Customer Reviews

Sprig Muslin

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The second Georgette Heyer romance novel I read when I first started devouring her novels a few decades ago, (the first was "Black Sheep"), "Sprig Muslin" is, to this day, my favourite Regency-era romance novel of all time. It's novel that can proudly boast of possessing everything from a nice gently paced romance subplot, to an adventure (of a small sort), with some hysterically funny scenes, and written with just the right touch of gentle humour, so that you're left with a satisfied smile (and feeling) on your face long after you've finished the book.

Sir Gareth Ludlow has decided to do his duty and marry. And because he's a much sought after bachelor, and a good-looking and amiable man to boot, finding a wife shouldn't be too difficult a task. But because he is still very much affected by the death, seven years ago, of his true love (the beautiful but headstrong Clarissa) Gareth has decided to marry for suitability and convenience. Not for him some young debutante who would, no doubt, expect him to shower her with affection and dance to her tune; and Gareth has decided to ask his good friend, Lady Hester Theale, to marry him. Labeled an old maid, quiet, self effacing and practical Lady Hester surely would not look to make a love matchat this stage in her life, and would, naturally, see all the advantages of making a marriage based on mutual respect and admiration. Except that along the way to propose to Hester, Gareth meets a very young lady, all alone (no chaperone or servants) who calls herself "Amanda Smith." Beautiful, willful and with a highly imaginative mind, Amanda has runaway from home because she has a PLAN (you'll have to read the book to discover what this PLAN entails). Naturally Gareth cannot leave such a young girl by herself, and he decides to rescue Amanda for her own good. But little did Gareth imagine that when he set out to rescue Amanda that she would embroil him in an adventure of a lifetime, and that it would make him look at a certain lady with new eyes and with hope in his heart...

I had exactly the same reaction to "Sprig Muslin" that I had with Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" -- an overwhelming sense of relief and satisfaction that it had ended in exactly the way I had wanted it to. The basic plot-line is very spare, but where Heyer's genius lies is in the manner in which she quickly engages the reader's interest in the characters portrayed, making you care for them and devoutly hoping that each and every one of them gets the resolution they deserve. For myself, I've always had a soft spot for quiet, overlooked heroines, especially when most of my friends preferred heroines with more hair than wit and who exhibited a lot of resolution but practically no common sense. So that reading "Sprig Muslin" was like a tonic for me -- "watching" the gentle romance between the hero and heroine unfold quietly, esp as this contrasted superbly with each outrageous new story that Amanda would concoct and unleash -- it was just so excellently done and such fun! To this day, I've yet to come across another novel that satisfies and entertains me as much as "Sprig Muslin," and I'm beginning to doubt that I ever will. If you haven't read it yet, don't hesitate: PICK THIS BOOK UP TODAY, you won't regret it.

I discovered this late in my Heyer career, having read almost every Regency she had written. What a delightful discovery! I loved Amanda's incredible, outrageous inventiveness, which keeps the story moving and never lets you guess what's coming next.

Evidently some readers find her hard to take, but I love her ability to get herself out of almost any scrape. Very much the opposite of your demure young lady. I like Lady Hester as well, but I agree that chemistry between her and Gareth is somewhat lacking. I've always wished Heyer would have given her just a bit more "star quality." I feel like I've stabbed poor Hester in the back by saying that...but it's not her fault. She's written that way.

My major disappointment with the new edition of Sprig Muslin is the introduction. The new paperback issues (by Harlequin, I think) all have intros written by current bestselling romance writers. Some are fun to read, others a waste of time, especially if you don't know the author. To my dismay, this one was full of spoilers. The writer reveals almost every plot twist, all the way to the end. Luckily I've read the book before, but after reading the intro I felt like I didn't need to. No fun.

So if by some chance you've never read Sprig Muslin, do NOT read the intro unless you want to know the entire story beforehand. And in Sprig Muslin, it's the story that makes the fun.

I have loved Georgette Heyer's romantic novels for years, but this is among the handful of my very favorites. Is it because of the unlikely heroine? Lady Hester Theale is shy, retiring, not particularly fashionable, quite myopic...and has loved Sir Gareth Ludlow (very quietly) for years. Oh, yes, and she is a very good listener.

The very popular, handsome, fashionable, congenial, and wealthy Sir Gareth fell head over ears in love with a headstrong beauty in his youth, and never got over her death which occurred during their betrothal. It seems Sir Gareth refused her nothing, except a team of very high-spirited horses that even he could barely manage. He turned his back, his betrothed took out the forbidden team and died in the resulting accident.

Now Sir Gareth has reached that time in life when he can no longer avoid the need to marry. He is a kind-hearted man, and does not wish to marry a young woman who might reasonably hope for a husband who would love her. He decides that Lady Hester would make him an admirable wife. On the one hand, he has always liked and respected her, and she was the one person who would listen to him while his grief over the death of his betrothed was fresh. As to what she has to gain, well, she has no money, or prospects, and her relatives use her as though she is a very poor relation. He has no heart to offer her, but he feels that the material advantages he can provide her and the quiet amiability she has to offer him would make an admirable match. ...Except, to the bafflement of Sir Gareth and her family, she refuses him.

