The Unknown Ajax

Rating:
Summary: One of the Top Two
Review: Georgette Heyer practically invented the Regency Romance. It was her witty coversations, historical accuracy, interesting characters that to me define this type of book.

Lord Darracott conceives the idea that the best thing to do with his heir, a Yorkshire weaver's brat, is to marry him off to his grandaughter Anthea so that she might take him in hand. Major Hugo Darracott is best described as a wolf in sheep's clothing with a wicked sense of humour. I personally enjoyed the Yorkshire dialect and the descriptions of Hugo being taken in hand.

Georette Heyer wrote both regencies and detective stories, if you haven't read the Regencies they are worth reading. It is interesting to use Geogette Heyer as a reference point sometimes when comparing the works of more modern writers.

Rating:
Summary: A Regency from an expert
Review: Georgette Heyer practically invented the Regency Romance. It was her witty coversations, historical accuracy, interesting characters that to me define this type of book.

Lord Darracott conceives the idea that the best thing to do with his heir, a Yorkshire weaver's brat, is to marry him off to his grandaughter Anthea so that she might take him in hand. Major Hugo Darracott is best described as a wolf in sheep's clothing with a wicked sense of humour. I personally enjoyed the Yorkshire dialect and the descriptions of Hugo being taken in hand.

Georette Heyer wrote both regencies and detective stories, if you haven't read the Regencies they are worth reading. It is interesting to use Geogette Heyer as a reference point sometimes when comparing the works of more modern writers.

Rating:
Summary: Wit, Romance, Ghosts & Crime -Another Georgette Heyer Winner
Review: Georgette Heyer, the reigning monarch of romance fiction, has contributed another winner to the genre with "The Unknown Ajax."

Lord Darricott calls his entire family together at his estate, Darricott Place, on the border between Kent and Sussex. His son, two daughters-in law, three grandsons and a granddaughter, are all present when he informs them that they are to prepare for a visit from his new heir within the week. Lord Darricott's son and former heir had been recently killed in a boating accident and Darricott has had the unfortunate duty of recognizing the grandson he has never met, who will inherit the title and all his worldly goods upon his own demise. Hugh Darricott, the new and recent heir, had been raised in the North country, far away from the family seat, and now, in his mid-thirties has left the military with the rank of major. Hugh's father was disowned by the family patriarch after marrying a common weaver, and never seen by the family since. Lord Darricott, who rules his clan with an iron fist, except for granddaughter Anthea, who fears him not at all, has made plans that Hugh is to be schooled in the ways of a gentleman by his cousins. He also plans for Hugh to eventually marry Anthea, to prevent him from making an unsuitable match like his father did. The family, forming all kinds of stereotypical ideas about this base born cousin, is prejudiced against him before he arrives on the scene. And he is the last man Anthea wishes to marry.

Hugh arrives and, finding the group predisposed to dislike him, puts them on and plays the country bumpkin. He discovers each family member's weaknesses and strengths, their characters, and comes to know each of them, perhaps, better than they know each other. Hugh Darricott is much more intelligent and adept than the family gives him credit for and manages to uncover some family secrets, a ghost or two, and a crime in the making. He also finds the way to Anthea's heart, not to mention into his grandfather's and the rest of the group's good graces.

As always Ms. Heyer's humor is delightful, as are her characters. Hugh Darricott makes a wonderful hero as he bumbles along, so sure of his own intelligence and common sense that he is not at all embarrassed to play the clown in order to become better acquainted with his family, without intimidating them. His courtship of Althea is funny, romantic and endearing. His solutions to the many problems that confront his relatives are unusual and creative. This is a wonderful story, beautifully told - one of Georgette Heyer's best. I highly recommend it.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: Wit, Romance, Ghosts & Crime -Another Georgette Heyer Winner
Review: Georgette Heyer, the reigning monarch of romance fiction, has contributed another winner to the genre with "The Unknown Ajax."

Lord Darricott calls his entire family together at his estate, Darricott Place, on the border between Kent and Sussex. His son, two daughters-in law, three grandsons and a granddaughter, are all present when he informs them that they are to prepare for a visit from his new heir within the week. Lord Darricott's son and former heir had been recently killed in a boating accident and Darricott has had the unfortunate duty of recognizing the grandson he has never met, who will inherit the title and all his worldly goods upon his own demise. Hugh Darricott, the new and recent heir, had been raised in the North country, far away from the family seat, and now, in his mid-thirties has left the military with the rank of major. Hugh's father was disowned by the family patriarch after marrying a common weaver, and never seen by the family since. Lord Darricott, who rules his clan with an iron fist, except for granddaughter Anthea, who fears him not at all, has made plans that Hugh is to be schooled in the ways of a gentleman by his cousins. He also plans for Hugh to eventually marry Anthea, to prevent him from making an unsuitable match like his father did. The family, forming all kinds of stereotypical ideas about this base born cousin, is prejudiced against him before he arrives on the scene. And he is the last man Anthea wishes to marry.

Hugh arrives and, finding the group predisposed to dislike him, puts them on and plays the country bumpkin. He discovers each family member's weaknesses and strengths, their characters, and comes to know each of them, perhaps, better than they know each other. Hugh Darricott is much more intelligent and adept than the family gives him credit for and manages to uncover some family secrets, a ghost or two, and a crime in the making. He also finds the way to Anthea's heart, not to mention into his grandfather's and the rest of the group's good graces.

