Frederica

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Summary: Review of Clifford Norgate's reading of Frederica
Review: ... One of the joys in listening to a good reading of a favorite book is picking up on details that you had skimmed over and half-forgotten.

I have so far heard Clifford Norgate's version of Frederica, and other actors's readings of COTILLION and REGENCY BUCK. It was interesting contrasting how a woman (Phyllida Nash) reads a man's part in Cotillion, versus how a man (Clifford Norgate) reads a woman's part in Frederica. I have to say that I prefer the former to the latter.

Nevertheless, this is a very good reading. Alverstoke, with his deep voice, and Charles with his lighter voice, and Charis with her die-away feathery voice all come across brilliant as do the "ailing" Lucretia. Minor characters are also done very well, as is the more "normal" voice adopted for the narrator. Where the tape did not work quite so well for me in imagining Frederica. However, the dialogue was so funny that I forgave Mr Norgate his inability to completely evoke one of my favorite heroines.

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Summary: Fast, Funny and full of style
Review: For any Regency Romance lover, Georgette Heyer's books are in a class all their own. This book is one of her warmest, filled with believable, quirky characters and a masterful use of our language. The story of feisty, practical Frederica, this book details her efforts to provide good futures for her younger siblings . . . and the efforts of a charming, rakish Peer of the Realm to change Frederica's future. Ms. Heyer's dazzling style, historical polish and delicious wit are beautifully evident in this fast and funny romance. There is something for the heart and for the mind . . . and for the funny bone!

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Summary: A delightfully witty Heyer!
Review: Frederica counts among my top half-dozen Heyers, for its resourceful and determined heroine, and the way in which the grand Marquess of Alverstoke finds himself drawn into the lives of Frederica and her family. Her siblings are a delight, especially Felix and Charis, and the various adventures and scrapes from which Alverstoke has to rescue them are hilarious. As usual, Heyer's cast of minor characters are very well drawn, and as a result this is a book to treasure. Brilliant!

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Summary: The best book ever
Review: Frederica is an amazing book. It captivates you and pulls you (even if you're unwilling) into another world. It's the type of book that you just can't put down. Remarkably written, it also develops the charecters and settings in a way no other author could. If there is one book to read, then there's no doubt in my mind it's this one!

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Summary: As delightful as ever!
Review: Frederica is another of Miss Heyers charming little tales with spirited,aristocratic girls of poor families,dashing heros and a wealth of detail about the lives and manner of dressing of the women of the 18th century. Frederica is 24 years old and, by the standards of those days, almost certainly "on the shelf".She brings her younger sister and brothers to London for a season to try to find a suitable husband for her sister Charis, an unbelievably beautiful girl with not too many brains.She meets a very distant cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke,a confirmed bachelor who eventually, after a lot of adventures, falls madly in love with the not quite beautiful Frederica. It's a typical piece of sweet fluff,peopled with interesting characters and ideal for the times when one needs a bit of romance and light entertainment.

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Summary: Hooked on Heyer!
Review: Frederica is one of my all-time favorite Georgette Heyer books. I love the interaction between the characters. Each character is unique and you have to keep reading to see what happens. One of the funniest scenes in the book mentions Dr. Ratcliff's Restorative Pork Jelly! You'll have to read it to see what that scene is about. Georgette Heyer is absolutely one of my favorite authors and I find myself reading and rereading her books all the time. I can't even speed read through them when I reread them because I would miss great dialogue between the characters. Everything she has written needs to be put back in print.

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Summary: FREDERICA Is An Extraordinary Heroine & An Outstanding Novel
Review: Georgette Heyer is able to pack more [physcial] tension into a story, which includes no more than a single kiss between lovers, than most of today's writers with all their well written, X-rated love scenes. She also creates some unique and extraordinary characters, and portrays them with depth and feeling. Her storylines are just as unusual as the characters she peoples them with. "Frederica" is no exception, and has become one of my favorite books by Ms. Heyer.