Of course the fact that when he went to the home of Lady Hester to propose to her, Sir Gareth brought along Amanda, a headstrong young beauty he had picked up along the way and whom he had under his protection, could have had something to do with this. It was all innocent and above-board--but it certainly didn't look good, and Lady Hester couldn't help wondering if Amanda might not be just the girl who could mend Sir Gareth's broken heart.

This witty tale unfolds among many light-hearted twists and turns until true, faithful, mature love wins out over the odds. I love it when the underdog wins!

I have enjoyed all of the Georgette Heyer novels I've read thus far. She wrote several of the best Regency novels out there and her sense humor is only second to Jane Austen. I have always compared Heyer to Austen because there are some similarities in the writing, for it is obvious that Jane Austen was a major influence on this author. And it especially shows in this wonderful offering. Sprig Muslin is the best Heyer novel I've read thus far. The wit and comic timing are pure genius and the storyline is very unique and keeps you wondering how it would end all the way till the final pages. Sir Gareth Ludlow is ready to get married years after his beloved Clarissa's death. He has finally agreed with his sister that he should take a wife and produce an heir. However, the handsome and sought-after bachelor is more inclined to choose duty over love and would rather pick a plain wife. So he chooses Lady Hester Theale as his future wife. Lady Hester is unremarkable in every sense -- plain, safe and an old maid at twenty-nine. They both agree on a marriage of convenience and not love... until the wild, spirited and creative runaway who goes by the name of Amanda Smith comes along. He finds the lively seventeen-year-old on his way to see Lady Hester in Brancaster (her estate). This strange woman would have him embark upon a unique adventure that he'd never envisaged, and in the process makes him rethink his previous thoughts on marriage. There are many twists throughout the novel.

I love, love, LOVE this novel! I was riveted and enthralled from beginning to end and I turned the pages until the wee hours of the night wondering how the story would end. I loved the ending. It left me all warm and fuzzy inside. The Regency setting, like in the other three Heyer novels I'd read (The Grand Sophy, The Convenient Marriage and Lady of Quality), comes alive here with all of the beautiful and precise descriptions that make historical novels all the more vivid. And the author's sense of humor makes everything all the better. You feel as though you're reading something similar to Pride and Prejudice or Emma. The characters are wonderful. Hester is portrayed as quite a bland woman, but I liked her and she deserved a happy ending all her own. Gareth is a wonderful hero, not overly rakish or smug like most Regency heroes. His decision to marry out of duty and not love is due to his undying love for Clarissa and that endeared him to me. Amanda is hard to take at times. She is so over the top in some scenes that I wish I could somehow strangle her. The stories she made up annoyed me in some occasions. Sometimes she reminded me of Sophy Stanton-Lacy from The Grand Sophy. Despite the fact that I thought the ending was somewhat rushed and abrupt, I thought it was wonderful and I loved how everything was resolved. My one disappointment here are the spoilers from the author intros. Skip the intros if you don't want them to ruin the story for you. They almost ruined it for me. Other than that, Sprig Muslin is the epitome of excellent romance writing. I cannot recommend this gem enough.

Sprig Muslin was so far outside of my comfort zone I continually postponed reading it. Out of library renewals, I finally sat down and read the book and I am so glad I did. While I did have to spend some time looking up words and phrases like "box her ears", abigail and dropsy, I found myself swept away in a world very much like those created by Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, but with a touch more adventure. Sir Gareth was very entertaining, but I spent most of the book wanting to smack Amanda right in the mouth. She was one of those characters that you hate, but know how necessary they are to the story. And what a good story it was, with an ending that could only be described as completely heartwarming.

I discovered Georgette Heyer when I was in college. Most of her historical romantic novels were out of print at the time so I scoured used books stores to assemble a complete collection. I reread my favorites at least once a year. They are always fresh.

This is one of my favorites. My cat threw up a hairball on my old copy so it now reeks. I HAD to buy a new copy. There are other Heyer novels, which if my cat barfed on my copy of them, I would say "c'est la vie" and not bother to replace them.

The other reviewers have given an excellent summary of the plot. Many of Ms. Heyer's romance novels are humorous. This is one of the most humorous and the plot moves more briskly than in some of her other novels. If you like humor along with romance and the Regency period in England, this is a novel you should not miss.

Both Sir Gareth and Lady Hester are likeable protagonists.

The humor accelerates when Sir Gareth is gravely wounded in a botched fake hold up concocted by the silly young runaway girl he has picked up and feels honor bound to protect until he can return her to her grandfather, a stern military man. (If he can get her to reveal who her grandfather is.)

Lady Hester, a spinster, is beyond her last hopes. Just days before she had turned down Sir Gareth's proposal of marriage because he did not love her (although she has always loved him). This annoyed her family who could use the settlement money her marriage would bring the improvished aristocratic family.

