The Foundling

Rating:
Summary: The Foundling
Review: Another Heyer gem!

Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware, the Duke of
Sale, is tired of all the pompous trappings of his position. A mild
mannered and kindly young man, he's also tired of being treated like a
semi-invalid child by his family and retainers alike. Longing for an
adventure, he leaps at the chance to help a young realtive who has
written some unwise love letters to an unsuitable young lady, and who
is now being sued for breach of promise. What follows is a series of
adventures, some hilarious, a few somewhat dangerous, as the young
duke comes into his own.

A truly excellent book. The young Duke of
Sale is exactly the kind of romantic hero one wishes one read more of
instead of the autocratic-almost-a-rapist "hero" one comes
across more often in regency romances today.


Rating:
Summary: The Foundling
Review: Another Heyer gem!

Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware, the Duke of
Sale, is tired of all the pompous trappings of his position. A mild
mannered and kindly young man, he's also tired of being treated like a
semi-invalid child by his family and retainers alike. Longing for an
adventure, he leaps at the chance to help a young realtive who has
written some unwise love letters to an unsuitable young lady, and who
is now being sued for breach of promise. What follows is a series of
adventures, some hilarious, a few somewhat dangerous, as the young
duke comes into his own.

A truly excellent book. The young Duke of
Sale is exactly the kind of romantic hero one wishes one read more of
instead of the autocratic-almost-a-rapist "hero" one comes
across more often in regency romances today.


Rating:
Summary: Different from her usual novels
Review: He's shy. He's well looking but small in stature. He is immensely rich. The posthumous son of the last Duck of Sale, His Grace, the Most Noble Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware has been orphaned and sickly from birth. He has for years been suffocatingly coddled and swaddled by well-intentioned relations and old family retainers. While his rank and financial interests are cared for and his every want met, his wishes are dismisssed as inappropriate to his rank and duty. Poor sweet Gilly nurses wistful dreams of being Mr. Dash, a Nobody, of Nowhere in Particular. Now about to attain his 25th birthday and take control of his large estates and larger fortune, Gilly is informed that a match has been arranged for him with a young woman of impeccable credentials. Although he has known Harriet from childhood and sympathizes with her situation--her guardians dominate her too--she is not the choice of his heart. But his sweet nature and upbringing does not permit him to hurt anyone's feelings and he obdiently offers for her. Then unexpectedly, Gilly's attempt to help a young relative offfers him the chance to disappear, to break loose and become Mr. Dash for a few last days, and Gilly plunges headlong into his first adventure. For the first time, he finds people turning to him for help. As plain Mr. Dash, he rescues an outrageous schoolboy escaping his own moralising tutor as Gilly himself had often longed to do. Then an innocent dasher of the first water throws herself on his mercy. Together the ill-assorted trio fall from one escapade to another, in the process throughly alarming Gilly's old retainers and well-meaning guardians. There is humour, adventure, and a sympathetic hero, but this is not a top rate Heyer and I found it ultimately disappointing. Her stories often start slowly, but I was impatient with Gilly until he broke loose from his moralizing guardians, who were too boringly real to be truely funny. However, when the story does break loose along with Gilly, how he finds himself and his heart's true choice and learns to turn the tables on his preceptors is an enjoyable read. Although it contains some good characters and characteristic Heyer humour, the whole confection lacks the energy and fizz of her best brews. I thought it might be fun to look at what I think are some reasons for this. In The Foundling, both the hero and heroine are unconventional in the genre sense. There is no problem with this in itself. In many of her books it is a strength. Heyer assembled a stock cast in her early books, rather like traditional Italian Comedie with its Harlequins and Columbines--or like the pieces in a chess game. There were standard characters--the sardonic rake, the impulsive romantic young woman, the hedonistic bachelor, the effeminate tulip of fashion, the dowdy governess or relative, the empty-headed beauty. Each played their bit or supporting part as friend, uncle, brother, or mother, sister, governess--or took center stage as hero and heroine. But then, having set up these expectations, Heyer tossed the characters into the air and let them fall and inhabit new roles. And in the process taught us to like something else even better. A put-upon poor relation wins first the heart of the reader then that of the handsome Earl. A forceful, charming rake turns out to be selfish and becomes unattractive. A stammering comedy part reveals unexpected qualities which win the heart of the reader before than of the heroine. However, these surprises delight. They enhance the genre and do not disappoint our essential reason for reading the book in the first place. They intensify the coming together of two people as a relationship develops based on values and characater rather than appearance. In fact, Heyer teases us with appearances in order to provide us with something richer. In The Foundling, however, Gilly is the only protagonist. The story is about Gilly's development more than it is about the development of a relationship between two people. It is really more a coming of age story than it is about two people coming to love and appreciate each other. One does not preclude the other, but here, the woman and the relationship take a seat so far from centre stage that they are merely a subplot, a token. What there is of her has potential, but that is not developed sufficiently. Not only does this remove some needful tension from the narrative, but it disappoints my reason for being there. By ignoring the heroine, Heyer fails to keep her contract with her readers. The Foundling is (possibly)one of Heyer's early experiments with the role surprises which are fully realized in books like Cotillian and A Quiet Gentleman. As such it represents only a partial success. Gilly himself is sweet and the supporting cast well drawn and humourous. And that is fine as long as you only expect a trip through a Regency countryside without the London Season.