As always Ms. Heyer's humor is delightful, as are her characters. Hugh Darricott makes a wonderful hero as he bumbles along, so sure of his own intelligence and common sense that he is not at all embarrassed to play the clown in order to become better acquainted with his family, without intimidating them. His courtship of Althea is funny, romantic and endearing. His solutions to the many problems that confront his relatives are unusual and creative. This is a wonderful story, beautifully told - one of Georgette Heyer's best. I highly recommend it.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: An original hero
Review: Hugo Darracott, the despised offspring of a second son and a weaver's daughter, is elevated to the position of heir presumptive when his uncle and cousin die in an accident. Unfortunately, his high-handed grandfather fails to mention his existence to anyone until he's hauled to the family estate for remedial training. There poor Hugo finds himself in the midst of a truly dysfunctional family, with aforementioned tyrannical grandfather snapping his head off, Uncle Matthew (the third son) and Cousin Vincent resenting his disruption of their eventual succession, Cousin Anthea balking at her assignment to marry him, and her headstrong, hobbled brother ripe for mischief. It's a good thing Hugo is more than he appears. He handily demonstrates the domestic and romantic value of a good sense of humor. The finale, a charade in which the slightest misstep will bring dishonor down on the family, is a marvel of invention.

Rating:
Summary: The Best of GH
Review: I am a very long time fan of GH. Her best books combine a talent for humor, plot twists and characterization. The Unknown Ajax combines these talents to perfection as the hero (see other reviews for plot synopsis) impales his erst-while relatives on his very reprehensible predilition for practical jokes. In so doing he manages to get the feisty heroine to fall in love with him as well as saving the family's honor. But if the hero were the only high point in the book, it would be mediocre by GH standards. Look too for a very funny aristocratic aunt, a grandfatherly curmudgeon, the de riguer independently minded heroine and a wonderfully dithering prospective mother in law. This cast of characters has pulled me back to read the book at least as many times as I've read Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. I consider Heyer as her most worthy sucessor.

Rating:
Summary: Goodnatured and fun
Review: Lord Darracott's heir is dead - and now the martinet and generally gouty old man must call on the new heir, Hugh Darracott - the child of a mesalliance between his favourite son and a Weaver's daughter - thus the scene is set for one of Heyer's funniest and strongest romances.

This is the story of the heir Hugh, generally disliked in advance by the entire Darracott family before he arrives, and the gradual way he insinuates himself into the household, without ever trying. His good-natured humour, but iron-will win him friends, respect and love. God, that sounds so wet doesn't it? That's the trouble with Heyer - you strip the plots back to the bare bones and the whole thing looks pathetic - yet it is her ability to characterise, overlay complex story lines and inject the whole with an ironic voice that gives her books such strength.

The book is one of Heyer's best. All the action takes place at Darracott Hall which geographically is somewhere down on the border of Kent and Sussex, it has the requisite number of smugglers, dandy's, beau's and gouty grandfathers, along with a beautiful grand-daughter for a love interest. What sets this book above the norm is the wonderful hero - Hugh - or Hugo. He is a gem.

The first time I read this book I have to admit I didn't much like it. I was defintiely put off by the accent which Hugh adopts at the start. He did seem a clumsy oaf and I never quite recovered. However as a confirmed fan of Heyer I have come back to it again and again and not only has it grown on me, it is one of the top five (alongside Talisman Ring, Corinthian, Cotillion, and Toll-Gate). It is witty, ironic and the hero is so capable but so humourous I can't help falling in love with him each time I read it.

The story develops at an even pace. There are a number of threads to tie together. The grand-daughter love interest - Anthea has been told by her grandfather that she must marry Hugh - and naturally she is very resistant to this idea. There are also some mysterious goings on round the manor and these need to be sorted out - and the estate is going to wrack and ruin.

If you find yourself a bit at sea for the first part of the book - new readers of Heyer often find this difficult, then bear with it - it is worth the effort and re-reading will only get better. But it this has an especially good and complex ending which is difficult to predict.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining tale of misconceptions and mystery.
Review: The blurb is about as accurate as the Darracot assumptions about the son of their black sheep, Hugo Darracot. The heir, a "weaver's brat," and totally unknown to his noble (and debt-ridden) family, has newly sold out from the army and is ordered to present himself to his tartar of a grandfather for review.
Received by his relations, this "unlettered rustic" decides to see how far he can take their preconceptions.
The romance? Well, how romantic to be ordered by your grandfather to marry your cousin to get both of you off his hands before you can cause any embarrassment.
This one is pure Heyer, funny, witty, great dialogue, and clever twists abound. Her mystery writing skills are prominently displayed as well. A terrific cast of characters rounds out a satisfyingly robust plot.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite Heyer audio books...
Review: This has to be one of the best Heyer-on-audio books that I have heard (so far, I have worked my way through Frederica and Cotillion several times, through These Old Shades once, through Regency Buck once, and through The Talisman Ring twice). Daniel Philpott undertakes the challenging task of portraying the various voices and accents of Major Hugo Darracott, the despised new heir to his cantakerous and tyrannical grandfather Lord Darracott, and all the voices of those around him.

I was taken aback when I first heard Philpott, thinking that he could not possibly do the Yorkshire dialect justice. A few minutes into his reading (well before the dialect and accent started) I was hooked. It helps that this is one of my favorite Heyers where I love even the asides from the servants. But Philpott shows us Hugo tripping up his hostile family neatly into his particular net, along with Lord Darracott, his several other descendants and daughters-in-law, Lt Ottershaw (the customs officer), and even the servants - Charles the footman, Grooby and the other valets, Chollacombe the butler, and Mrs Flitwick the housekeeper. He manages to create a distinct "voice" for each character, and to make each one come alive in a way highly satisfying to me.

Highly recommended, particularly in this unabridged audio book version.