The Saturday Morning Post (No. 135)

 

I found myself without a book to read owing to the one I had picked up at the library not being what I had hoped it would be (i.e. good). I was, however, waiting for another book to arrive from another library in the system, so with nothing to read and uncertain wait, I picked out an available ebook from a known author to read while I waited, and it proved to be...

My reviewer criteria. I like light, entertaining novels. I like smaller scale stories rather than epics. I like character focused novels featuring pleasant characters, with a minimum number of unpleasant ones. I greatly value clever and witty writing. I like first person, or close third person narratives. I dislike a lot of "head jumping" between POVs and flashbacks. I want a story, not a puzzle. While I am not opposed to violence, I dislike gore for the sake of gore. I find long and elaborate fight, action, and battle sequences tedious. Plot holes and things that happen for the convenience of the author annoy me. And I fear I'm a born critic in that I don't mind pointing out what I don't like in a story. However, I lay no claim to be the final arbitrator of style and taste, you need to decide for yourself what you like or dislike in a book.

Your opinions are always welcome. Comment below. 

Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer   B

Given my recent track record with Georgette Heyer, this was a somewhat risky venture, but any port in a storm. She's a fairly reliable author with plenty of books to choose from, some are readily available as ebooks from the library. This was one of those books, and it proved to be a lucky choice.

This is a historical fiction romance set in the later 1700's, before the Regency Period, and the French Revolution, when France still had a king. The premise is that the males of the Jettan family have always had a reputation of sowing their wild oats as dandies in their youth. However, they have always made a point of marrying for love when the times comes for them to settle down.  The hero of this story, Philip Jettan, is the grandson of the Jettan who build a great house in the country, when it came time for him to settle down, a house he loved. This Jettan's son, after sowing his wild oats, married, had a son, Philip, and after his wife died, he too settled into the country home. Philip, grew up in this country estate, and loved the country and country life. He didn't mind being considered a bumkin, and valued honesty and plain talk; much to the despair of his father, who wanted him to follow the family tradition of sowing his wild oats; or at least dressing in fashion and learning a little about life in the wide world before setting down to marrying a nice neighbor girl, one who Philip was in love with.

This girl, however, would also have liked to see him become more fashionable as well, rather like an old neighbor who returned to the village, as a fantastically dress, witty and charming flop. So Philip's love and his father combined, convince Philip, despite his objections, to go out and become a fashionable gentleman of the world. He travels to Paris to learn how to be a fashionable young man about town at the hands of his father's old friends. A determined man, he to meet their expectations, and succeeds in becoming just such a gentleman his lover and father seem to desire. Perhaps all too well as it turns out. Be careful what you wish for...

This is one of Heyer's light-hearted stories, laced with witty dialog and colorful characters. A pleasant, quick read. I turned out to be a lucky pick. All in all, Heyer is a pretty safe choice. Tomorrow 's EXTRA! installment will feature the book I was waiting for. Was it worth the wait? stay tuned.