Publication
Sourcebooks, c2005.
Status
Available
Description
The definitive guide for all fans of Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and the glittering Regency period. Immerse yourself in the resplendent glow of Regency England and the world of Georgette Heyer... From the fascinating slang, the elegant fashions, the precise ways the bon ton ate, drank, danced, and flirted, to the shocking real life scandals of the day, Georgette Heyer's Regency World takes you behind the scenes of Heyer's captivating novels. As much fun to read as Heyer's own novels, beautifully illustrated, and meticulously researched, Jennifer Kloester's essential guide brings the world of the Regency to life for Heyer fans and Jane Austen fans alike.
User reviews
LibraryThing member breadcrumbreads
It's been quite a few weeks, running into months, since I picked up Jennifer Kloester's well-researched book on the world of Georgette Heyer's Regency romances. It's a purely factual book that details places, customs, culture, dress code, the shopping and travelling experiences, hobbies available
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to men and women, upper-society's social etiquette, tourist spots and prominent people of the day. Most of what I read I was very much aware of through reading lots of books and watching lots of movies based in this era. But it was nice to have my suspicions or guesses confirmed. At other times it was interesting to know certain other little facts, for instance, the difference between a tiger and a groom, the description and purpose of a 'yard of tin', the intricate details of the clothes Regency men and women wore and the like. I would not recommend this book as an authority on all classes prevalent in England at the time. As the author declares, this book is just meant to make clear to us what would be quite incomprehensible in our time. Therefore, much of what is dealt with in here has to do with the upper-classes or the ton of England's society in the early 1800s. In other words, this is a pretty good guide to aristocratic Regency England. Show Less
LibraryThing member PuddinTame
This is, as the title suggests, a guide to the general Regency era, focussing on the upper classes, rather than a companion to Heyer's work in the sense of a list of characters, etc., although it does have a list of her Regency novels and a brief synopsis of their plots, and uses her novels as
What sets it apart from other works on the Regency is its value as a reference work. The information is presented in a very straightforward, well organized, and highly specific. As an example, Kloester has a handy table giving amounts of money, coinage, slang terms and values. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to write about this era. Most guides to the era are too vague to be useful in finding the sort of period details one needs, and most of the writers' guides that I have seen lump the entire 19th century together, and lack sufficient depth. As a reference work, I could wish that the index was more detailed; for example, the author explains what negus is, but it isn't indexed. The very detailed table of contents makes up in part for the indexing.
The book is illustrated with a number of black and white drawings. These are helpful, although one might wish for a series comparing developments in fashion silhouettes, for example.
The work includes lists of famous people, generally British, a glossary of slang arranged by subject, newspapers and magazines, books mentioned by Heyer, a timeline, a fairly detailed map of English regions, and lists for further reading.
Another great reference work is The Regency Companion by Sharon Laudermilk and Teresa L. Hamlin. The two cover a lot of the same material, but have slightly different emphases. Kloester dwells a little more on the nuts and bolts of everyday living, Laudermilk and Hamlin discuss more of the broader European scene. I am glad to have both.
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illustrative examples. It is extremely readable and informative as a narrative, and would make a good permanent addition to Regency fans' bookshelves.What sets it apart from other works on the Regency is its value as a reference work. The information is presented in a very straightforward, well organized, and highly specific. As an example, Kloester has a handy table giving amounts of money, coinage, slang terms and values. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to write about this era. Most guides to the era are too vague to be useful in finding the sort of period details one needs, and most of the writers' guides that I have seen lump the entire 19th century together, and lack sufficient depth. As a reference work, I could wish that the index was more detailed; for example, the author explains what negus is, but it isn't indexed. The very detailed table of contents makes up in part for the indexing.
The book is illustrated with a number of black and white drawings. These are helpful, although one might wish for a series comparing developments in fashion silhouettes, for example.
The work includes lists of famous people, generally British, a glossary of slang arranged by subject, newspapers and magazines, books mentioned by Heyer, a timeline, a fairly detailed map of English regions, and lists for further reading.
Another great reference work is The Regency Companion by Sharon Laudermilk and Teresa L. Hamlin. The two cover a lot of the same material, but have slightly different emphases. Kloester dwells a little more on the nuts and bolts of everyday living, Laudermilk and Hamlin discuss more of the broader European scene. I am glad to have both.
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LibraryThing member MarionII
I love the Victorian era, and got this to see 'what came before'. I didn't want a full academic work and this guide is good in that it gives just 'enough' detail. Where it falls down is in the references to Ms Heyer's characters throughout the text, as examples. As someone who has not read her
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fiction, it was irritating having them there, when they could have been foot/end notes, and the book would have had a wider, more general appeal. Show Less
LibraryThing member beingruth
As someone who's read almost all of Georgette Heyer's work (oh happy teens and then rediscovering in my twenties), I found this a fascinating look at her research methods and interests as well as the world of the time.
I'm reviewing mostly because I think it's ridiculous that another reviewer is
This book is very much about Heyer and her novels and that is a wonderful thing!
