Customer Reviews

Faro's Daughter

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Deborah Grantham is well born, well-bred and ever so lovely. None of this matters, however, in the game of love and matrimony in Regency London, because Ms. Grantham earns her living playing cards in one of London's finest gambling houses. And marriage with such a gaming-house wench is just not done, especially not in the echelons of the "ton." Young Lord Maplethorpe is willing to flaunt society and risk its censure to marry the beautiful Deborah for love. His unhappy mother seeks help from her stepson, the handsomest, cleverest, richest man about town, Max Ravenscar. This unrelenting bachelor meets Deborah, his new foe, across the faro table where they play for power, although they wager for money.

And proud Ms. Grantham gives Ravenscar a run for his money as she proves to be more stubborn and high principled than he in this delightful romantic farce. Georgette Heyer writes one of her best novels with "Faro's Daughter." The witty dialogue, the power plays between the intelligent Deborah, who does not want to be beholden to anyone, let alone to the arrogant Lord who is so willing to believe the worst of her, and the creative subplots and adventures showcase her talent.

This is a winner, and a must read for all Ms. Heyer's fans!
JANA

This was my first Georgette Heyer book and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it! The way Ms. Heyer weaves humor and historical detail into her books is amazing and beautiful. I am so sad that most of her books are out of print, but you can believe that I will be faithfully searching every nook and cranny I can find to get my hands on more!

Lord Mablethorpe is a man in love. Well... not exactly. He has proclaimed undying love to Miss Deborah Grantham, but it is painfully obvious that it is just a case of puppy love. However, this is not the story that gets to Mablethorpe's mother's ears.

Lady Mablethorpe hears that a wench from the gaming table has ensnared her helpless son into marriage. As Lord Mablethorpe is of respectable lineiage and will come into a handsom fortune, Lady Mablethorpe will not let this come to pass. She has nothing better to do then to call on her nephew, Mr. Max Ravenscar, the richest man in London. Lady Mablethorpe begs him to save her son from the claws of the harpy, and so Mr. Ravenscare accepts. He intends to buy Deborah off at whatever price it takes. When he confronts Deb with the subject of her "ingagement" to Lord Mablethorpe, she is extremely offended. She never had any intention of marrying Lord Mablethorpe (of course she doesn't tell Ravenscar this) and she is not really a woman of the gaming houses. Oh, it's true that she does enjoy a bit of cards and she does run the E.O. table at her aunt's house, but this is because she and her aunt are in dire straits and desperately need money. As a matter of pride, Deb will not take the money from Ravenscar and declares that she will marry Mablethorpe (of course it is a lie) and she will bring him to utter ruin.

Coming home in a fit of rage, Deb makes a resolution to act as the harpy that Ravenscar seems to think she is. She tranforms herself into a gaudy, chintzy, totally tasteless female and shocks everyone. The two thouroughly dislike each other, but... love and hate go hand in hand...

Oh dear!

It is such a shame that all of Georgette Heyer's books are not all in print. I was lucky enough to find _Faro's Daughter_ at my library, I storngly urge you to look for it too. This is what regency and romance is all about, my friends. This is it! The humor, the slang ("I don't give a button what you think!") the love, the language, all of it. Georgetts Heyer's style of writing should be the basis of every author's book. She does not treat her readers as children and spell everything out for them. Indeed, reading one of her books is an interactive experience. Her plots are unique, if not the origionals. Her characters come alive and basically speek to you. The emotions that I felt while reading _Faro's Daughter_ cannot actually be said out loud... all I can say is read it. You must, you simply must. Georgette Heyer books are must haves for any true romance fan.

"Women of your stamp should be whipped at the cart-tail!" Thus says Max Ravenscar to the woman he believes to be a scheming strumpet out to snare his young, impressionable, titled and rich nephew. This is not, however, the way to impress Deborah Grantham, who is in fact an entirely honourable young lady despite her presence in her aunt's gaming-house.

