For sheer fun, you can't beat Georgette Heyer — but that isn't all she can do. Though this is hailed as a "sprightly" Regency romance (which it is), it contains a lot of social commentary and even oblique criticism of the established mores of the time. And yet with all that, the novel is no thinly disguised tirade against the historical roles of men and women. Its characters are at the forefront, and it is only in the context of their lives that Heyer explores the social underpinnings of their world.

But first for the fluff. Venetia Lanyon has lived an isolated though not unhappy life in the country, managing her brother Conway's estate at Undershaw after their father's death and taking care of her youngest brother, Aubrey, who is lame. Though very beautiful, Venetia has never had a London season, and at twenty-five she is approaching the realm of spinsterhood (yeah, yeah, I know — remember this is Regency England!). Her only suitors are Edward Yardley, a most worthy (but officious) neighbor, and young Oswald Denny, who is bent on being a dark, brooding Byronic hero. Venetia is just coming to a decision about the direction of her life when she unexpectedly encounters the "Wicked Baron," Lord Damerel, whose name is a byword of corruption in the surrounding country.

In some ways Damerel has an echo of Rochester in him; he has the whole dark-and-terrible past thing going on, he is rude to outsiders, he consorts with Venetia as a friend first, etc. But despite this, I didn't find him particularly compelling. Heyer doesn't do much analysis of Damerel's personality and influences, preferring rather to focus on her heroine. But we miss out by not getting to see things from his perspective. In Sylvester, Heyer delves into both sides of the story and it really helps to make the title character more likable. Damerel especially could have used this treatment, with the sins of his past looming over the present action of the novel. While we do get to see him acting honorably, his former actions are such that a little more introspection and repentance wouldn't be out of order.

One of the heavier themes in this lighthearted story is the double standard for men and women during that period. One of the older married women in the story, Mrs Denny, counsels Venetia explicitly about how the husbands and brothers can go off and have affairs with "the muslin crowd" without it touching their hearts, which always remain faithful to their wives and sisters. Mrs. Denny acknowledges that it is strange to her that the men can carry on these affairs without any apparent emotional turmoil (unlike women), but she seems content with the state of things. And of course, she says, the women who indulge in such affairs are perfect pariahs, not to be associated with. Thank heavens there is no ambiguity there!

Extramarital affairs are wrong and I don't think anyone can indulge in them without emotional and relational repercussions. I'm not advocating a state of things in which women can sleep around with no consequences just like the men. The real problem is that in this period it is acceptable to everybody for men to do this. The women in their lives think it's normal and just swallow it. It's a cynical, ugly thing and Heyer, far from skipping over it in quest of fluffy fun, actually spends a fair amount of time working out these implications in the lives of the characters.

And yet I wasn't wholly satisfied with the ending... there is much joking about all the Paphians Damerel is going to keep alongside his wife, all the orgies they will have, etc. Maybe I'm just straitlaced, but I don't find that amusing — and I doubt Venetia would either if Damerel did indulge in extramarital affairs. I just felt it was treated too lightly. You know it's bad when you start sympathizing with the stuffier characters in a novel!

Perhaps it is for this reason that I found Venetia herself a bit hard to like as the story went on. Oh, of course I didn't want her to marry Edward Yardley or the ridiculous Oswald, and yes, I wanted her to get together with Damerel. But it seemed that she throws everything else out the window when it comes to Damerel. She contemplates ways to ruin herself socially so that she will be on his level; nothing else matters but for her to marry him, even though he is a rake and there is no real evidence of reform. I don't *think* he will be unfaithful to her, but there's that element of doubt, isn't there? But they are good friends; it isn't just about her beauty and their physical attraction. Perhaps I simply didn't allow myself to be convinced.

I found Aubrey's condition fascinating in its depiction of the psychology of deformity. Aubrey is a well-written character, and I sympathized with his struggles with his physical issues and how they affect his relationships with other people. This hasn't changed since Regency England; I'm sure a person in a wheelchair or with some other noticeable disability would find much in common with Aubrey's acidic hatred toward anyone who gawks or averts their shocked eyes. This tension becomes a plot point and strong motivation for the characters later in the story.

As always, Heyer uses wonderfully authentic Regency sayings in both her characters' dialogue and her narrative (such as "we shall deal extremely" meaning we will get along well; "without a feather to fly with" meaning without any money; "doing it too brown" meaning trying to fool someone and failing, etc.). I should start introducing these phrases into my own conversation, though no doubt they lose some of their zest if they aren't delivered in a perfect British accent. Ah well.

I think what it comes down to is that I would have enjoyed this story more if I felt I could trust the the protagonists. As it was, moral behavior seems important only because of what society would say, not because it was a core part of the characters (as with Austen's Fanny Price or Elizabeth Bennett). And that's why I can't rate this one more highly. A fun romp, to be sure, but lacking that foundational empathy I wanted to feel for the characters. ( )

Lady Wombat says:

So far, my favorite of the non-comic Heyer books. Unlike the majority of her other books, the hero is not simply the empty embodiment of the Regency ideal, but a far more complex creature. So, too, is Venetia, one of the few heroines who doesn't end up simply letting the man solve all her problems. Good delineation of secondary characters, too.

Not my favourite Heyer novel, but even so it still sparkles. Venetia is a great heroine, she's fun, knows her own mind and will not settle for second best, and is not afraid to risk everything to get it. Damerel is a typical Heyer hero in that he is not as black as his reputation. Venetia and Damerel's friendship feels very authentic, especially in comparison with the suffocating attentions of the well meaning, but boring, Edward and the histrionic Denny and Damerel's aunt's well meaning attempts to marry him off and restore his reputation. ( )

I loved this book! Probably my favorite Heyer novel so far. Venetia was a wonderful, bold heroine and her relationship with Damerel was just... exquisitely mismatched. ( )

Delightful Venetia Lanyon is nearly resigned to spinsterhood despite her beauty, thanks to enormous responisibility and two lackluster suitors, but her rake of a neighbor, Lord Damerel, gives her a kiss that awakens her passion, and undoes a bachelor.