I'm reviewing mostly because I think it's ridiculous that another reviewer is
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complaining that a book about an author is about an author. There's kind of a hint in the title, like Tolstoy's Russia is probably about Tolstoy more than Russia. Yes, you'll learn a bit about the Regency period, but the entire point of the book is that it's a history of a particular author's take on a period, so mentioning her books & characters is logical. Otherwise this would just be called "Regency England."This book is very much about Heyer and her novels and that is a wonderful thing!
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LibraryThing member vampiregirl76
Being a fairly new reader of Historical Romance I had no clue who Georgette Heyer was until last year (feel free to laugh ;)). But it's true she was a new author to me when I was offered to review The Grand Sophy, which I automatically fell in love with. During the span of her career Ms. Heyer
Georgette Heyer's Regency World is a detailed companion of everything you'd want to know about the Regency period. I don't read non-fiction much, but I really enjoyed this guide. I love this time period and learned so much more about a different array of topics. The information is in abundance. This book is a good tool to have when you are reading one of Ms. Heyer's book. Some of the topics that are discussed are the Social Ladder, the Marriage Mart, Gretna Green to fashions of the time, shopping, military- A Who's Who in the Regency, plus many more subjects that will delight readers. Whether your a fan of Georgette Heyer or just a fan of the Regency period you'll find yourself enthralled with this book.
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wrote 26 books that were set during the Regency period, her books are popular through out the world. If you didn't know the Regency period lasted from 1811-1820. Such a short period of time, but a very much loved one. It has inspired many writers to set their story in this time.Georgette Heyer's Regency World is a detailed companion of everything you'd want to know about the Regency period. I don't read non-fiction much, but I really enjoyed this guide. I love this time period and learned so much more about a different array of topics. The information is in abundance. This book is a good tool to have when you are reading one of Ms. Heyer's book. Some of the topics that are discussed are the Social Ladder, the Marriage Mart, Gretna Green to fashions of the time, shopping, military- A Who's Who in the Regency, plus many more subjects that will delight readers. Whether your a fan of Georgette Heyer or just a fan of the Regency period you'll find yourself enthralled with this book.
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LibraryThing member mmyoung
While filling a need -- a good survey of the world in which Heyer's Regency novels are set -- it left this reader wanting more. I did not feel, after reading this book, that I understood any of Heyer's characters better nor did I feel a need to go back and reread any of her books.
I would suggest
I would suggest
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that this is good book for those who know little of this period of time but will only shed new light on the people found in Heyer's book for the reader who was quite unaware of the period time in England. Show Less
LibraryThing member DWWilkin
A fan and student of the Regency, preferring Georgette Heyer's view of the Regency to sometimes the truth of history, this book is a refreshing compendium. Useful and giving a good cross reference of what the world was like in the context of the Heyer canon.
Ms. Kloester though sometimes needed to
Ms. Kloester though does suffer along the way of her telling. Paragraphs are often so long that I could fall asleep in the middle of a multi page retelling of some point of the Regency. Not that I did not become reminded of some connection I have had in another history tome or a Heyer novel. Just that in places the writing became that of a dry lecture, and the examples from the books left to the end rather than interspersed and keeping me awake.
Overall though this is recommended to all who want to study the Regency, but especially those who want to add depth to their love of Georgette Heyer Regencies.
Ms. Kloester though sometimes needed to
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step out of the rendition of the Heyer world and place history in context. Heyer, and in the period Austen, would know that the Regency Era was before the actual Regency and continued after Prinny became King. While often hard to pinpoint dates for Heyer or Austen, it should be evident that there were other items to record besides what we have been given. (I write this suggesting to you reader that there is more to discover than the great detail Ms. Kloester has given us.Ms. Kloester though does suffer along the way of her telling. Paragraphs are often so long that I could fall asleep in the middle of a multi page retelling of some point of the Regency. Not that I did not become reminded of some connection I have had in another history tome or a Heyer novel. Just that in places the writing became that of a dry lecture, and the examples from the books left to the end rather than interspersed and keeping me awake.
Overall though this is recommended to all who want to study the Regency, but especially those who want to add depth to their love of Georgette Heyer Regencies.
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LibraryThing member comixminx
Very list-y, with some infelicities arising from this (for instance, repetition of phrases within mere paragraphs). It does include some interesting factoids but overall most of it is stuff that you can gather from the context in which they are used in Heyer's world. Worth a read through but not a
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must-have. Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
A useful collection of background material for Heyer.
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
This will be more valuable to someone who doesn't know Heyer's work well, as by the time someone has read her regency books several times, she has also picked up most of this information.
LibraryThing member Jillian_Leigh
Excellent overview of aspects of life during the regency, as seen in Heyer's novels.
LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
A really handy reference to explain all those terms understood in the 1800's but having evolved in recent times to perhaps have a different connotation. Indispensable if you are new to Georgette Heyer's world. Not an entirely complete catalogue of terms.
LibraryThing member eetzel
Interesting and well researched. I will be using this book as a historical reference.
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781402241369
Original publication date
2005