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Cotillion [Paperback]

Georgette Heyer (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 6 Jan 2005

The three great-nephews of cantankerous Mr Penicuik know better than to ignore his summons, especially when it concerns the bestowal of his fortune -- the wily old gentleman has hatched a typically freakish plan for his stepdaughter's future and his own amusement: his fortune will be Kitty's dowry. But while the beaux are scrambling for her hand, Kitty counters with her own inventive, if daring, scheme: a sham engagement which should keep wedlock at bay ...

Cotillion shows what made Georgette Heyer the undisputed queen of historical romance - one of the most popular novelists of her day, she is still adored by a huge readership.

(20040315)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Arrow; New Ed edition (6 Jan 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099474379
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099474371
  • Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 16,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Authors

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Izolda Xaindrava
Georgette Heyer

Product Description

Amazon Review

Young Kitty Charing stands to inherit a vast fortune from her irascible great-uncle Matthew--provided she marries one of her cousins. Kitty is not wholly adverse to the plan, if the right nephew proposes. Unfortunately, Kitty has set her heart on Jack Westruther, a confirmed rake, who seems to have no inclination to marry her anytime soon. In an effort to make Jack jealous, and to see a little more of the world than her isolated life on her great-uncle's estate has afforded her, Kitty devises a plan. She convinces yet another of her cousins, the honourable Freddy Standen, to pretend to be engaged to her. Her plan would bring her to London on a visit to Freddy's family and (hopefully) render the elusive Mr Westruther madly jealous. Thus begins Cotillion, arguably the funniest, most charming of Georgette Heyer's many delightful Regency romances.

No sooner does Kitty arrive in London than she becomes embroiled in the romantic difficulties of several new acquaintances. Kitty's French cousin, Camille, a professional gambler, has won the heart of her new friend, Olivia--who also happens to be the object of Jack Westruther's dishonourable intentions. Meanwhile, Kitty's doltish cousin Lord Dolphinton has fallen in love with a merchant's daughter who is embattled with his mother and needs his help. Finally, there is Kitty herself, who begins to wonder if the dandified Freddy might not be the man for her after all. As in all of Georgette Heyer's books, Cotillion transcends genre--it is, quite simply, wonderful literature. Historically accurate down to the finest details of dress, deportment and speech, Heyer was also a master at creating unforgettable, comic characters; and Kitty Charing and Freddy Standen stand out as one of her most charming romantic duos ever. --Amazon.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A writer of great wit and style ... I've read her books to ragged shreds" (Kate Fenton Daily Telegraph )

"Georgette Heyer is unbeatable" (India Knight )

"Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic. Georgette Heyer achieves what the rest of us only aspire to" (Katie Fforde )

"Charming and comic with plenty of romance" (Kati Nicholl Daily Express )

"Georgette Heyer deserves the recognition implicit in her inclusion in the Naxos Classic Fiction list, and Cotillion is an excellent first choice. Her funniest book, it is a plucky-innocent-reforms-rake parody, written in her prime in 1953 ... Heyer immersed herself in 18th-century literature" (Christina Hardyment The Times )
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A charming tale to read again and again 2 Jan 2006
By Helen Hancox TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The first time I read Cotillion I found myself a little disappointed. Perhaps because Freddie isn’t really the sort of hero I go for (The Marquis of Vidal, Marquis of Alverstoke or Earl of Worth from Heyer’s novels spring to mind here), perhaps because Kitty wasn’t the usual intelligent, witty heroine, perhaps because there were lots of different stories which diluted the overall effect.

I read it again, two months later and completely changed my mind. Freddie IS a great hero because of his sweetness of nature, self-awareness and the way that he rises to the occasion when it becomes necessary and saves the day in so many ways, but humbly. And as for the hero character, Jack Westruther, who you might expect to be that – he isn’t; we hear of his rake lifestyle and it’s offputting. However, Freddie’s father makes a fascinating side-character with his sly wit and amusing turn of phrase; Lord Legerwood definitely adds a spice to the book and he’s now my hero of it, alongside his son.

The period detail of Heyer’s books is of course fantastic and this one is no different. What stands out for me in Cotillion is that Heyer is able to portray many different people, some of whom are simple or at least not particularly intelligent, with real veracity. Kitty’s young and bighearted and is utterly convincing; Freddie isn’t particularly intelligent but has a lot of common sense and worldly knowledge and he is convincing; Freddie’s sister whose husband is away and is flexing her flirting muscles is convincing – all the characters we come across in Cotillion are different from each other (and from other Heyer characters) but work. No mean feat!

I recommend this book very much, and it definitely improves with subsequent reading.