Rating:
Summary: The Foundling
Review: He's shy. He's well looking but small in stature. He is immensely rich. The posthumous son of the last Duck of Sale, His Grace, the Most Noble Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware has been orphaned and sickly from birth. He has for years been suffocatingly coddled and swaddled by well-intentioned relations and old family retainers. While his rank and financial interests are cared for and his every want met, his wishes are dismisssed as inappropriate to his rank and duty. Poor sweet Gilly nurses wistful dreams of being Mr. Dash, a Nobody, of Nowhere in Particular. Now about to attain his 25th birthday and take control of his large estates and larger fortune, Gilly is informed that a match has been arranged for him with a young woman of impeccable credentials. Although he has known Harriet from childhood and sympathizes with her situation--her guardians dominate her too--she is not the choice of his heart. But his sweet nature and upbringing does not permit him to hurt anyone's feelings and he obdiently offers for her. Then unexpectedly, Gilly's attempt to help a young relative offfers him the chance to disappear, to break loose and become Mr. Dash for a few last days, and Gilly plunges headlong into his first adventure. For the first time, he finds people turning to him for help. As plain Mr. Dash, he rescues an outrageous schoolboy escaping his own moralising tutor as Gilly himself had often longed to do. Then an innocent dasher of the first water throws herself on his mercy. Together the ill-assorted trio fall from one escapade to another, in the process throughly alarming Gilly's old retainers and well-meaning guardians. There is humour, adventure, and a sympathetic hero, but this is not a top rate Heyer and I found it ultimately disappointing. Her stories often start slowly, but I was impatient with Gilly until he broke loose from his moralizing guardians, who were too boringly real to be truely funny. However, when the story does break loose along with Gilly, how he finds himself and his heart's true choice and learns to turn the tables on his preceptors is an enjoyable read. Although it contains some good characters and characteristic Heyer humour, the whole confection lacks the energy and fizz of her best brews. I thought it might be fun to look at what I think are some reasons for this. In The Foundling, both the hero and heroine are unconventional in the genre sense. There is no problem with this in itself. In many of her books it is a strength. Heyer assembled a stock cast in her early books, rather like traditional Italian Comedie with its Harlequins and Columbines--or like the pieces in a chess game. There were standard characters--the sardonic rake, the impulsive romantic young woman, the hedonistic bachelor, the effeminate tulip of fashion, the dowdy governess or relative, the empty-headed beauty. Each played their bit or supporting part as friend, uncle, brother, or mother, sister, governess--or took center stage as hero and heroine. But then, having set up these expectations, Heyer tossed the characters into the air and let them fall and inhabit new roles. And in the process taught us to like something else even better. A put-upon poor relation wins first the heart of the reader then that of the handsome Earl. A forceful, charming rake turns out to be selfish and becomes unattractive. A stammering comedy part reveals unexpected qualities which win the heart of the reader before than of the heroine. However, these surprises delight. They enhance the genre and do not disappoint our essential reason for reading the book in the first place. They intensify the coming together of two people as a relationship develops based on values and characater rather than appearance. In fact, Heyer teases us with appearances in order to provide us with something richer. In The Foundling, however, Gilly is the only protagonist. The story is about Gilly's development more than it is about the development of a relationship between two people. It is really more a coming of age story than it is about two people coming to love and appreciate each other. One does not preclude the other, but here, the woman and the relationship take a seat so far from centre stage that they are merely a subplot, a token. What there is of her has potential, but that is not developed sufficiently. Not only does this remove some needful tension from the narrative, but it disappoints my reason for being there. By ignoring the heroine, Heyer fails to keep her contract with her readers. The Foundling is (possibly)one of Heyer's early experiments with the role surprises which are fully realized in books like Cotillian and A Quiet Gentleman. As such it represents only a partial success. Gilly himself is sweet and the supporting cast well drawn and humourous. And that is fine as long as you only expect a trip through a Regency countryside without the London Season.

Rating:
Summary: Different from her usual novels
Review: This is a more subtle story than most of GH's romances. On the first reading, I liked it but wasn't 'in love' with it, after the handsome, dashing heroes of 'These Old Shades', 'Venetia', 'Frederica' et.al.

But upon re-reading it, I've started to enjoy it more. It hasn't actually got much romance -- the comments about the lack of character in the hero's fiancee, Henrietta, are pretty accurate. She's a timid and rather dull portraiture.

What struck me upon re-reading it was the deeply affectionate relationship between Gilly and his cousin Gideon. Gideon is in fact the perfect Regency hero -- dark, tall, handsome, dashing -- but although he races off to Gilly's rescue when he learns his little cousin is in danger, his help turns out not to be needed as Gilly rescues himself, growing up considerably in the process.

In fact, this is the only Heyer novel that shows such an openly caring relationship between two men raised as brothers. It's actually a nice change from the usual romance formula, watching Gilly gain confidence during his adventures after suffering for so long under the well-meaning tyranny of his guardian and the old family retainers.

Most of Heyer's novels tend to have better-drawn female characters than male characters, so it's an interesting change to read one of her books where the male characters are much more vivid and active than the females.

A great book? No. But a very charming one, and I re-read it more often than I first thought I would. I like Gilly a lot -- all those incredibly handsome, dashing heroes get a bit wearisome after a while! He's very believable, and engages one's sympathies in being burdened with wealth, responsibility and titles that he isn't sure he can live up to.

Rating:
Summary: More Coming of Age than Boy Meets Girl
Review: This is one of Heyer's least 'romance-driven' Regencies, but it's one of my favorites. I really like the mild-mannered Gilly and his dashing cousin, and The Villain of the Piece is hilarious. The dialogue, descriptions, and historical inter-weavings are all top-notch, as usual. This ranks right up there with The Unknown Ajax, The Talisman Ring, and Sprig Muslin (none of which pay overwhelming attention to the romance part of the plot,and all of which are enormously entertaining).