- Unknown Binding: 316 pages
- Publisher: Buccaneer (1985)
- Language English
- ASIN: B0006YWXIW
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
Cotillion
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
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.
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
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.
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
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). This book may have more of a nice cocoa-ey feel to it, but it's none the less charming and engaging for all that, and I defy anyone not to buy into the general warm fuzziness at the end as Jack gets his comeuppance. Also some genuinely laugh-out-loud lines. Definitely recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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 7 months ago by P. S. Jonczyk
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 9 months ago by UrbanDane
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 14 months ago by Rosie-the-philosopher
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
Personally I prefer a little less music between chapters but realise it does... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Val
A delightful dance of fun, mischief and love
Kitty is a pretty but unsophisticated young girl adopted by the disagreeable and ageing Mr Penuik, who upon deciding that his fortune will be Kitty's dowry invites all his nephews... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Judith Hill
Cotillion
I always like to read Georgette Heyer s books and like to own all her titles Cotillion was one missing from my collection. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mrs. M. L. Ward
One of my favourites!
I wish to be a little frank with you before I shared my review. I have a list of Georgette Heyer novels I have read and everytime I read another I add it to the list and rank in... Read more
Published on 7 April 2010 by austen_megabux
bitterly disappointed
The book was ancient, every page was brown and smelled. I was very disappointed. These books have been reprinted but this one was printed in the 60s. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2009 by Ms. Ailsa Hamilton
Disappointing voice....
I have enjoyed reading Georgette Heyer's books for many years and was looking forward to listening to this, but unfortunately the reader's voice just can't handle the various... Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2009 by Elspeth
Cotillion
This has always been amongst my top 3 Heyer novels but on listening to the audioCotillion book i was thoroughly disappointed. Read more
Published on 27 Sep 2009 by F. Ali
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