Helen [Hardcover]

Georgette Heyer (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Longmans, Green (1930)
• ASIN: B000NCY484
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, making the Regency period her own. Her first novel, "The Black Moth," published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good coming-of-age story, and one of Heyer's best, July 1, 2000

By 

HL (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Helen (Hardcover)

"Helen" is one of Heyer's early contemporary novels, before she became famous for her Regency romances. It is probably her most successful one. The story of "Helen" is appealing and universal because it tells of a coming-of-age of a young woman in England of the early 20th Century. It takes place on the interesting and colorful background of the 1920s, and then drifts into world war I and its aftermath. Helen is depicted as being influenced by all of these varying and different eras, which contributes to strong background to the story. But true to Heyer, the story is always centered on Helen's personal life, and it is said that much of the details of Helen's life is semi-autobiographical and drawn from the life of Heyer herself. While Helen herself is just a little too idealized, and in my opinion sometimes a little too self-satisfied for me to like her, the story itself is a rich, interesting and pleasant read, not as harsh as some of the other contemporary novels by Heyer, but weightier and more realistic than Heyer's later Regency romances. A highly recommended read.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very good book by Georgette Heyer, June 6, 2007

By 

Heyerfan (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Helen (Hardcover)

Very well written. A little slow in the middle but still very, very good. This is a different book for Georgette Heyer. More true to life than many of her romances so it has sad moments. But it ends happily and is a beautiful love story. In a lot of ways it's much better literature than most of her romances. Georgette Heyer once again shows her amazing ability to master any genre. Enjoy!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a more serious heyer, August 12, 2007

By 

S A Hurston - See all my reviews

This review is from: Helen (Hardcover)

Those who have read some of Heyer's other books may have come to expect only airy, comical novels from her. This book is not funny or lighthearted. It focuses on the growing up of motherless Helen, who is extraordinarily close to her father and loves nothing more than the life they lead at home. This life is turned upside-down with the arrival of world war, and for many years after life continues to be confusing and even turbulent for the engaging heroine. Though she does eventually reach a happy ending, it comes at a heavy price for Helen.
I am a devoted Heyer fan, and though this book was nothing like anything else of hers that I have read, it was truly interesting to see how her style and wit could turn itself to a serious novel like this one.