“She’s abominable, and damnably hot at hand, frank to a fault, and—a darling!”
Have you ever read a book that feels obscure but sticks with you so much that you’d recommend it to anyone in the hopes that at least one more person might experience the joy it brings you?
If you’re a fan of Jane Austen/the Brontë sisters and haven’t yet read Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer, you’re missing out.
Heyer, who was a hybrid regency romance/detective writer, was inspired by Jane Austen, and penned many beloved romance stories—Arabella, Frederica, Cotillion, and The Grand Sophy, to name a few. In my opinion, Sylvester is less known and underrated; a hybrid romance/historical fiction gem.
It’s a story that perfectly exemplifies the benefit of reading what speaks to you, regardless of whether it’s the newest or most popular book.
My introduction to Sylvester was the audiobook version, narrated by the impeccable Richard Armitage. To say he’s incredibly talented at all sorts of acting wouldn’t be doing him justice, and his narrations in this story superbly evoke the emotions, personalities, and growth of several characters. Although, he could read a pizza menu and it would be worth listening to…but I digress.
Since then, Sylvester has been my go-to read; I listen to it several times per year, sometimes playing in the background while doing other things, and read it on my phone in waiting rooms. It’s also refreshing in between more intense, hefty, complex stories.
Heyer develops the main characters throughout the story with all the glitz, glamor, drama, and intrigue of the ton that one would expect of the time and setting. But, like Austen, she also weaves in societal commentary, witty banter, satirical dialogue, and a strong FMC—it almost feels like an ode to Pride & Prejudice.
Without giving too much away, here’s are my favorite elements about this novel:
“...no more beauty than could be found in a pair of clear gray eyes, which could certainly twinkle with mischief, but which more frequently held a look of scared apprehension.”
Main character. Phoebe is awkward, plain, and intelligent. Although she doesn’t realize she’s strong at first, she is. Once she’s free of her stepmother’s abusive control (Cinderella vibes, anyone?), she comes to life and becomes unafraid of who she is. Also, her best friend is a man, Tom, who is her age and with no romantic interest on either side—an interesting and effective writing choice in this case!
“If he had not wished to figure as a villain in a romance, he should not have had satanic eyebrows.”
Book-within-a-book. The biggest conflict in the story is the fact that Phoebe becomes a published author of a popular novel that’s essentially a caricature of Sylvester and his family. She didn’t have all the details when she wrote it, and the inspiration came solely from seeing his defined eyebrows from afar. Consequences abound for multiple characters and, as the publication of the book unfolds, so does the story we read with them.
“Don’t grow too civil, will you? But I need not ask that; you won’t!”
Humanistic love story. Tense glances and one kiss at the end is the extent of spice in this story, but let’s be real—we wouldn’t want it any other way in a regency tale, would we? The warm and fuzzy yet very real qualities of Phoebe and Sylvester’s story never get old. They come to appreciate the personality of the other, with a splash of enemies-to-lovers thrown in. They’re very quickly honest with each other, to the point where they have in-depth discussions about the extent of their flaws (in a very Elizabeth and Darcy/Jane and Edward way). Communication is the key to any successful relationship in real life, and Heyer brings that to light.
In a nutshell, this novel (which clocks in at <400 pages) is well-written, funny, and has so much more to offer that isn’t covered in this review. If you’re looking for a feel-good read that isn’t solely romance, Sylvester may be right for you!
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他の国からのトップレビュー
coffeebooksandpluvio
A feel-good regency read that isn’t solely romance.
2024年5月18日にアメリカ合衆国でレビュー済みAmazonで購入
Kindle Customerdr.s.varalakshmi
Awesome as always...... All new writes not a patch...
2017年4月5日にインドでレビュー済みAmazonで購入
Suzie Mathews
The wonderful humour, just loved the characters
2020年4月17日にオーストラリアでレビュー済みAmazonで購入
Léa
De l'esprit
2017年1月31日にフランスでレビュー済みAmazonで購入
susana pliego
Delightful!
2016年9月18日にメキシコでレビュー済みAmazonで購入
