Book Review of Georgette Heyer's Frederica The Folio Society Edition 2023
the two-tone cloth blocked cover of Frederica - Author Georgette Heyer
The Folio Society, London illustrated edition 2023
Cover Design by Jessica Hische
Frederica
Hardcover 410 pages
Author Georgette Heyer
Illustrations Sally Dunne
Publisher The Folio Society 2023
Fictional Romance (historic)
Themes - Regency London, inheritance, family relationships and responsibilites; schoolboy interests, pet dog; properties; servants/service; nineteenth- century gentry life; city; countrylife; suitors; romance
OVERVIEW
The Marquis of Alverstoke has two sisters with older children who all think of him as a 'dandy'. Alverstoke agrees to host a ball to mark the come-out of the daughter of his widowed sister, Louisa; on condition that the invitation be open to the family of a deceased older cousin, Fred Merriville (a distant relative disowned by the family after marrying for love).
When Alverstoke becomes better acquainted with the Merrivilles' his life gets more interesting. An incident with the dog, Luff, in the London park reveals Miss Frederica Merriville's mischievous side and a strength to her character that had impressed him; she thinks her as unusual and he becomes increasingly distracted by her.
Alverstoke enjoys his batchelor life and also a degree of showing off London to Frederica and silblings, but it was at the point of meeting another brother, Harry, that he suddenly realises that responsibility for everyone lies in his hands.
Frederica, on the other hand, is shrewd in the knowledge that there are benefits for her and her siblings attachment to Alverstoke and the wider family. However, once younger sister, Charis gained attention from suitors, Frederica feels it necessary to dispel some of the ideas that society had formed around their late father's inheritance.
Alverstoke's heir, Endymion, son of his sister, Mrs Dauntry, falls in love with Charis. Mrs Dauntry hopes that the relationship between the two is just a flirtation; while Harry, on the other hand, is encouraging of it.
An unfortunate event involving young Felix being trapped in a runaway balloon sees his brother, Jessamy and Alverstoke chasing cross country to find the balloon tangled in the branches of a tree. They learn that Felix had been carried off to a nearby farmhouse. A doctor is in attendance when the two arrive. Felix is suffering from exposure to the cold and his head in bandage, he is able to fall asleep but he is feverish and weeps for Frederica who arrives from London the next day.
Harry takes control of matters back home. Three days pass and Felix is out of danger for his life. Frederica, and Alverstoke (staying nearby), are not in any hurry to return him to the city as they feel that the the hot and stuffy summer months would labour Felix's full recovery. The drama of it all reveals Frederica's vulnerability and that her reliance on Alverstoke suggests that his feelings for her may finally be recipricated.
The final chapters tell of events that move the story threads to swift and satisfying conclusion.
COMMENT AND GUIDE
First published in 1965 - London. The Bodley Head, this illustrated edition '...follows that by Arrow Books (2019), with minor emendations' :The Folio Society (2023)
The third book of this exclusive Folio series has a cloth blocked cover with a design by Jessica Hische. The paper quality is exquisite and the font is Aria with is medium-sized; clear and easy on the eye. with illustrations by award-winning illustrator, Sally Dunne.
Georgette Heyer's novel Frederica was written and first published in 1965. The language style and content is a throwback to nineteenth-century classics of the romantic genre. Heyer's writing is informed and studied, her mentions of: Grand Tour, the East India Trading company, the Temple of Concorde, Somerset House and Mayfair London are all inkeeping with the English Regency period and the kind of high society places and opportunties that would have been open to wealthy, young men and the gentry folk alike. Heyer's description also, of interiors, objects and dress serves to feed the imagination about this time in our history even more.
Heyer's works feel completely authentic to the period the stories are set, admittedly she had the gift of the many classics as primary/secondary sources on which to base her writing style, but to achieve the quality of tone in her storytelling is commendable.
'The Folio Society take the best in English literature and reprint in the form of beautiful, illustrated books [...] ' Debra Hall (2020)
Book review by Reviewer and Critic, Debra Hall
References
Dunne, S. https://www.sallyillustrates.com/
The Folio Society https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/frederica.html
OVERVIEW
The Marquis of Alverstoke has two sisters with older children who all think of him as a 'dandy'. Alverstoke agrees to host a ball to mark the come-out of the daughter of his widowed sister, Louisa; on condition that the invitation be open to the family of a deceased older cousin, Fred Merriville (a distant relative disowned by the family after marrying for love).
