Arabella (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link)

The 20th century author Georgette Heyer has been one of my favourite writers for over four decades. I reread her novels regularly, particularly the Regency and other light historical ones. So I was delighted to discover that I had not read ‘Arabella’ for over ten years. I have thoroughly enjoyed it once more, after reading for at least the eighth or ninth time.

Arabella is the eldest daughter of a well-bred, gentle but fairly impecunious vicar. Her mother, who has more worldly wisdom than her father, asked her old school friend - now Lady Bridlington - to be Arabella’s godmother. And now that Arabella is about eighteen, her mother asked her old friend if she would be willing to host her goddaughter for a London season - to ‘bring her out’ in society.

On her way to London, accompanied by a governess, Arabella’s uncle’s rather ponderous old coach breaks down. And she seeks temporary shelter at a nearby house, only to find herself angered by the attitude of her host. Arabella is impetuous and hot-tempered, and makes a claim about herself which is patently untrue, never thinking to meet these people again…

Unfortunately, as it turns out, these men are important figures in London society, and a rumour is spread which makes Arabella very popular - but also very embarrassed, unable to deny the claim, but also feeling that she won’t be able to accept any offers of marriage that come her way….

The hero of the book is one of Heyer’s triumphs, in my view. Mr Beaumaris is an arbiter of fashion, inclined to be arrogant - but he also has a very wry sense of humour. He and Arabella share a sense of the ridiculous, and he, despite himself, finds himself drawn to her unusual, often naive and always compassionate comments. It’s clear to the reader that he doesn’t believe the false claim she made - but she can’t bring herself to admit it to him.

So it’s something of a comedy of errors, enlivened by Arabella’s brother Bertram appearing on the scene and getting into mischief. There are some great one-liners; my favourite, which made me chuckle out loud, was a description of Lady Bridlington, who as a schoolgirl was ‘a pretty girl, without more than common sense’. ‘Time’, Heyer comments ‘had done more to enlarge her figure than her mind’.

However there are more poignant, serious moments in the book. Arabella meets an abused chimney boy, and a starving dog. She meets people in the slums, too, and is deeply shocked by some of the depravity and extreme poverty she encounters. In many of Heyer’s books the action is all amongst the privileged upper classes, but this book gives glimpses of a very different society, and contrasts Arabella - the daughter of a vicar - with most of the society folk who want nothing to do with the poor.

All in all, I count this book as one of Heyer’s most outstanding novels. The writing is excellent, the pace just right, and while the outcome is fairly obvious from early in the book, the way she gets there is ingenious.

Very highly recommended as an introduction to Heyer’s work, or to anyone who enjoys light historical romantic fiction.  Widely available second-hand, regularly re-printed, and now available in Kindle form too.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews