What is your opinion of Georgette Heyer?

I read all of Jean Plaidy's books when I was a teenager and was told by my history teacher that my GCE history mock result owed more to imagination than fact (22% )
However, I did buckle down to some studying and got a very respectable pass in the end

collected all georgette heyer's books as a teenager and read them several times before storing them in a box.
two house moves later they're still in that box and i think i may well read them again.
i enjoyed them before and i know i will again.

Anya Seton is in a different league to G Heyer. 'Katherine' which I read in my teens has stood the test of time with me and have reread it several times, getting more out of it every time. Read G Heyer in my late teens ,early 20s and really enjoyed the books but havent tried again. I remember great stories but I would say a light read - can't remember any particular characters or plots. Agree about Norah Lofts - always well written and gripping. Especially enjoyed the 'house' trilogy.

I too enjoyed GH (and Jean Plaidy, Anya Seton etc) as a teenager but wouldn't want to read them again now. Some books you need to read at the right age.... Does anyone else remember Margaret Trouncer? another of my 15 year old self's favourites.

I read them a long time ago and enjoyed them. Maybe time to read again, I thought her writing was good and brought the period to life.

Even her name still makes me shudder!
When I was expecting DS no. 2 I had to take to my bed with an 'incompetent cervix'for several weeks. My step mother moved in to look after our toddler during the day & brought with her a huge bag of GH books- which she loved. I was a captive audience & had soon nothing else to read & I have always been a voracious reader!After the first one I was pleading with any friend who came to visit to PLEASE bring me some books to read. I hated them- so slushy.
Luckily I had good friends who provided plenty of books for me or I would have gone spare!
Each to his/her own I say. Not for me but if you like them- great.

I read GH along with every other historical fiction author. I hated history at school as it was always very dull - exclusively lists of dates, politicians, kings and acts to learn.
My interest in history was ignited by reading social history novels and then through those I moved onto the political events.
My favourite of all time is Norah Lofts though I haven't read them for some time. Particularly the 'house' series. These follow the building of a house then all the subsequent inhabitants. They are mostly set in Suffolk and the wool trade plays a part in some.
Incidentally my mother, who was a teacher, bought me Forever Amber and I couldn't put it down. Likewise the Angelique books - not given me by my mother!

I also read them all in my teens along with Jean Plaidy. My favourite is Cotillion bewildered Freddie always amuses me.

I read them all in my teens, and still return to my favourites now. There is something to be said for an author who appeals so widely across the age spectrum, and to so many people.
Some are better and deeper than others. My favourites are - The Unknown Ajax, Regency Buck, a prequel to The Infamous Army. (The latter contains a peerless account of the battle of Waterloo). Spanish Bride, Venetia, A Civil Contract, Bath Tangle, Fridays Child. These are in no particular order, except that I think The Unknown Ajax is in the right place, to be followed by The Infamous Army. I also think that the Unknown Ajax would translate to the small screen very well.
Georgette Heyer has a wonderful way with dialogue and character, and was no mean historian. However I could never get on with her crime novels. Perhaps I should try again.

I loved them and had a copy of every one of them and re read them at different times. While decorating they were stored in the garage and we had a flash flood and I lost them all, I am reading and enjoying Rosie Goodwin books at the moment

I have loved GH since I first read them in my teens. I have nearly a full set and often re-read them (they're brilliant for whiling away a sleepless night). I think her earlier ones are better than the later ones; I think she ran out of steam a bit and the later ones seem to be written to a formula.

What I like best about her is that she is an extremely good writer; she created a convincing world (which I'm sure never really existed) peopled it with a wide variety of characters and created dialogue from the language of the period which rarely falters and sounds completely 'right'. I have read a number of pale imitations and they just can't reproduce this style with such an unerring touch.

Her research is well nigh impeccable (though I have caught her in one or two boobs). It is said that her account of the battle of Waterloo was required reading at Sandhurst at one time because of its accuracy (though modern scholarship has, I think, now cast doubt on some elements).

Of course, they're not everone's taste and some modern readers may find them very tame as there is no sex in them; some chaste kisses in the final pages are the most one can expect. But then, I don't particularly want a series of overwritten sex scenes linked by some poor attempts to set the 'story' in period.

I'd be very pleased to find a modern historical fiction author as good and as literate as some of those I read in my teens and twenties. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Loved the Regency Romances when I was at school. Read all of them! I suppose you could call them Jane Austen light! But she was a meticulous historical researcher and the details are correct. Except of course, young ladies of the time probably didn't have quite so many adventures! Have tried some of her detective fiction ( I am addicted to the genre ) but wasn't so impressed. She certainly wasn't in Dorothy L Sayer's class.

I started with DM' s copy of These Old Shades and read them all. I reread them feeding a non sleeping eternally hungry baby. God bless G.H. I keep meaning to try her detective series. My history teacher Miss Santer said she never minded Georgette Heyer's books because she felt they were accurate insights into social history and the materials and vocabulary I loved reading about ,but she hated having to disabuse us of Jean Plaidy's view of history.

Friday's Child isn't one of her best, but I've enjoyed all of her Regency novels that I've tried; authentic (I think) histrorical details, good characterisation and dialogue, and intersting plots. Yes, she also wrote detective novels of the Agatha Christie type, but I think she was better at the historical stuff.

Agree Jennieantiliff - despite being at a highly academic school where GH was deplored, i learned very little history there, but GH, Jean Plaidy and Anya Seton were a mine of information. Loved her books when I was about 14, must try them again and see how they have stood up to time.

I too read GH in my teens. My 4th year history teacher didn't inspire me (10% in exam), sent me to the library. I learnt more history there reading GH and Jean Plaidy than I did in her class. Sorry miss.

I loved them as a teenager and will quite happily re-read once in a while. They are not old-fashioned, except where there is the occasional unpleasant anti-semitism e.g. in The Grand Sophy. Fun, witty and very light otherwise. I also enjoyed her whodunnits, which are similar to Agatha Christie, usually set in 1950's country house society.

I never really got into Georgette Heyer, no good reason but I was never really interested in the Regency era.
Most of the many historical novels I read were concerned with the Plantagenets. I stopped when Henry VII came to the throne.

Having read this thread I might give her another go!

I've never read any of her books. I've never been a fan of romantic fiction and the covers put me off rather. Didn't she write detective novels as well?

Read them all in my teens but none since. Perhaps I'll read them again if they are not too old-fashioned ?

I was recommended to start with the the Grand Sophie. It started well but lost something towards the end. I enjoyed Fredrica and Ventia. Now I am on Friday's Child. The jury is still out on this.

I am also reading Murial Spark's A far cry from Kensington which I love.

I have been enjoying re reading these recently, and daughter enjoys them as well. They are full of humor and an easy relaxing read so a good change from more gritty novels. As others say they feature independent minded women in an age when we women had few rights.

I read them avidly in my teens. They are entertaining and give a flavour of Regency society. The books were serialised in my Mother's Woman's Journal and I had to wait until she had finished with it before I could indulge my passion for romance. Luckily she was a quick reader.

I've never read any, but someone at the last meeting of my reading group suggested that we read one of hers and several faces were pulled, so we haven't. I think I'd better try one, judging from the above. Which would be the best one to start with?

Mind you, between my reading group, library reading group, GN reading group and MN reading group, I rarely seem to have time to choose a book of my own