So Deborah decides to spite Ravenscar; first she rejects out of hand his offers to buy her off, then appears in public with his nephew, Adrian, dressed and behaving as precisely the vulgar harpy her believes her to be. This, of course, only serves to infuriate him even more, and he ups the stakes further.

There are some hilarious scenes in this book - the one where Deborah has Ravenscar kidnapped and imprisoned in her cellar (and then... oh, but no spoilers! <g>) is worth the price of this book all on its own.

For a sparkling and determined heroine, and a hero who, despite his stiff-necked pride, has a very well-developed sense of both honour and humour, you can't go far wrong with Heyer's Faro's Daughter.

"Faro's daughter" is the name given to the beauties who grace gaming houses in Regency London. What tonnish family would not be shocked to discover that its scion is in thrall to such a one? Max is mad and determined to rescue his nephew from Deborah's clutches, but soon discovers that he wants only to replace his nephew in her heart. "Faro's Daughter" is the quintessential Regency novel, one of Heyer's very best. The scene where (almost) all is revealed never fails to make me cry, and when, at last, all ends happily, I always give a satisfied sigh. Deb's aunt is a foolish delight, and for the mawkishly sentimental, there is a happy pair of young lovers as well. A true delight

The dialoge is witty, the characters are beautifully drawn, and the plot keeps you revited to the book. Faro's Daughter is a contest of wits (and wills) between the lovely Deborah Grantham and the wealthy Max Ravenscar. The two turn out to be an excellent match. My only complaint is that the story ended so quickly. It is one of those books you want to go on and on.

ALL OF MS. HEYER'S wonderfully enthralling heroines, are -- though living in the midst of the male-dominated English Regency period -- closet feminists! Or, at least, are those with whom I am acquainted. I have yet, it seems, to read all of her numerous and wonderous books. But I have, however, read FARO'S DAUGHTER, and know, from it and the other of ther novels that I have read, that I have many new treats in store for me, from reading the rest of her work! : ) This closet feminism of her heroines is all the more amazing, since Ms. Heyer wrote her novels in the only-slightly less male-dominated eras of the 1930's through the 1980's. Yet, her heroines do manage, (in spades!), to retain a definite femininity, and, usually, a great deal of charm. The difference between these very feminine, "closet-feminists", and, say, the "sweet little dears" portayed within the novels of Horatio Alger, (heroines who, it appears, did little more than cheer on Mr. Alger's brave male protagonists), is that Ms. Heyer's heroines had minds of their own, (as well as hearts and tender feelings), and, in her novels, it is not only battles with circumstance, and between the genders which is seen....one also sees a battle going on betwixt the heroine's head and her heart. Often, the head prevails...but the heroine's actions -- usually intelligent, well-planned ones, but often leading to hilarious and sometimes unforeseen results -- are always planned, and done, (whether she knows it or not), at the behest of the heroine's heart.

This is amply shown in the delightful "FARO'S DAUGHTER". The heroine, Deborah Gratham, lives with her aunt, a proprietress of
a gaming house. This makes the heroine to be -- despite her wealth, beauty, lineage, (and, yes, brains) -- looked down upon by polite London society of the day. A (very) young aristocratic gentleman, Lord Maplethorpe, frequents the gaming house...and soon decides that he is in love with her...moreover, he is certain that Deborah is in love with him. Enter, (at the behest of Lord Mapelethorp's anguished mother), the young gentleman's uncle, Max Ravenscar...who intends to break up this horrendous affair before it seriously begins. What he doesn't realize is that the affair never began at all: Deborah is NOT in love with the very young Lord Maplethorpe, and is, indeed, at that very moment in the depths of considering how to let the youngster know she is not in love with him, without hurting his youthful, kind feelings. But....Max Ravenscar's bold and arrogant manner, which considers her, conclusively but without evidence, nothing more than a "gaming-house title-hunter", infuriates the proud and independent-minded Ms. Gratham...who vows revenge on the haughty, jumping-to-erroneous-conclusions Ravenscar.

