Alverstoke over Darcy over Rochester
If I were to watch a movie of my life, the moment when I picked up Georgette Heyer's Frederica would probably have me leaping off my seat and doing a little jig. Even thinking about the book now makes me chuckle in a creepy way simply cos I cannot contain the sheer joy of shipping Frederica and Alverstoke. Ugh. I want to shake both of them violently for being so perfect for each other. The way they make each other laugh. They way they laugh at each other. And the way they laugh together. I ship them like I ship all things perfectly matched—chips and ketchup, tea and ginger snaps, cinnamon and brown sugar, beer and fried chicken...(can you tell I'm hungry? It's almost 5pm after all). And like everything I just mentioned, Frederica is the comfort read that I turn to when I am listless and, well, possibly just a bit hypochondriac. It is the nepenthe for my gothic moments. But as with all substances, repeated use will lessen the effect over time and such abuse is never good. Thankfully I have other literary addictions.
I read Frederica for the first time years ago, and while I remember enjoying it, I never marked it as a favorite. But (as you know) your enthusiasm prompted me to re-read it, and I am *so glad* I did. I feel like I have discovered a gem I didn't know I had. This is one of the few Heyers that I wish were a whole series. I want the back story on all her siblings--their pasts and futures! (except Charis. I genuinely find her TOO MUCH with the tears and unreasonable anxieties about Alverstoke keeping her and Endymion apart. Too much). I like too how you put Alverstoke next to Darcy in the title (I'm ignoring the reference to Rochester, who is a blight on literary heroes everywhere and don't get me started. A WIFE IN THE ATTIC--REALLY?!?!). One of the coolest things about PP (for all its faults; cf. our previous discussions) is that its a book where the heroine changes the hero for the better. And I think in a way, Heyer took that a step further. Alverstoke learning to be a human and find delight and appreciation in life again is SO FUN to watch, and I wish there were more of it. Once Heyer goes into the public domain, I hope someone (you. I hope you.) takes this book and runs with it: sequels, spin-offs, variations, introspective editions, all of it. Thanks for reintroducing me to this. Alverstoke > Darcy for sure. (But still Tilney > everyone else always ;).
ReplyDeleteI like that my enthusiasm galvanised you into reading the book again. I can't think of anything more entertaining than reading the same book and discussing (or defending) it passionately.
DeleteNormal Charis was already unbearable but Hysterical Charis was just too much. All the weepy and all the self-victimisation. I can't even. Endymion was just as bad. When he couldn't explain how Alverstoke would conspire to keep them apart but was convinced that had to be the case, I wanted to whack him in the head. With a brick. To send him off to the asylum.
Thank goodness for Felix and Jessamy. Especially Felix, who behaved abominable in every circumstance to the delight of us all. I think that's why I loved Frederica best. You get a picture of not just how F&A interacted but how this family would look as a whole. Venetia was a bit like that too.
There needs to be more! I would read an entire fan fiction based on letters between Felix and Frederica and Alverstoke while Felix is off to school. I can already anticipate how he would hilariously give different accounts of the same event to F&A just to appeal to their sympathies. Cos if anyone knows how to work them both, it's Felix.
PS. Unrelated. The image for the book cover in your featured photo is the image on the cover of my edition of Cotillion. I've noticed this a few times: two similar editions of Heyer, published at different times, but using by and large the same photos....just on different books lolol
ReplyDeleteHow strange! You need to show me photos of your Heyer books sometime :D
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