Frederica Merrivale travels to London with her beautiful younger sister Charis, her three younger brothers Harry, Jessamy and Felix, their way too overgrown and exuberant puppy Lufra, and their man-hating Aunt Scrabster. The Merrivale's parents are dead, and although Harry is the heir of Graynard, the Merrivale property, Frederica is the eldest sibling and the one who has assumed responsibility for running the estate and raising the family. At 24, she is bright, witty, and very attractive, although her loveliness pales beside Charis' angelic beauty. Their mother settled 5,000 pounds on each daughter for a dowry, and Frederica wants to give Charis a season in London to meet and mingle with the ton. She knows that her sister is so beautiful and unaffected that she is sure to make an outstanding match.

Frederica asks a very distant and unknown cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke, to sponsor her sister's "coming-out" into society. Alverstoke is handsome, rich and spoiled. He has had many lovers, but has never had a close emotional relationship with a woman, including his sisters who constantly plague him with requests for money and favors. These women, wealthy in their own right, are unbearably overbearing and provide much comic relief. At first Alverstoke is flabbergasted by Frederica's request, and believes that she is just another female who wants something from him. Slowly and against his will, Alverstoke is charmed by the Merrivale family, and amazed at Frederica's total lack of selfishness and her efforts to raise her younger siblings. He finds a way to sponsor both Frederica and Charis and to give his sisters a "set down" at the same time.

Both young women are besieged by suitors after they are presented to London society. Alverstoke spends more time with all of them, especially with Frederica, as she struggles to manage the boys, her sister, her own love life, the estate in the country, and the family's future. Ms. Heyer uses her delightful humor often, especially in the dialogue between Frederica and Alverstoke, and in the scenes involving the younger brothers and their dog. All the characters are very well developed and they demonstrate growth and change throughout the novel. The Merrivale family members are quite endearing. Some exciting adventures accompany this delightful love story, set in Regency England. This is a novel you do not want to miss. Excellent!
JANA

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Summary: The creator of the Regency Romance Genre
Review: I first stumbled upon a Georgette Heyer novel when I was 14 and for more than 30 years I have been an avid fan of her books. I got hooked on reading regency romance novels just because of Georgette Heyer books and NOTHING I have read until now (and I HAVE read a lot) compares to her original and sparkling romances. Her characters come alive on every page and there is no one who can write witty dialogue better. Frederica is one of my favorite Heyer heroines and this book has a really funny almost-proposal scene.

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Summary: One of the best Regency romances that exist
Review: I really feel this book rates 6 stars.

Georgette Heyer researched her books in great detail and they are quite simply in a class of their own. Many people feel she invented the Regency Romance. The dialogue used is often from original sources, this book actually contains one of her very few historical mistakes, Soho in Birmingham not Soho in London is where the foundry was located. There are misunderstandings but ones that seem to occur quite naturally. In this book Felix Fredrica's schoolboy brother with a scientific bent questions practically everything and is quite central to the story. The character descriptions and dialog are excellent and all in all it is one of my favourite Georette Heyers.

From the dust cover of the Bodley Head edition...

Written in Georgette Heyer's lightest vein, this is the story of the adventures in Regency London of the Merriville family: Frederica, riding the whirlwind and directing the storm; Harry, rusticated from Oxford and embarking with enthusiasm on the more perilous amusements pursued by young gentlemen of ton; the divine Charis, too tender-hearted to discourage the advances of her numerous suitors; Jessamy, destined for the Church and wavering, in adolescent style, between excessive virtue and a natural exuberance of spirits; and Felix, a schoolboy with a passion for scientific experiment. In Frederica, Georgette Heyer created one of her most engaging heroines; and in the Marquis of Alverstoke - a bored cynic who becomes involved in all the imbroglios of a lively family -a hero whose sense of humour makes him an excellent foil for Frederica.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best Heyer!
Review: I'm afraid bookjunkie said everything so perfectly and eloquently I have very little to add and yet I must add my voice to those who claim this as their favorite Heyer. In Frederica, you have an exquisite heroine - intelligent, humorous, well-looking but not a diamond, kind, and above all totally believable as a woman who could turn the world of an accomplished, arrogant, self-centered rake upside down. Heyer manages beautifully to make our hero, Alverstoke, all those things and yet absolutely marvelous at the same time. As usual, Heyer's secondary characters are perfection - interesting and amusing and so believable you feel she must know these people. This book is a must read for any regency fan - it is one of the best! An added bonus is that it hardly matters how much you pay for it - I don't think I could ever get tired of reading this book; I probably re-read Frederica twice a year: it never loses it's charm.