When summoned by the runaway girl to nurse Gareth, Lady Hester rushes away without telling her family where she is going and without a companion to lend her respectability. Many lies are told at the inn to account for Gareth's condition, Hester's presence there, and the presence of the runaway girl and the young man who shot Gareth.

All comes unravelled when all the families involved trace their missing family members to the inn and show up at the same time.

The version I purchased is this one from Amazon. This is a very nice reissue of Georgette Heyer's novel in a quality paperback size with an attractive cover. (The cover on my old copy was very retro and the manufacturing quality was cheap. I think my cat did me a favor.)

Some Recommendations: There are two other Regency romance novelist who write with humor who I would recommend if you like Georgette Heyer. One is Joan Smith (unfortunately, she is mostly out of print) and the other is Barbara Metzger. All of their novels are good. If you can find a copy of Joan Smith's "Gather Ye Roses", do purchase it; it is one of my favorites. The earlier novels of Joan Overfield are also enjoyable.

Sprig Muslin has to be one of my favourite books, it is the hilarious road trip by the irrepressible Amanda. Amanda is 'rescued' from the roadside by the hero of the story (Gareth), who takes her to visit the family of the woman he intends to offer for. He is still recovering from the death of his great love and has decided to offer for a friend instead. Amanda however, casts a spanner in the works, simply by being young and beautiful - and then escaping.

He sets off in pursuit however Amanda, an ingenious liar, manages to escape at least once more, and then manages to convince another youth, Hildegarde, to pretend to be a highwayman to rescue her. Unfortunately injuring Gareth.

The wonderful story has many loops, tie-ins, unfortunate ramifications and otherwise strange and hilarious upshots as Amanda tries to avoid being found by her family, and Gareth recovers. Almost indescribably funny in parts. A really successful road-trip book.

Sir Gareth Ludlow is handsome, rich, personable, and an all around gentleman. One of the most eligible bachelors on the Marriage Mart, he has also never gotten over the tragic death of his dashing and beautiful first love. Everyone is shocked and dismayed when he decides to offer for Lady Hester Theale, a lady as quiet, plain, and insipid as could be. The lady herself can't believe it. The situation becomes complicated by a very young, intrepid, and beautiful runaway heiress who attempts to force her grandfather into allowing her to marry a Brigade Major and follow the drum. Sir Gareth is swiftly and irreparably embroiled into her crazy 'plans of campaign' as he tries to return her to her family, and everyone begins to wonder if he is finally falling in love again... and how any 16 year old girl could resist his charm. This is a fabulous example of Georgette Heyer's skill in writing charming, lively, and downright funny dialogue. It has a delightfully convoluted! plot, and a happy ending that wraps up all the loose ends neatly and humorously. Pick it up and enjoy!

STORY BRIEF:
17 year old Amanda runs away from home because her grandfather won't let her marry Neil. Gary (who is 35) happens to see her at an inn and fears bad things may happen to her traveling alone like that. He is a good Samaritan who wants to keep her safe and return her to her home. She won't tell him her name, but Gary thinks he could locate Neil if they go to London. Amanda then sneaks away from Gary. Gary goes to great lengths, searching for Amanda, again to help her.

Amanda is fearless when she shouldn't be. She has good survival instincts. She is great at making up lies on the spot. Gary is the only one who doesn't believe her lies. Throughout the story Amanda's lies create predicaments for everyone she interacts with.

Gary's fiancé died seven years earlier, and he believes he will never love again. He offered to marry Hester a friend of his who is shy, quiet, and sensible. She rejected his offer. We don't know why.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
For more than half the book I immensely disliked Amanda. I knew the feeling when I read two other reviewers who said they wanted "to smack Amanda right in the mouth." I did not enjoy her lies. The minute Gary gets her to safety she will just run away again. I had no sympathy for her, and I couldn't believe Gary would spend so much time and money trying to help her. She didn't want his help, and she caused problems for him. Throughout the book Gary's reaction to her was of amusement. I did not feel amusement, but maybe that's my own jadedness problem. So I didn't like the first half (or more). But the last part was very enjoyable, and I didn't want to stop reading/listening. Because of Amanda's lies and other situations, Gary and others went along with her lies and pretended to be something they weren't. Seeing Gary and others act out these parts was entertaining. And the ending was lovely.

I wish that more conversation happened with a particular couple toward the end. They had a friendly and caring relationship, and then all of a sudden he says I love you will you marry me. She says yes. But I didn't get any explanation. It was too sudden. I wanted to see their feelings develop for each other. That was missing.

Because I was doing the audiobook, I found it helpful to print the list of characters from the website heyerlist org under Who's Who. Although, there is a minor spoiler in the Hildebrand Ross description, so don't read that paragraph in advance of the book.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hours. Narrator: Sian Phillips. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1813 England. Book Published: 1956. Genre: regency romance.

Read into the wee hours to finish this book. I laughed my head off. How the others had to be quick to keep up with Amanda's inventive stories. Sir Gareth was a jewel. I think this was the first book by Heyer I've read, but I will look for more. I agree with the reviewer who advised not to read the forward by some other author.