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Liked It “Love it” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I am sorry. Really. I am so, so sorry, because a lot of people are really attached to Georgette Heyer, and I hate to rag on her, I really do. I tried, and I guess I am just not one of those people who is going to be attached. |
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“Love it”
Katy N wrote this review Wednesday, August 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“One of Heyer's earlier books, and NOT a Regency romance. Set in France and in England in the 1700's, before the French Revolution, it has a rather hard-to-believe plotline. It has two sequels: "The Devil's Cub", about the next generation, and then "An Infamous Army" whichis about the Battle of Waterloo and which has among it's characters the third generation of the family introduced in "These Old Shades". ”
gilly 8 wrote this review Tuesday, June 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It's another Regency romance, there really isn't much else to say! It was fun, quick to read, and portable--I kept in the car to read when waiting to pick up a kid. ”
Karina W wrote this review Monday, April 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I have not giggled so much while reading a book in a long time. ”
Lisa K wrote this review Monday, March 30 2009. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“wonderful, wow”
Analese C wrote this review Monday, March 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Quite witty and a lot of fun. Similar in style to "Sprig Muslin." Always a surprise to who the main character will wed. ”
Alene wrote this review Wednesday, March 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this book for a challenge, and didn't really think I would enjoy it, but yes, it was fun to read.
JudithAnn wrote this review Wednesday, December 17 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The story takes place in late 18the Century France when the Duke of Avon (called The Devil by his contemporaries) meets a man and buys his brother from him. This brother, Leon, is then employed as his page boy.
But all is not as it seems (the cunning Duke knew this!), and this comedy relates how the Duke manages to take revenge on an aquaintance of him, with whom he has had a feud for many years.
There's a horse-and-coach chase and many balls and soirees in elegant Paris. Fun to read!”“I am sorry. Really. I am so, so sorry, because a lot of people are really attached to Georgette Heyer, and I hate to rag on her, I really do. I tried, and I guess I am just not one of those people who is going to be attached.
Erika O wrote this review Friday, August 29 2008. ( reply | view 2 replies | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
These Old Shades is the story of Justin, Duke of Avon, universally known for his dissolute ways. Though he is English, he is currently staying in France, where he by chance runs into Leon, a young street urchin whom he impulsively buys away from his employers. What Justin immediately realizes is that Leon is actually a Leonie, but where did she come from and why is she disguised as a boy?
Justin spirits her away to the country to teach her how to be a girl again, and we are introduced to a host of secondary characters who are somewhat indistinguishable and mostly annoying. Leonie has been slavishly devoted to Justin from the beginning, but there's a big disparity in their ages, so I was wondering which one of the younger dudes Leonie was going to go for... and...
Urgh, sorry. I realize that Justin's not the bad guy he used to be, and I am not trashing the May-December romance. That can work, no doubt. But the balance of power in this relationship, and how far it is tipped out of Leonie's favor, really bothered me. And when I say slavishly devoted, that is exactly what I mean, and even with all of Leonie's cutesy foot-stomping assertations of eccentricity and independence, you can't convince me that the girl will ever have any kind of power in that relationship.
In addition to that, the final conflict and denouement are straight out of the most high-pitched and implausible melodrama ever written. In fact, this may BE the most high-pitched and implausible melodrama ever written.
I'm also not a big fan of the dialogue. If someone had exclaimed "'pon rep!" just ONE MORE TIME, I was going to flip out and claw the book into tiny shreds. And the female characters are inevitably either ninnies or all fakey "feisty" and I have just realized that Heyer is probably where most of the standard romance tropes come from, and I do not thank her for them.
**spoiler**
The "switched-at-birth" plot stuck in my craw, too. It seemed to carry a very "breeding will out" message. The vicomte, who is actually the son of farmers, is a huge disappointment to his "parents." He's dull, unintelligent, can barely function in public, and is only interested in.... farming. Because he's really a farmer's son. And therefore is incapable of being smart and savvy enough to be a nobleman. Nature over nurture! And of course Leonie is just inherently clever and virtuous and good, even though she wasn't always raised that way. Because she is of noble blood!
*** end spoiler***
Gag me. Maybe some of what I've identified as problems stem from the time in which this book was written. However, Heyer wrote in the 20th century, so I might not be totally out of line by basing my critique on modern standards. But I might very well be. The bottom line is that I've tried other Heyer books as well, and I have determined that she is not my cup of tea. ”
“These old shades, kicks off with the sudden encounter between the hero and heroine (still considered a hero back then). Leon, a strikingly good-looking youth tries to escape from his abusing brother, Jean. While he was in the attempt to escape and his brother following right behind him, Leon literally runs into the Duke of Avon-Justin Alastair-, known by the ton as "Satanas" for his notorious reputation and his rakish lifestyle. Leon begs the Duke to buy him from his brother, The Duke, for reasons that will be disclosed in later chapters, took pity and bought him from his brother. Avon's sinister plots against his eternal enemy Saint-Vire begins to shape up when he discovers that the handsome redhead Leon is in fact a beautiful Leonie…
Mona A wrote this review Wednesday, August 13 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Overall-I liked the book; all the characters expcept for Leonie and Justin were loveable. While the plot was generally quite good, it wasn't until the last three chapters that it started to get very interesting. I couldn't really see Justin's motifs, though he was humiliated by Saint-Vire when they were young, I just couldn't empathize with his vengeful plans. The book was very good, but because of its relation to the "Devil's Cub", I was expecting of it to be likewise fascinating. The Marquis of Vidal (Devil's Cub) has outshone his father in both action and reputation (Duke of Avon).
”
“I've always loved this Georgette Heyer and sicne I've got the 'flu and am searching for comfort reading i've dug it out again”
Kate Forsyth wrote this review Wednesday, July 9 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
