*** 1/2 - Heyer's written quite a romp in The Masqueraders, and I was glad to be along for the ride! I received a copy of The Masqueraders for free to review from Sourcebooks. I've also purchased a copy. Make of that what you will, FTC.
Prudence and her brother Robin are on the run and in disguise. Robin had been involved in the failed Jacobite rebellion, and now he is hiding in petticoats at the behest of 'the old gentleman', his father. Prudence, disguised as the handsome young Peter Merriott, and Robin as lovely blond sister Kate take London society by storm when they help rescue heiress Letitia Grayson from an elopement gone awry. Meanwhile, the 'old gentleman' is vying for the title of Tremaine of Barham.
And to be truthful, that's not really the half of it. The masquerades carry on with Robin disguised as a dapper young hero in a black domino to enchant Letty's heart. Prudence is worried about the large Anthony Fanshawe (whom the siblings fondly refer to as 'the mountain') discovering her masquerade. There is blackmail, duels, and the ever-constant fear of discovery. A ton is going on in The Masqueraders, and I had a great time with it.
And thank goodness, there's a lot of love for Heyer out there, and I had tried The Grand Sophy before this and just wasn't terribly impressed. But I decided to give this one another try - with all the hijinks, how could it go wrong?
The pacing is a bit slow - it feels a bit like old classic adventures like The Scarlet Pimpernel and Robert Louis Stevenson's Master of Ballantrae. But a little bit of patience with that sort of style, and I was soon sucked into the deliciously implausible story.
The characters are great fun. Prudence is cool as a cucumber, Robin a hot-head who is enjoying his flirtations and his close friendship with Letty as a girl. The old gentleman is completely hilarious - he's so utterly full of himself, convinced of his mental acuity and his inability to go wrong. He's a kook - exasperating but certainly funny, and he certainly pulls off the melodramatic plot with panache. I wasn't always certain as to why he was asking his children to masquerade as the opposite gender. But then, the old gentleman likes to watch those around him dance to his tune!
Although there are some tender romantic elements, this seems more like an adventure story (complete with iffy identities). There are carriage chases, false arrests, enmities and duels. I read someone recently state that PBS should do a series of Georgette Heyer episodes (as for the Jane Austen stories) - and I think The Masqueraders would be an excellent choice if they do!
Interested in other opinions?
Hey thanks for linking me!!
ReplyDeleteLoved your review also. I totally agree with Heyer on the boob toob: they would be fun to watch!
Thanks for including my blog's post at the bottom of your review! I agree with your analogy of this book to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Georgette Heyer's novels are fun, not deep, but she tells a rousing tale. I sometimes find her young heroines a bit too insipid for my tastes; it's her heroes I like - Vic
ReplyDeleteHello, just discovered your blog via reference by Linnea Sinclair on her listserv (to your review of Gabriel's Ghost, with which I heartily agree).
ReplyDeleteLove me some Georgette! Like the previous commenter said, not deep, but I love her satirical view of the world, her nutty characters, her dialogue, her masterful comedic plotting. I think her work would be great on stage and/or TV. No movies, it wouldn't do her justice.
I encourage you to try my favorites: Cotillion, The Unknown Ajax, Frederica, The Talisman Ring, and oh, lots of others.
Vorkosigrrl - I have Venetia on my TBR pile, which my mom says is one of her favorites. But after that, I'll certainly see about giving those in your list a try!
ReplyDeleteThanks!