Which are your favorite laugh-out-loud Regencies?
Here are ten of mine, listed in approximate chronological order of publication:
— PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, by Jane Austen
— NORTHANGER ABBEY, by Jane Austen
— THE CONVENIENT MARRIAGE, by Georgette Heyer
— FRIDAY’S CHILD, by Georgette Heyer
— IMPRUDENT LADY, by Joan Smith
— SWEET AND TWENTY, by Joan Smith
— THE PLAYFUL LADY PENELOPE, by Kasey Michaels
— AN EARLY ENGAGEMENT, by Barbara Metzger
— MINOR INDISCRETIONS, by Barbara Metzger
— THE IDEAL BRIDE, by Nonnie St. George
Which funny Regencies do you like? Which do you think are the funniest?
Which funny Regencies do you think succeed the best as novels (or romances)???
By the way, here are four very different covers for Georgette Heyer’s FRIDAY’S CHILD! (Aren’t covers weird???)
Cara
Cara King, www.caraking.com
MY LADY GAMESTER — in stores now!
Heyer’s The Grand Sophy is still my favorite LOL Regency, and there are moments in almost every Barbara Metzger that will get a chuckle or two. Loretta Chase’s recently re-released novels have scenes that will make you grin (and maybe laugh out loud), especially The Devil’s Delilah.
Barbara Metzger’s Talented Miss Treadwell was so funny. I liked Candice Hern’s Miss Lacey’s last fling, too. And Friday’s Child was one of my first Heyers, I remember it as being very funny.
I liked Joan Smith’s Aunt Sophie’s Diamonds, too. And I preferred Nonnie St. George’s second book–Courting Trouble–to the first. I laughed a lot during that one.
Great covers, too, btw!
I’d have to vote for the The Grand Sophy, too. And I like Metzger’s Snowdrops and Scandalbroth very much as well. Among other Heyers, Friday’s Child is very funny, but I’d give an edge to Cotillion. The way Freddy is always distracted by a piece of lint on his sleeve at key moments really made me chuckle.
As for the The Ideal Bride–exactly what portion of a gentleman’s anatomy is his warehouse, anyway?
Todd-who-is-rather-proud-of-his-warehouse
Though it’s hard to imagine anything funnier than these old-time covers, I have some favorite LOL Regencies too.
Ditto on THE IDEAL BRIDE and THE GRAND SOPHY. I love how Heyer did these hysterical ensemble scenes at the end where people keep arriving and the fun keeps escalating (there’s another great one in SPRIG MUSLIN). Another favorite is THE UNKNOWN AJAX; the hero has a sense of humor that matches his stature (and possibly his warehouse–Heyer of course was too ladylike to go into such matters).
Elena 🙂
Hmm…if I’m looking for a good laugh I’d *never* pick a romance. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed myself reading them, but I don’t remember rolling on the floor when I read Heyer, and I’ve read most so-called romantic comedies with an entirely straight face (with the exception of Jennifer Crusie for whom I’ve cracked a frequent smile). And the term light romantic comedy has me running for cover.
J. Austen–who, strictly speaking, wrote contemporaries–poked fun at sacred cows. That’s why she’s funny, but in an understated, wry, satirical sort of way.
Funny writers (off the top of my head and in no particular order–Mark Twain, David Lodge, Anna Maxted, Nick Hornby, Charles Dickens, David Sedaris) are actually writing about very serious things. I really believe you have to have that deeply serious base from which to raise humor.
Janet
As for Austen, Janet, she can also be amazingly broad — think of Miss Bates, and Aunt Norris! I actually think MANSFIELD PARK is a very funny book, which people forget because the heroine is so miserable for most of it!
I love funny romances. For me, the humor doesn’t get in the way of the romance, or the romance in the way of the humor. I do laugh out loud at Heyer, and at Austen — and many others. Humor is one reason I love Regencies — particularly verbal wit.
I always want to share the humor, though — so I read funny lines to my husband as I go along (he’s very tolerant of this sort of thing, much more than I am.) Funny Regencies are also great to read aloud, so all the humor is shared!
I love THE GRAND SOPHY and THE UNKNOWN AJAX too, BTW — the former inspired me to learn the game of piquet, which inspired me to write MY LADY GAMESTER!
Cara
Oh, yeah–dittos for UNKNOWN AJAX, Jennifer Crusie, and, um, everyone else.
Todd-who-is-inclusive