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Summary: A tangle of romances - and only one woman can fix it!
Review: The Grand Sophy has always been one of Heyer's most popular books, and for good reasons. The main character, Sophy, is so confident, fun and extremely likeable - she is almost irresistable. It is also one of Heyer's more complex plots with a number of problems, mostly romantic to be resolved - and it is only in the last few pages that all is made clear.Sophy, the 'little' neice of Lady Ombersley is sent to London to stay with her aunt. However, somewhere in the decade or so since her aunt last saw her, Sophy has grown into a rather tall, imposing woman, with a personality to match. She is good-natured, sociable, and utterly independent. She soon has the Ombersley household in the palm of her hand - well all except Charles, the eldest son who takes a rather dim view of her. Charles's pious fiancee, Eugenia Wraxton, is also not impressed by her and attempts to bring her into line with London manners - but Sophy, with unimpaired good-manners and immense charm usually manages to get her own way. Having established herself in the Ombersley Household Sophy soon sees how much they need her. Charles is clearly about marry the wrong woman (Eugenia), his sister, Cecilia is caught up with a clearly unsuitbale poet, and younger brother has Hubert trapped in some clearly dark sort of activity which he cannot escape from. At the same time Sophy's soon to be mother-in-law, Sancia looks to be straying herself. Sophy's ability to orchestrate this huge cast of characters all to fitting ends is truly marvellous - and highly enjoyable.
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Summary: By all that's great ! It's the Grand Sophy
Review: The grand Sophy is a book with so much humour that it's seen me through the break-up of a five year live-in relationship. The way Sophy shakes up the entire family. Her plans for Cecilia to marry Lord Charlbury by throwing Augustus Fawnhope continuously in her pocket. The sober humour with which she pokes fun at the salubrious Lord Bromford. An example being "the cork grows in great profusion in Spain". Her respect for Hubert's confidences, her method of dealing with the "sinister Goldhanger'' threatening to visit Bow Street and then again telling him she would shoot him dead are all indications of a woman of great character. Charles in the role of the fun-loving man embittered by circumstances, contracted to a totally unsuitable woman is the perfect foil to Sophy. Undoubtedly this was Heyer at her best.
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Summary: Fun Read
Review: The Grand Sophy is a wonderful, witty Regency romance. Sophy is a great character: intelligent, humorous, full of spirit, life and a sense of adventure. Sent to London to stay with her aunt and cousins so they can take care of her, it isn't long, however before Sophy sees how much they need her. Charles is about marry the wrong woman, his sister, Cecilia is caught
up with an unsuitable poet, and younger brother Hubert is in trouble financially. Sophy soon takes matters into her own hands and straightens everything and everyone out, no matter how unconventional her methods. The ending felt a bit rushed to me and I would have liked a bit more romance between Charles and Sophy, but he is a good match for her. I look forward to reading more of Georgette Heyer's romances.
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Summary: The Grand Sophy is truly marvelous.
Review: The Grand Sophy is my favorite Georgette Heyer book. Sophy is a young lady of courage and determination. Once you've read it, you will be a Georgette Heyer fan forever.
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Summary: One of Heyer's best
Review: The Grand Sophy is my favorite of Heyer's many wonderful Regency romances. Sophy is an amazing character - spirited, quick-thinking, and well able to handle anything life throws at her. All the characters in this book are delightful, but Sophy is really something special. Heyer is at the top of her form, both in terms of period detail and exquisitely humorous plot. Don't miss this one!
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Summary: if only there were more novels like this out there...