Including a race, a kidnapping, a hilarious dress-up, (and character) deception, and much else besides, this is indeed a most delightful reading romp! Indeed, this novel could well be sub-titled "Pride and Prejudice", (were not that title already the name of a novel written in similar, elegant fashion)...for truth, true love -- and lost stereotypes -- finally do win out, over Deborah's understandable, but at times over-weening pride, and Max Ravenscar's infuriating prejudices. This is the story of two very head-strong, yet very human people, who find themselves at first at odds, then in battle, but finally in love...as they realize their simularities far outweigh, and finally dissapate, any differences they may have.

This is an enjoyable, enthralling book from its beginning to its end. Beneath the petticoats and starched collars, real people emerge...as in all of Heyer's romances. Who says elegance must be dull, or that "X"-rating is needed for excitement? Not I...and I hazard to guess, not other readers either, once they have read this and other Heyer books. You might, indeed, find yourself writing elegantly, after the 18th centry manner, as I have here-in tried to do, after reading it, and other Heyer novels! Of course, realizing (sadly?), that I am,for better or worse, still a person living amidst the hurly-burly of the 21st century, I do find myself so deeply wishing that at least one of Georgette Heyer's elegant and yet truly realistic novels would, someday very soon, be made into a motion picture! And, although I love all of her books, my vote would go for the hilarious, deeply-moving, fast-paced, insightful FARO'S DAUGHTER to be filmed, first!

P.S.: Georgette Heyer's books are NOT for women only! Intelligent, thoughtful gentlemen, who wish to obtain some inkling as to what goes on with-in the feminine mind and mind-set -- today as well as in the past -- would do well to read Ms. Heyer's intelligent, involving, character-as-well-as-plot-driven novels, too!

Saying typical Georgette Heyer is an accolade that most authors will never receive. Ms. Heyer writes her Regency romances with grace, wit and humor. While this is not my favorite one of her books, it contains all the elements to make it an outstanding romance novel by any other standards. Her heroes are always attractive, strong and compelling and her heroines are spirited and lively. Always a "fun" read.

This is a wonderful book that will make you laugh out loud. Not only is it funny and romantic, it also got characters that are unforgettable, and descriptions of end of 18th century London that are not only enthralling, but accurate- Heyer was a master of those. Mr Max Ravenscar wants to buy of Deb Grantham, who he thinks snared his young cousin. However, Deb is enraged that someone will think her so low and vulgar, and she desides to teach Mr Ravenscar a lesson by pretending the very sort of creature he thinks she is. Since both of them are extremely stubborn and strong willed, neither of them will give in, and things get more complicated when they fall in lov

This book is a definate favorite of mine and is a drawing room comedy - with a twist!

Join Max Ravenscar as he tries to extricate his young cousin from the coils of Miss Grantham - whose aunt runs (gasp!) a Gaming House!

Of course, there is much more to the plot than meets the eye, with several different romantic plots running through the books, and a wildly romantic rescue of an innocent young girl.

This book is lots of fun, and is enjoyed by all Heyer afficionados.

Another delightfully fun read from Georgette Heyer!

My mother was a Jane Austen fan, but dear Jane wrote only SIX novels.
Not our marvelous Georgette! She was prolific. And Ms. Heyer's historical research into the social aspects of the Regency era shine through all her books.

In Pharo's Daughter, there is this scene. They are going to the Theatre in a box. Her ensemble. Her dress, her accessories, her whole manner are pointedly dreadful. When I read it, I cackled and a guffawed out loud for such an extended period of time that my sister finally just had me read her the scene aloud.

This is a love story of opposites attracting in the milieu of Beatrice and Benedict.

Georgette Heyers make for marvelous Summer Beach reading or something to nibble on in the Winter chill on the weekend. Pharo's Daughter is totally worth your reading.