All about her was a scene of carnage' (p.77)
Illustration by ©SallyDunne2023
When Alverstoke becomes better acquainted with the Merrivilles' his life gets more interesting. An incident with the dog, Luff, in the London park reveals Miss Frederica Merriville's mischievous side and a strength to her character that had impressed him; she thinks her as unusual and he becomes increasingly distracted by her.
Alverstoke enjoys his batchelor life and also a degree of showing off London to Frederica and silblings, but it was at the point of meeting another brother, Harry, that he suddenly realises that responsibility for everyone lies in his hands.
Frederica, on the other hand, is shrewd in the knowledge that there are benefits for her and her siblings attachment to Alverstoke and the wider family. However, once younger sister, Charis gained attention from suitors, Frederica feels it necessary to dispel some of the ideas that society had formed around their late father's inheritance.
Alverstoke's heir, Endymion, son of his sister, Mrs Dauntry, falls in love with Charis. Mrs Dauntry hopes that the relationship between the two is just a flirtation; while Harry, on the other hand, is encouraging of it.
'They're pulling him into the boat!' (P.281)
Illustration by ©SallyDunne2023
An unfortunate event involving young Felix being trapped in a runaway balloon sees his brother, Jessamy and Alverstoke chasing cross country to find the balloon tangled in the branches of a tree. They learn that Felix had been carried off to a nearby farmhouse. A doctor is in attendance when the two arrive. Felix is suffering from exposure to the cold and his head in bandage, he is able to fall asleep but he is feverish and weeps for Frederica who arrives from London the next day.
Harry takes control of matters back home. Three days pass and Felix is out of danger for his life. Frederica, and Alverstoke (staying nearby), are not in any hurry to return him to the city as they feel that the the hot and stuffy summer months would labour Felix's full recovery. The drama of it all reveals Frederica's vulnerability and that her reliance on Alverstoke suggests that his feelings for her may finally be recipricated.
The final chapters tell of events that move the story threads to swift and satisfying conclusion.
COMMENT AND GUIDE
First published in 1965 - London. The Bodley Head, this illustrated edition '...follows that by Arrow Books (2019), with minor emendations' :The Folio Society (2023)
The third book of this exclusive Folio series has a cloth blocked cover with a design by Jessica Hische. The paper quality is exquisite and the font is Aria with is medium-sized; clear and easy on the eye. with illustrations by award-winning illustrator, Sally Dunne.
Georgette Heyer's novel Frederica was written and first published in 1965. The language style and content is a throwback to nineteenth-century classics of the romantic genre. Heyer's writing is informed and studied, her mentions of: Grand Tour, the East India Trading company, the Temple of Concorde, Somerset House and Mayfair London are all inkeeping with the English Regency period and the kind of high society places and opportunties that would have been open to wealthy, young men and the gentry folk alike. Heyer's description also, of interiors, objects and dress serves to feed the imagination about this time in our history even more.
Heyer's narrative reveal the inequalities between the sexes and the placing of women as inferiors which existed in this earlier century. In the characterisation of Miss Frederica Merriville there are echoes of Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, and Jo March. Frederica is the type of storybook protagnist who is a fiesty and confident woman, whose personality (rather than looks) is the main draw for the rich man of status.
Heyer's works feel completely authentic to the period the stories are set, admittedly she had the gift of the many classics as primary/secondary sources on which to base her writing style, but to achieve the quality of tone in her storytelling is commendable.
'The Folio Society take the best in English literature and reprint in the form of beautiful, illustrated books [...] ' Debra Hall (2020)
 |
| frontis of Frederica by Georgette Heyer A The Folio Society Edition 2023 ' [He] moved towards a chair on one side of the fireplace. She sat down opposite him' (p.34) Illustration ©Sally Dunne 2023 |
References
Dunne, S. https://www.sallyillustrates.com/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/311196
Hall, D. https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2020/04/book-review-tenant-of-wildfell-hall.html
Hische, J. https://jessicahische.is/
Hall, D. https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2020/04/book-review-tenant-of-wildfell-hall.html
Hische, J. https://jessicahische.is/
The Folio Society https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/frederica.html
%20-%20Marc%20Brenner.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment
POST your comment here: