simon (I do not think that is quite the title) is practically unreadable although he does have some fun friends and I like that he is Beauvallet's ancestor! I have always been rather disappointed that we never found a Beauvallet in any of the Regencies! I might try to reread the Royal Escape but Lord John is unreadable in my opinion.

Helen wrote: "I found The Conqueror very readable, much better than the other historicals which, as 21 wrote, are just leaden. I think what makes the Conqueror so fun is the supporting characters. The friendsh..."

I might try and re-read The Conqueror in light of your comments Helen . Just so long as I never have to re-read My Lord John.......

Barbara wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "***Carol*** wrote: "& I have just got The Conqueror cheaply second hand!"

I think you just exceeded your lucky duck quotient!"

Hmm, not so sure of that , When she has slogged th..."

Well it was my favourite of her historicals, but they were all a long way behind how I felt about her romances. A reread will be interesting!

& good news - I went through my box of old Georgette Heyer's & found I do have Royal Escape after all! A shame I didn't take my late Dad's copy of My Lord John because then I would have a complete collection of GH's historical/romances that are available in this country. The Arrow edition of the Great Roxhythe wasn't released here.

Sigh wasn't going to post but thought you might like the laugh.

You know my friend who has everything, doesn't like clutter & I wanted to get a really special present for her. So I've been trying to get Roxhythe.

Well, firstly she insisted on giving me her copy of My Lord John to nearly complete my Regency/Historical collection. (does anyone like this particular title) What's unintentionally hilarious is on the cover page it's described as "her last & greatest novel."

& she also doesn't have a complete mysteries. If I enjoy my library copy of Why Shoot a Butler I'll try to get that for her instead.

***Carol*** wrote, “on the cover page it’s described as ‘her last & greatest novel.’”

A classic of jacket copy! I always thought the garbage written by the marketing department and slapped on the outside of a book was hideous; after reading the jacket copy that was put on mine, I learned it could be embarrassing as well. Sadly, authors (except maybe superstars or self-publishers) tend not to have much control over that stuff.

I skimmed over the prologue written by her husband. If he was still alive (he committed suicide not that long after her death) he was probably delighted with the blurb. I get the feeling he didn't value her romances either - or at least preferred the mysteries & more leaden of GH's historicals.

I can't check this as I've loaned the Koestler to my friend.

Heyer's husband killed himself?!

Jackie wrote: "Heyer's husband killed himself?!"

Yes, from memory he had cancer but was also still grieving after her death.

***Carol*** wrote: "Yes, from memory he had cancer but was also still grieving after her death."

That's really sad. :(

It is sad. He had cancer of the jaw, and just couldn't go on without her.

Congrats on the haul, Carol! Extra *likes* for you!

& I wasn't intending to buy any of GH's mysteries but 20 cents. I just couldn't resist. So I now own a Blunt Instrument.

Technically it was a 5 for $1 deal so I also got a Jane Aiken Hodge (GH's first biographer)

I really need to keep out of that shop!

***Carol*** wrote: "& I wasn't intending to buy any of GH's mysteries but 20 cents. I just couldn't resist. So I now own a Blunt Instrument.

I really need to keep out of that shop! ..."

I'd like to have that problem!

Twenty cents?!? That has to be a record!

Karlyne wrote: "Twenty cents?!? That has to be a record!"

Oh it's better than that! Our dollar currently only worth 75 cents US.

@ HJ. I need to go back when I have more time & really study their shelves! Some of the spines are really faded.

And I'm thrilled when I find a $.65 at our thrift store...

amazing bargain finds!

You are damn lucky Carol. I wish i could find some old partpaperback. Mine are all e books.
By the way i love conqueror. It is by far the best historical i have read.
Have a great read.

I have a complete Heyer collection, including all three biographies - except for The Conqueror and My Lord John. I read library copies of them, or rather tried to, and I'm afraid I found them just too deadly.
However I am on my third or fourth copy of many of the novels, so does that let me off!

GreyGirl wrote: "I have a complete Heyer collection, including all three biographies - except for The Conqueror and My Lord John. I read library copies of them, or rather tried to, and I'm afraid I found them just ..."

In a fire, if you could only save one author's collection, which would it be... I'd have a hard time choosing, but my falling-apart Heyers would be in the top three!

Karlyne wrote: In a fire, if you could only save one author's collection, which would it be... I'd have a hard time choosing, but my falling-apart Heyers would be in the top three!

Ha! That would be easy for me as GH is the only author I collect! I have a few by other authors I like, such as Christie but you wouldn't call it a collection!

Oh, I'm afraid that I've got a few...

But they're not "sets" and have no dollar value. I mean, they're only pretty on the shelves because of whom the authors are!

The book I would save in a fire is 'The Thirteen Days Of Christmas' by Jenny Overton... It is my definite all-time most favourite book. I first read it when it was originally published in 1972 and then spent twenty nine years trying to find a copy to buy as it was out of print in the UK. I now have three different copies!

GreyGirl wrote: "The book I would save in a fire is 'The Thirteen Days Of Christmas' by Jenny Overton... It is my definite all-time most favourite book. I first read it when it was originally published in 1972 and ..."

I had never heard of this book! A copy is now winging its way to me, because it looks delightful.

I need a new Christmas book, so I'll be checking this one out, too!

OK I have a copy of The Great Roxhythe now. (I won it on TradeMe) There would be sounds of great rejoicing except I am worried it may be an illegal self published job. It is slightly bigger than the Arrows & the pages have a black line at the top - like photocopies do. & the cover & back pictures are grainy & distorted. Ok, forget the bit about worried about. I'm quite sure this is an illegal copy.

So I think that would be kind of a crappy present. :/

What I think I will do is keep it & keep looking for a present for my friend.

& that does give me a complete set of GH's historical romances & historicals.

I ordered a copy of The Great Roxhythe on Amazon recently, and the same thing happened! The book is very big and the pages were clearly photocopied, with the grain of the pictures on the cover distorted! I was so bummed!