An OK book by Heyer, not her best. The ending seemed not as tight as in other works. ( )

Friends who knew I liked the Regency era turned me on to Georgette Heyer years ago. They started me with Frederica knowing that the man's perspective would appeal more. So now I have read more than 20 of her Regencies and have some perspective.

Finding others who like Heyer, I had been urged to reread Venetia, since Frederica actually does remain my favorite. I can see how this appeals to womem fans of the regency. Yet there is so little regency here.

So much is spent in the heads of our romantic couple about why they shouldn't be attracted to each other, that what is brilliant to me about regencies is missing. That which tells us of the world of the period. What we have in Venetia is a look at country life, not as encompassing as Austen, and a reflection on societal mores, again not as well done as Austen who lived during the period,

Heyer never desired to be Jane Austen and her development of a vocabulary clearly illustrated that. With Heyer you get a consistent universe and that is very enriching. In Venetia you get a glimpse of that world of Heyers, a smaller subset, but when you are sure that the story has run its course, a plot twist arrives to lengthen it, then a second. Finally in the last twist, we are returned full circle to home.

When looking back at this book, then that first half, the pacing of a plot twist earlier may have made the end more enjoyable. As it is, it comes to late and makes the last half of the book, which has the best of the action, irrelevant. A story that could have been better with technical detail. ( )

I love just about everything Georgette Heyer's written in the Regency genre, but this book is one of the best of an excellent crop. Venetia is a delightful heroine, mature and intelligent while at the same time extremely naive about men and the ways of the world - so much so that she has absolutely no notion just how much danger her new next-door neighbor, the wicked Lord Dameral, could be to her. And yet it is her innocence which is her greatest protection where he is concerned.
Dameral is a real treasure. From his bold advances to his sardonic smile to his wit to his complete social disregard...he alone is worth the book. Did I mention his habit of strewing rose leaves...well you will just have to read it to find out about that. As fortune would have it though, there are a host of other characters that add so much delight. The worthy suitor, the lively spinster, the firey younger brother, the brooding halfling, the nurse! You can't go wrong with this one. ( )

This is truly a charming book. Venetia is a warm, charming character with wit and vivacity - but not to the point where she is annoying or anachronistic. Damerel is a perfect anti-hero, a horrible rake who is still completely loveable, and loses his heart over Venetia. Although sometimes Heyer sacrifices character development for plot (like in The Corinthian), all of the characters in this book are well formed and interesting - even the minor characters such as Aubrey, Oswald or Edward. Truly a charming book and one I enjoyed a great deal! ( )

Some Georgette Heyer novels are rollicking adventures, but the more sedate plotting of Venetia allows for a deeper exploration of the principal characters. While something of their true character is immediately apparent in all of them, their interactions throughout the course of the book allow them to grow and discover both themselves and one another. The unexpected romance and the difficulties encountered are believable, largely due to Heyer's skillful characterizations. Venetia is one of my favourite Georgette Heyer novels. ( )

Georgette Heyer is one of my favorite authors, and this is my favorite book by her. The characters are wonderful, the story interesting. I've read all the Heyers often, though not so much recently, but she is still my favorite comfort read. ( )

Venetia - Georgette Heyer (9/10)
I started this a while back when in a down moment as it has always been my favourite Georgette Heyer novel. I'm delighted to say that it still is as books don't always live up to our fond memories of them. Venetia and Damerel's autumn idyll, their bright wit and playfulness survive the years intact and I loved the book as much as ever. ( )

Wonderful Regency England romance novel.

What sets a Heyer book apart from more modern romances, is Heyer is able to craft a romance story without even resorting "into the bedroom". She is able to create incredible sexual tension between the characters, with nothing more than a kiss being exchanged between the hero and heroine.

In Venetia, we come across a lively and very likeable heroine named, what else, Venetia! She is engaging and cheerful, never one to complain about one's circumstances. In this case, she is confirmed "on the shelf" at the age of 25, looking after a younger brother while her other brother has his adventures in the Army in Europe. She has spent her entire life in the countryside of York on her familys' estate, content overseeing her home and finding adventures only in the books she reads.

When one day, Venetia encounters the hero Lord Damerel, a libertine and notorious rake, at his estate and her life is never the same. Damerel is cynical and hardened at 38, a confirmed bachelor who's lifestyle of decadence and extravagence has made him a social outcast among the ton. After his encounter with innocent Venetia, he decides to stay for a time in the country to seduce her (what else would a rake do?lol), but in turn becomes seduced himself by Venetia's wit, charm, and intelligence and inevitably falls in love with her. ( )

The plot and characterizations in this Heyer novel are some of her best. Mrs. Scorrier is drawn quite nicely, in fact. But the book is much too long, and Heyer spends too many pages in her heroine's head instead of having actual narrative move the plot forward. Written in 1958, there seems to be no excuse for the lapse in editing, since she wrote better books both before and after this date.

Growing up in a somewhat selfish family with a scholarly brother, Venetia is not the ignorant bubblehead some neighbors take her for. Stuck out in the country, she's managing fairly well, but changes are coming her way. The first of these is the rake, Damarel ...

Excellent character portrayals in this novel. Quiet scenes and a conflict with a new resident in the house. With her self-assurance and sense of humor, Venetia is easy to like and root for. ( )

http://www.lonelymountain.net/books/m... ( )

Far and away my favorite Heyer, it's a beautiful, sexy, and funny interweaving of the Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast fairytales set in Yorkshire during the Regency. ( )