A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Civil Contract
Book Review: Regency-heavy
Summary: 2 Stars
All the other reviewers here love Georgette Heyer. And I've been intrigued by her fan base for quite some time. Her books are simply raved about here on Amazon's reviews and boards, and elsewhere. After reading the glowing reviews for A CIVIL CONTRACT, reputed to be her best book -- I decided to take the plunge. Even though I admit to disliking most Regency-era romances. Actually, I should properly say, I dislike poorly written romance novels that are set in the Regency time period. (God knows there are plenty of these out there, and unfortunately I seem to have encountered more than my share of them.) So in one way, I am a biased reader. But a really well-written book, which A CIVIL CONTRACT is supposed to be, should be able to pull me into its plot. Right? If I approach it with an open mind? And I was willing myself to enjoy this story.
Weeeeeeelll... goodness, I tried, I really tried, to find something compelling about it. If only ONE of the characters had made me feel something, some sympathy, some affection, for him or for her, I might have been able to find that connection. But my mind remained stubbornly disenchanted -- disengaged from these people.
I felt that these people were stereotypes, not characters. I guess I've read more than enough Regency romances to recognize the down-on-his-wealth hero; the plain heiress heroine; the overbearing parent; the whiney martyr-like mother; etc., etc. Original characters? Perhaps they were, 30-40 years ago. Perhaps I've simply come to Ms. Heyer too late.
There was one other factor that particularly bothered me, almost from the first pages of this story. Although I didn't live in 1815, I feel confident that not every person relentlessly spoke the lingo that certain of these fictional characters did. Every slang expression ever used in the Regency period ("doin' it too brown", et al.) was contained within their conversations; sometimes for paragraphs at a time. It was unreal. And rather awful.
Imagine yourself biting into a nice soft piece of Italian bread, but one with a full inch of butter on the top, and you have an approximation of what I experienced while reading this book.
I'm actually sorry I won't be joining Ms. Heyer's legion of fans. I would have liked to, but after reading A CIVIL CONTRACT, I can say that the qualities in her writing that must appeal to her fans just didn't appeal to me.
Book Review: The best of her many books
Summary: 5 Stars
Georgette Heyer wrote many Regency romances; in fact she invented the genre if you don't count Jane Austen. A Civil Contract is both the best written and the best plotted, and the end isn't obvious from the beginning. For one thing, the obvious heroine isn't the heroine, and the hero never declares his passionate love for her.
Adam Deveril returns from the Peninsular War to find his father dead and his fortune gone. He is forced to break his engagement with his childhood sweetheart and marry a vulgar heiress for money. And she is vulgar, plus fat and ugly. Her father is one of Heyer's most outrageous creations and the comic scenes between the well-bred Deverils and the pushing merchant are absolute classics.
It's a credit to Heyer at the height of her powers that by the time she resolves this, you accept the conclusion as a happy, although non-traditional, ending.
Book Review: The best of the Heyer novels
Summary: 5 Stars
I own every book Heyer wrote, but this is by far my favorite. A Civil Contract covers the first year and a half of an arranged marriage between an impoverished peer desperate to save his family estate from foreclosure, and a rather plain, but very nice, banker's heiress -- who unfortunately is also the former schoolmate of the woman he is in love with. I've read (in Jane Aiken Hodges' excellent biography of Georgette Heyer) that Ms. Heyer deliberately set out with this book shake up the expectations she herself had established in the romance genre -- and she succeeds admirably. Jenny has to adjust to life in the aristocracy, struggle to gain acceptance, deal with her husband's infatuation with her own school friend (a far more typical heroine), and learn how to make him happy.
Charming secondary characters include the hero's dynamic sister and of course the heroine's vulgar but winning father. Jenny is the only Heyer heroine who has a baby (and is seen by the obstetrician who historically later killed Princess Charlotte with his treatments!).
Book Review: slow slow slow
Summary: 3 Stars
Ok - so seriously? People thought this their favourite? I've actually only read 6 of her books right now. While this wasn't my least favoured it's certainly not the best. Looking back I can see the storyline and events, but while I was reading it I felt as if I was wading through molasses or something. I was so relieved when I finally finished the book. I wanted to know the outcome so I just had to plod on.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who is trying to get into Heyer and can't decide which one to read first, but it isn't too bad for someone who has already been introduced to her.
Book Review: worth the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I love all GH's books, but this was wonderful. It took me completely into Regency Britain and can't wait to read it yet again.