Reread it today, because I just bought Infamous Army and realized belatedly that it's a sequel to Regency Buck, which I cracked open years ago and of Reread it today, because I just bought Infamous Army and realized belatedly that it's a sequel to Regency Buck, which I cracked open years ago and of which I've forgotten nearly everything. All I remembered was that it was a story of two young, impulsive wards and their haughty, high-handed guardian, and that it was where I first learned about Beau Brummell.
Wealthy young Judith and Peregrine Taverner travel to London to make their mark in the polite world, only to be alternately thwarted and aided by their mysterious and extremely fashionable (and much younger than I remembered -- I guess 27 seemed like 37 in high school) guardian, the Earl of Worth. Judith's vast inheritance, which is apt to grow larger should Peregrine somehow expire, paints a bullseye on her brother's forehead, and someone has taken aim. The story revolves around this mystery, as well as the Taverners' debut into London Society.
I have to say that realizing how little agency Judith has in this book despite her wealth knocked a star off the book. Despite her boldness and her defiance of social norms, she still maintains and acknowledges a certain helplessness, especially in allowing Worth to manage her affairs. I'm pretty sure that it's historically accurate with regards to female agency back then, but it's still frustrating to see how, especially in the last part, she basically just gets moved around like a sack of meal. Judith's snooty headstrong manner, which I very much admired, deserved more.
Worth was a typical Heyer hero -- in other words, a complete flight of fancy. I don't know a single man who can be the first in fashion, enigmatic and infuriating, impossibly rich, and wily enough to have all possible inheritance intrigues soundly in hand at the same time. However, I have no complaints. I liked it when Judith threw Worth off his game, which were the moments when he seemed truly human, rather than a wish fulfillment fantasy.
Peregrine is still utterly charming, though his endless diatribes on the merits of boxing and sailing do wear on. They show Heyer's remarkable research, which I appreciate, but it still can get pretty tough to slough through massive paragraphs about horses.
Despite all this, I enjoyed rereading Regency Buck, because this is Heyer as I remember her best. Her characters are engaging and seeing the famed figures of history strolling around and speaking about waistcoats and cabbages was as educational and as fun as it was years ago....more
Heyer's language here is detailed and elegant yet at the same time lively -- or maybe that is because her characters pop out of the page. I particularHeyer's language here is detailed and elegant yet at the same time lively -- or maybe that is because her characters pop out of the page. I particularly love the Merriots. Robin is the firecracker to his sister's more laid-back observer, and they slip into their real and assumed roles like a glove. Their father is a merry sort of scoundrel -- my favorite kind.
I have a lot of sentimentality for this book. It was my first Heyer, though I picked it up only because masquerades and gender-benders intrigue me, and now it is exhausted in its old age and should be treated with care. ...more
This book ran on a bit long, and many of the characters' voices echoed those of Eddings's previous characters (Dweia, most particularly, reminded me oThis book ran on a bit long, and many of the characters' voices echoed those of Eddings's previous characters (Dweia, most particularly, reminded me of Polgara). However, it is a credit to David Eddings's writing that the formula and style he has used time and again still works.
What I loved the most about this story was the House. I would love to live in a house like that, as long as I could control it. I also enjoyed Althalus and his "family's" meddling through time and space. I do think that the ending, and how everyone ended up paired off to their respective soulmates was a little bit too neat, but this only occurred to me some time after the hazy afterglow of a good book had worn off....more
Loading...
