Masqueraders
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"Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic. Georgette Heyer achieves what the rest of us only aspire to." - Katie Florde. "My favourite historical novelist - stylish, romantic, sharp, and witty. Her sense of period is superb, her heroines are enterprising, and her heroes dashing. I owe her many happy hours." - Margaret Drabble. "A writer of great wit and style - I've read her books to ragged shreds." - Kate Fenton, Daily Telegraph. "Sparkling" - Independent. "Every girl, whatever her age, needs her own complete set of Heyer titles. More than romantic they are witty, elegant, stylish and the best comedies of manners since Jane Austen. Required reading for everyone." - Diane Pearson"
Book Description
"Georgette Heyer is unbeatable" - India Knight
One of the best-known and most beloved historical novelists captures a whole new audience in a stunning repackage.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anyone lumping Georgette Heyer with the baby-pink-jacketed paperbacks crowding the Romance shelves is missing the point. This is P.G. Wodehouse (for the comic timing) meeting Jane Austen (for the subtle analysis of character.) Heyer's historical research is impeccable, whether in this novel, about the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion in the 18th century, or, in a book like "An Infamous Army", about the Battle of Waterloo. Add to this an irrepressible sense of humour and a sure talent to recreate a period faultlessly (Heyer kept a linguistic historian's notebooks of period expressions and turns of phrases, her biographer Jane Aiken Hodge tells us) and you understand why Georgette Heyer's books have never been out of print. "The Masqueraders" is one of her earlier novels, more dashing and romantic than the later, wryer and more sardonic Regency stories which made her name. Yet it contains great one-liners (usually in the mouth of Lord Tremaine, Robin's and Prudence's adventurer father) and Heyer manages to make us believe in this entertaining masquerade of the siblings posing each as a member of the opposite sex. There are wonderful shades of Mozart's Da Ponte operas: very true to the period indeed. Strongly recommended.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is only the second Georgette Heyer book I've read and it was very different to my first, The Talisman Ring, in setting, language and plot. The Masqueraders is set just after the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and follows the adventures of Prudence and her brother Robin. Along with their father (referred to by his children as 'the old gentleman') Robin had been involved in the failed Jacobite rebellion and is now in danger of being hanged. To prevent him being captured, the brother and sister have created new roles for themselves - Robin has disguised himself as the beautiful 'Miss Merriot' and Prudence has become the handsome young 'Peter'. All very Shakespearean! Not surprisingly, this leads to a number of misunderstandings and narrow escapes.
Things get even more interesting when Prudence, still posing as Peter Merriot, begins to fall in love with Sir Anthony Fanshawe - and then 'the old gentleman' arrives on the scene, claiming to be the lost heir to the Barham fortune.
I found the story confusing and difficult to follow at first. I spent several chapters trying to work out exactly why Prudence and Robin had found it necessary to masquerade as people of the opposite sex and what they were hoping to achieve. It also took me a while to get used to the Georgian-style dialogue, with all the egads, alacks and other slang terms of the period.
After a few chapters, however, various parts of the story started to fall into place and then I had no problem understanding what was happening. I ended up really enjoying this book. There were many things that made this book such a success for me. I thought the Georgian setting, with its powdered wigs, card games, sword fights and duels, was perfectly portrayed. The plot was full of twists and turns that kept my interest right to the end. And I loved the characters. The calm and cool-headed Prudence was the perfect balance for the more impetuous Robin - and both were fun and likeable. Watching Prudence's relationship with Sir Anthony develop was one of my highlights of the book. Robin's romance with Letty Grayson, who knew him only as a masked man known as the Black Domino, was equally well written.
Most of all, I loved the 'old gentleman'. He was conceited, arrogant and a scheming rogue - but he was also hilarious and capable of coming up with such ingenious schemes that maybe his arrogance was justified.
Having enjoyed both of the Georgette Heyer books I've read so far, I think I'm starting to become a fan and will definitely look out for more of her books!
Things get even more interesting when Prudence, still posing as Peter Merriot, begins to fall in love with Sir Anthony Fanshawe - and then 'the old gentleman' arrives on the scene, claiming to be the lost heir to the Barham fortune.
I found the story confusing and difficult to follow at first. I spent several chapters trying to work out exactly why Prudence and Robin had found it necessary to masquerade as people of the opposite sex and what they were hoping to achieve. It also took me a while to get used to the Georgian-style dialogue, with all the egads, alacks and other slang terms of the period.