Review: The very first romance novel I ever read (and I'm not including Jane Austen in this category) was "Black Sheep" by Georgette Heyer. I enjoyed the book so much that I immediately began haunting used book stores, hunting for as many of her novels as I could get at a time. That was more than two decades ago, and Georgette Heyer has remained a firm favourite ever since (in spite of her rather dated opinions about the merchant middle class, etc). "The Grand Sophy" ranks up there with other of my all time favourite Heyer novels (the ones that I rate about 10 stars) like "Sylvester," "Sprig Muslin," "The Foundling" & "These Old Shades," -- they're all excellent reads that every Regency-era romance novel addict should read at least once! Other reviewers have done excellent jobs in giving plot synopsis, so I'll leave off doing the same except to note that the novel deals with the humourous and outrageous efforts of a visiting cousin, Sophy Stanton-Lacy, to sort out the myriad of problems that all those around her have (mainly her Rivenhall cousins like Herbert and Cecilia) become entangled in. What makes this novel 'work' is not only the clever plotting and the numerous escapades that Heyer has Sophy pull, but also the brilliant manner in which Heyer draws her characters. In Sophy Stanton-Lacy, for example, Heyer has created a young heroine who while incredibly managing, bossy, independent and very determined, and yet who is so utterly charming that you cannot help but root for her to come out on top -- this in spite of the fact that your sympathies may lie elsewhere. And I did have sympathies elsewhere! The first time I read the book, I felt quite sympathetic towards stuffy cousin Charles. Here was a young man, the only sensible person in a rather flighty family, who had had to contend with some crisis or another for goodness knows how long, all he gets for his efforts is abuse from his family! Yes, he is stuffy and easily angered, but his family was enough to give even me the megrims (and all I was doing was reading about them!) "The Grand Sophy" is a riot of a read. Heyer sketches Sophy's escapades in such a humourous and entertaining manner that we cannot help but be charmed. Cleverly plotted, possessing elegant prose and characters that are just so alive and real "The Grand Sophy" proved to be the kind of book I wish I could find and read everyday.
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Summary: My favorite Georgette Heyer novel!
Review: There are two Georgette Heyer novels that I'll never forget -- and this is my favorite of the two (the other is, of course, These Old Shades). The Grand Sophy is entertainment at its best, and I continue to wish I could meet Sophy. Filled with dimwitted but sweet family members, impossible romances, monkeys, horses, sleek dogs, and the most irascible cousin any girl could hope to find, The Grand Sophy offers hours of entertainment, and a heroine for all time!
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Summary: One of Georgette Heyer's Best
Review: This book is enchanting and impossible to put down. It is definitely a "period piece" in that the language and characterizations are representative of Regency England. If you want a book that is funny, entertaining and one that will raise your spirits, read "The Grand Sophy". I have read it five times over the past six years, and plan to read it again and again.
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Summary: Weird mix
Review: This book is part Jane Austen, part Mary Poppins and part Pippi Longstocking. Strange combination but volatile in its brilliance. I picked this book up after hearing the author's name bandied about for a while as one of the most awesome regency writers of all time. I wasn't disappointed. If you're looking for a 'hot' romance then you might want to pass this one by but if you read romance for the 'romance' of it all then you are sure to enjoy this one. As I read this book I noticed most that Ms. Heyer had a lot of balls in the air at any given point. I thought a couple of times that she was going to forget one, that she had forgotten one, but she hadn't. In the end there were no dangling threads left, well, dangling. The ending felt slightly rushed to me but I was still left with a pleasant feeling and a soft spot in my heart for the hero and heroine. I actually think that to have done more with it would have been to take away from the characters and their personalities so, honestly, I don't know that I would have her change it if I could. Mostly, it was different and it was special. This was my first Georgette Heyer but I can assure you it won't be my last.
Rating:
Summary: Weird mix
Review: This book is part Jane Austen, part Mary Poppins and part Pippi Longstocking. Strange combination but volatile in its brilliance. I picked this book up after hearing the author's name bandied about for a while as one of the most awesome regency writers of all time. I wasn't disappointed. If you're looking for a 'hot' romance then you might want to pass this one by but if you read romance for the 'romance' of it all then you are sure to enjoy this one. As I read this book I noticed most that Ms. Heyer had a lot of balls in the air at any given point. I thought a couple of times that she was going to forget one, that she had forgotten one, but she hadn't. In the end there were no dangling threads left, well, dangling. The ending felt slightly rushed to me but I was still left with a pleasant feeling and a soft spot in my heart for the hero and heroine. I actually think that to have done more with it would have been to take away from the characters and their personalities so, honestly, I don't know that I would have her change it if I could. Mostly, it was different and it was special. This was my first Georgette Heyer but I can assure you it won't be my last.
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