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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars my favourite ever Heyer 14 Oct 2003
By pfreeman
Format:Paperback
This is one of the funniest, most heartwarming romances I've ever read. It turns all the conventions on their heads and produces an original plot, adorable characters, and a lot of laugh out loud moments. If you like your heroes proud and arrogant, then try Sylvester, These Old Shades, or Devil's Cub, but if you want a feel good book that amuses from beginning to end, then read Cotillion. There are no sex scenes, and not a lot of passion, but it's still one of the best romances ever written.
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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A "safe" but adorable hero 19 Feb 2004
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is an interesting book from Heyer. On the face of it, Jack Westruther is much more her typical hero type - handsome, witty, quick on the uptake - but while not unsympathetic to him, in Cotillion she explores the character traits that make this type perhaps not such a suitable long-term match.

As a contrast, Freddy Standen is about as far removed from Heyer's dangerous archetype as it is possible to get. Not, on first acquaintance, particularly quick on the uptake in the conventional sense, the reader, along with Kitty, soon realises that he is very far from stupid. Importantly, he is a genuinely good person, motivated by the desire to do the best for Kitty and to help her out of the scrapes in which her involvement in the affairs of her cousins and her friends rapidly lands her, and his normally restrained demeanour does not prevent his being roused to passionate emotion.

Kitty Charing is, in her turn, is a delightful heroine - only nineteen (and believably so), raised in rural seclusion with an overdependence on sensational works of literature, she is determined to achieve some measure of independence and gradually learns that what she needs from a man is very different from the romantic heroes of poetry and legend.

In addition, the sub-plots - Freddy's extended family and Kitty's connections, Kitty's slightly dodgy French cousin Camille, her beautiful but impoverished friend Olivia, the feeble-minded but good-natured Lord Dolphinton and his distinctly "trade" inamorata - add sparkle and charm to the narrative and evoke genuine interest in the interwoven plot strands.

Overall, this is one of my favourite Georgette Heyers - and I speak as one who is normally a sucker for her more witty, quick-tempered, and worldly heroes (as in Devil's Cub and so forth).... Read more ›

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars My Favourite Heyer Novel 2 Sep 2006
By Gentle Reader
Format:Paperback
This is my favourite Heyer novel, and one of the most delightful books I have ever read, largely due to the kind-hearted and unassuming nature of its hero, Freddy Standen. Freddy is very socially adept but not particularly quick-witted, unlike his cousin Jack. The heroine, 19-year-old Kitty, enlists Freddy's help to spend some time in London, secretly planning to make Jack jealous. Does it work? You will have to read the book to find out.

On the way to solving her own romantic problems Kitty helps others with theirs, sees the sights of London, learns about "ton" etiquette and matures in her own thinking. As usual with Heyer novels, there are the minor characters with their idiosyncrasies and entertainment value, but it is Kitty and Freddy who steal the show with their gentle, kind and amusing friendship.

I first read Georgette Heyer novels in the 1960s and am thrilled to see that they are back in print. Of the 18 I have read this time around, Cotillion (a very apt title) is the first I have read through twice consecutively; I just could not put it down! I found the initial chapters, set in the country, a little slow but necessary to the plot. However the action soon moves to London where we meet Freddy's family, enjoy the social scene and follow the characters' progress to the story's delicious ending.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great silly story
Thoroughly enjoyed this read, as I have done all the other Georgette Heyer's. I think I would be brave enough to say this was one of my favourites
Published 4 days ago by D. M. Morton
5.0 out of 5 stars Coalition by Bridgette Heyer
This has got to be one of my favourites, by Ms Heyer, so very funny. A bit slow to start, but like all her books you can't put it down.
Published 28 days ago by Mrs J Milburn
4.0 out of 5 stars typical heyer
Typical georgette heyer...well constructed and written with the usual happy ending. *her best work is an infamous army, so if you like romantic fiction with an edge based on fact... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michael A. Brunwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun
Loved it!! Funny and subtlety romantic with a great ending! Freddy is a different type of hero but dashing in his own way. One of my favourites :)
Published 2 months ago by Sophie
5.0 out of 5 stars Georgette Heyer
I have read these books time and time again. It seems that not only do I have my books but also my Kindle.
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. S. Durdensue
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazon Purchase Review
Georgette Heyer on of my favorite authors. Easy to read, you can get engrossed in the story have a laugh and a cry.
Published 7 months ago by BK
2.0 out of 5 stars Talking book
No problem with vendor. This product arrived in good time and is exactly as described. The reason I only gave it 2 stars is because the narrators voice is so very very irritating. Read more
Published 20 months ago by P. S. Jonczyk
3.0 out of 5 stars The language is so annoying!
I found it a struggle to read because of the incredibly annoying language. Heyer most likely wanted to make fun of the posh characters, but I've never read any other book like... Read more
Published 21 months ago by UrbanDane
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book let down by the Kindle edition
I have to give the book itself five stars, it's one of Heyer's best - although it's not a good one to start with as you won't know how many games Heyer is playing with her own... Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2011 by Rosie-the-philosopher
5.0 out of 5 stars Almost Perfect
A thoroughly enjoyable Heyer Classic expertly read. Claire Willie really does justice to the text.
Personally I prefer a little less music between chapters but realise it does... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2011 by Val
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