After a few chapters, however, various parts of the story started to fall into place and then I had no problem understanding what was happening. I ended up really enjoying this book. There were many things that made this book such a success for me. I thought the Georgian setting, with its powdered wigs, card games, sword fights and duels, was perfectly portrayed. The plot was full of twists and turns that kept my interest right to the end. And I loved the characters. The calm and cool-headed Prudence was the perfect balance for the more impetuous Robin - and both were fun and likeable. Watching Prudence's relationship with Sir Anthony develop was one of my highlights of the book. Robin's romance with Letty Grayson, who knew him only as a masked man known as the Black Domino, was equally well written.
Most of all, I loved the 'old gentleman'. He was conceited, arrogant and a scheming rogue - but he was also hilarious and capable of coming up with such ingenious schemes that maybe his arrogance was justified.
Having enjoyed both of the Georgette Heyer books I've read so far, I think I'm starting to become a fan and will definitely look out for more of her books!
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of the last Georgette Heyer novels that I got round to reading - it seemed hard to get hold of at local libraries. Having now read it, I can't understand why it is not more popular as I believe it's one of Heyer's better books. Although in some ways it bears similarity to Powder & Patch in terms of language (and I wasn't too keen on that book), the plot is far more enjoyable and twisted.
It helps to know that the two characters we meet at the beginning, Mr Peter Merriott and Miss Kate Merriott, are actually sister and brother in disguise. "Peter" is actually Miss Prudence and her brother, who was involved in the Jacobite rebellion and is therefore in some danger, disguises himself as a woman. Heyer gives us a few clues as to how this is successful - Robin (the brother) is unusually short for a man, it's the era when women painted their faces, he wears tight corsets, but overall this is a slight weakness in the plot, as is the thought that a woman dressed in man's clothes would pass for a man over a period of several weeks. One just glosses over it, however, and enjoys the fun of the masquerade as Prudence, dressed up as Peter Merriott, gets involved in London society and visits Gentlemen's clubs, challenges a man to a duel and finds herself in love with a very tall man who has befriended her - as Peter. Her brother Robin also falls in love with a young lady he rescued and it's the tortuous ways in which the young couple perform their masquerade which adds to the fun. Their father appears who is the mastermind behind their plans, and claims that he is a Viscount; there is much humour in the scenes with him as he is such an egocentric character.
The highlight of the book for me is the interaction between Prudence, disguised as Mr Peter Merriott, and Sir Anthony Fanshawe, with whom she falls in love. These two characters are well-portrayed and come across as well-suited when the final unmasking takes place.
I heartily recommend this book for a great fun read with interesting characters set in a fascinating period of English history.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
BRILLIANT!!!
I love Georgette Heyer books and this is my personal favourite. I also discovered a superb book with a similar feel and flavour called The Adventurers by Michelle Martin. Read more
Published 2 months ago by :-)
One of my favourite Georgette Heyer books
I have read many Georgette Heyer novels and this certainly rates as one of my favourites. The four main characters (Prudence, Robin, their father, & Sir Anthony Fanshawe) are all... Read more
Published 4 months ago by JMV
Charming, frothy romance
I love Georgette Heyer but this isn't one of my favourites. Set just after the defeat of the Jacobites, it's built around the comedy premise of cross-dressing so that Prue appears... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Roman Clodia
Outrageous!
Excellent. One of her best, hilarious. Brother and sister masquerading as each other with a very outlandish father pulling the strings.
Published on 31 May 2010 by Erika Olsen
Worth Persevering
Heyer's romance fiction is known for its lightness of touch and quick witted dialogue. This novel, in which brother and sister Prudence and Robin get embroiled in deceit and a kind... Read more
Published on 8 April 2009 by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
great historical romance
really enjoyed this book, although to begin with found it slow going because of the language but dont be put off by this. Read more
Published on 20 April 2007 by Lindymck
Fabulous book!
This is such a great book - the ultimate romantic, swashbuckling, identity swapping fantasy. It just gets better and better as you read it. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2006
Overtones of "Twelfth Night"
Anyone who loves Shakespeare's Viola (and who thinks Shakespeare didn't give her enough to do in Twelfth Night) will enjoy Georgette Heyer's heroine Prudence. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2003
A must-read for Heyer fans
A true Heyer book with a twist fairly early on.
This is one for those of us girls who are larger that the wraiths seen on 20th century catwalks as the heroine is a large lady. Read more
Published on 7 July 2000
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