Customer Reviews

Pistols For Two

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first got hold of this book I was surprised to find that it was a book of short stories, and I wasn't sure if I would like it. How wrong I was!

The book was first published in 1960 so it's one of Heyer's later books, and that shows in the range of characters and ages that she portrays in these short stories. Each story works brilliantly on its own as a story - although short, they never feel rushed or incomplete. The range of characters is as broad as ever, including some young heroines and one who is in her thirties. Her heroes tend to be the usual ones - dashing, handsome, rich gentlemen who are excellent horsemen. And yet there are a couple of stories in there which seem a little more unusual - my particular favourite is Hazard where Lord Carlington wins his friend's half-sister during a night of gaming and finds himself with her in an Inn the following morning, having just inserted the notice of his engagement to another woman in the papers. Of course things work out well (they always do in Heyer's books, which is what I like so much about them) but it's how these resolutions are brought about that make these stories such fun.

Georgette Heyer is probably one of the most unappreciated humorous writers of romances. Georgette Heyer may not be as good as Jane Austen, but she has the same tongue-in-cheek wit and ironical gaze.

Pistols for Two, a collection of short stories, is not as funny as Heyer's novels. The stories are very short and lack the space necessary for the unraveling of Heyer's wit. They are, however, quinessential Heyer plots. (In fact, you can pretty much learn all of Heyer's romance plots from reading Pistols for Two.) Consequently, Pistols for Two is a fun, relaxing read. I regret that Heyer didn't (to my knowledge) write more short stories.

Recommendation: See if you can find it used in paperback before settling for the hardcover version. It's a thin book and shouldn't cost too much.

This is one of my favourite 'read in the bath' Heyer novels, you can either get totally immersed in story after story, or decide that it is time to do the chores and save some for later.

Each story is a standalone, but they all have that Heyer magic, in that you feel you know the characters and wish you were there!

Definately worth a read.

Niki Hannah

What a little treat! I stumbled upon this book at a used book store and thought it was a full length novel. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there are actually 11 stories included! If anyone has read 'Pursuit' by Heyer (easily found on the internet) and enjoyed it, then you'll love these stories too.

Briefly-
1) Pistols For Two -best friends duel
2) A Clandestine Affair -two guardians try to prevent elopement
3) Bath Miss -gentleman escorts school-room miss home
4) Pink Domino -brother tries to protect sister from fortune hunter
5) A Husband For Fanny -widow tries to match daughter with older Marquess
6) To Have The Honor -poor cousin refuses to offer for rich cousin, doesn't want to seem like fortune hunter
7) Night At The Inn -strange things are happening at the inn
8) The Duel -sister seeks brothers foe to call off duel
9) Hazard -woman is won at a card game, only thing is gentleman is betrothed
10) Snow Drift- woman must get to grandfathers house to 'win' inheritance
11) Full Moon -gentleman stumbles upon another who is preparing to leave for Gretna Green

My favorite is A Husband For Fanny and A Clandestine Affair, but I won't tell you why! No spoilers. If you like any of Heyers books then get these little condensed stories. Although they may not be as good as the full length novels, they're worth a read.

It's a shame that with the recent republication of the rest of Georgette Heyer's novels, this one has been overlooked, for whatever reason. It's a little gem of 11 short stories set during the English Regency. Because of the length of the tales, you don't get a whole lot of the witty dialogue that Heyer is so beloved for in her Regency stories but you do get a hint of it, as well as her usual heroes and heroines.

Most of the stories are romantic in nature; they read like very truncated versions of her full-length novels and even though all of them end satisfyingly, I found myself wishing that I could have spent some more time with a few of her characters. A couple the stories involve duels and several of them involve cases of mistaken identity. Night at the Inn is an interesting change of pace with its slightly Gothic suspenseful tone. It's hard to pick a favorite since I liked all of them but Hazard, concerning a young woman won as payment for a gambling debt; and Snowdrift, about a reluctantly eloping couple, are probably the two that I would pick if pressed to do so.

If you are already a reader who knows and enjoys Heyer's Regency-set novels, you will definitely like this. And if you are new to Heyer, this collection is a nice introduction to a really talented author. Happy reading!

I thought I had read all of Heyers Regency romances, then I came upon this unknown title. It is short stories, some of them very short indeed. Most of the stories are as delightful as her full length books, a few are not very good...........still, if you are a Heyer fan, any new discovery is a big treat.

This is a collection of short stories. Each has the trademark Heyer humor. I often re-read this book when I don't have a lot of time. I can read one or two stories really quickly. Like all her books, this one is great. I think this would be a good introduction to her books. Try this and if you like it, try a longer novel next.

Had to pick this up at the library and very glad I did. Very entertaining collection of short stories! I clicked on the link to ask for Kindle version as I feel Kindle owners would like this book.
There is another book from amazon available for Kindle that has similar title - and because it sounds so amusing I will give that one a try for the low price of 99 cents! Pistols for Two - Breakfast for One

Collection of Heyer's Regency period short stories. Fun, in that one can see how she contructs & "fleshes-out" plots, characters, and action of her longer works. If (when) you've read all her Regency novels, and historic ones, you may decide to give this collection a read. It is fun, buut that's about it.

A book of short stories by Georgette Heyer. Famous for her early romances she could also be very funny. As usual I was laughing out load.