More Silliness, Less Austen

Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel is somewhat less Jane-Austeny than many other novels by Heyer, which is for me probably the main draw, but I still enjoyed it. It's a good example of what it is--and I stand behind that sentence 100%. It is a silly love story in a pre-Regency setting and reasonably fun to read.

Cleone is a flawed and silly heroine, but she is well-matched with Philip Jettan, a flawed and foolish hero. He's kinda direct and nerdy, and Cleone isn't wrong to want him to up his game, but in cahoots with his father she pushes him to learn how to act fancy (back in the time of powdered wigs and men's makeup) and he goes for it. He ends up in Paris, practicing his French, improving his fencing, learning how to make endless, ridiculous compliments to the ladies, acquiring what must be a very expensive clothing habit, and writing bad poetry. In a movie, we'd get a lot of that in a lovely montage.

Of course, even when he returns, he and Cleone have all the misunderstandings that threaten to separate them, and she wishes he hadn't become so popular with the ladies, what with his fancy compliments and all.

This is more romance (and more comedy, come to that) than it is Jane Austen, which is fine, because it's pretty amusing, but most of Philip's improvements seem unearned. Sure, he takes fencing lessons, but just for 6 months, and then can beat everyone that used to be better than him. He hated fashion courtly behavior but sure picks it up quick. It feels like he's pulled a "Can't Buy me Love" or "Princess Diaries" extreme makeover trick. I guess he's rich, so it's on the edge of plausible...

Pretty much everyone in the book is shallow, but even shallow people deserve their HEA. Heyer was nice to save one for this pair.

I bet it could be adapted into an interesting teen movie. Hmm.

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