Inquiring readers: I have no doubt you shall enjoy this review of Georgette Heyer’s The Masqueraders by my good friend, Lady Anne, an expert when it comes to the subject of this author. Lady Anne has read Georgette Heyer’s novels for most of her years upon this earth. Smart, sassy, fabulous, well tressed and well dressed, she has read every GH book backwards and forwards. There is not one tiny detail of Georgette’s novels that escapes Lady Anne’s attention or opinion. As to her review of The Masqueraders– please enjoy. For first-time readers: Spoiler alert.
Such a daring escape…
Their infamous adventurer father has taught Prudence Tremaine and her brother Robin to be masters of disguise. Ending up on the wrong side of the Jacobite rebellion, brother and sister flee to London, Prudence pretending to be a dashing young buck, and Robin a lovely young lady…
Although we know her as the queen of the Regency Romance, in fact, many of Georgette Heyer’s books take place a half-century or so earlier in Georgian times, with its gorgeous clothes, stylized social occasions, and convoluted intrigues. The Masqueraders could be set in no other time; it requires both the artifice and the intrigue to work.
We first meet the brother and sister, Robin and Prudence, in their elaborately contrived costumes; Robin disguised as the elegant and enchanting Kate Merriot, and Prudence, appearing as Kate’s equally elegant, if somewhat more retiring, brother Peter. They are on their way to London, to settle with a family friend and await the arrival of their father. The reason for the disguise is simple: Robin and his father backed the Stuarts in the 1745 uprising, and there is a price on each of their heads. But the reason they are indulging in this amazing masquerade of switched genders is due to their father, who has led them a precarious and wildly improper upbringing through most of the major cities of Europe. The old gentleman, as their not entirely dutiful children refer to him, married their mother, a farmer’s daughter, against his family’s wishes and left England without a backwards glance. But there is more mystery here, and the return to England in this fantastical make-believe plays into it.
In the opening chapter, the brother and sister meet an enchanting young lady who had wished for some excitement in her life ,but turned to the wrong person. Kate and Peter rescue her, and shortly after that delightful bit of playacting and sabotage, Sir Anthony Fanshawe, a close friend of Miss Letitia’s father, appears. Letitia becomes great friends with the lovely Kate, who in his real person is on his way to falling in love with the young lady. Sir Anthony also takes a shine to the attractive young man, who is so surprisingly worldly and well traveled, if slightly too smooth of cheek. We watch these circuitous wooings with delight; the young lady is all unaware, but what of Sir Anthony? He is a large man in his mid-30s, said by many to be sleepy, if not altogether dull, and slow to quarrel. But, large as he is, there is more to Tony Fanshawe than meets the eye. For several chapters, we wonder as Heyer walks a careful line; Sir Anthony is clearly interested in the young man, but before we start feeling any discomfort or seeing homoerotic overtones, we become aware that Fanshawe is not so sleepy, and he has ascertained the truth, not only behind Prudence’s masquerade, but also Robin’s, and perhaps as well, the mystery of the old gentleman. He asks if they had thought of what could have happened to Prudence had her identity been discovered by someone not in love with her. Such an occurrence had not been anticipated, and they wonder what had given her away:
“I should find it hard to tell you…some little things and the affection for her I discovered with myself. I wondered when I saw her tip wine down her arm at my card party, I confess.
My lord frowned, “Do you mean my daughter was clumsy?”
“By no means, sir. But I was watching her closer than she knew.”
As the two romances work towards their happy conclusion, the larger story of the old gentleman, who he is really, and the place that he and his children will take in England plays out brilliantly. As is always the case in a Heyer historical novel, the times and the place are carefully laid out. The political fallout, the harsh measures taken against the Jacobites, and the dangers of living in London at that time all play their part in the plot, adding some weight, if not gravitas, to this fine caper. And too, there is great opportunity to enjoy several of Heyer’s delightful young gentlemen and their conversations among themselves. In fact, the stylized society that was so much of the mid-18th Century is what makes this plot work. Only in the elegant velvets and laces, the swordsticks and elaborate hairdos, long full petticoats, boots and full-skirted coats with fine gilt lacings could the brother and sister pull off their amazing disguises and the incredibly intricate plot unwind.
“I contrive,” said the old gentleman, and indeed he does. So too does his creator, in this charming tale of adventurers. The Masqueraders is a delightful romp from beginning to end, with one of the most romantic interludes, a ride in the moonlight, ever penned by this delightful and dependable author.
Other Georgette Heyer Book Reviews on this Site:
Gentle readers: Until Amazon.com stops strong arming publishers like McMillan about the pricing of their ebooks, I will not link to their site for book orders. Rather, I will link straight to the publisher’s site until the bullying tactics are resolved.
Jane Austen's World 
Great review! This is one of my favorites. I will say, however, that part of my enjoyment on that very first read was not knowing at first that Peter and Letitia were masquerading.
Great review! Now I’m looking forward to find some Georgette Heyer’s books here. Does anyone have a recommendation for a beginner? :)
Cotillion or Frederica would be hugely fun!
Arabelle would be great for a beginner!
meant ArabellA there..
Lovely review, I am just becoming acquainted with Georgette Heyers books. I am currently reading ‘The Black Moth’ and must say that I am thoroughly enjoying it.
Thanks for a fabulous review :0) The Masqueraders is one of my favourite GH novels. The first three chapters in particular are brilliantly written IMHO and whenever I read this book, I always have to go back and re-read that section to fully appreciate the quality and skill of GH’s writing here.
The Masqueraders is also one of Heyer’s most tender romances. Tony aka The Man Mountain *g* and Prue spend a significant amount of time alone which is different from many GH novels. Their romance is also very tactile – the plot allows for Tony to touch Prue on the shoulder or on the hand a great deal almost from the start of the book. The moonlight ride scene is subtle and sublime *sigh* I like to think that because GH wrote this early on in her own marriage, that had some bearing on the tender scenes in TM.
I just started The Masqueraders and finding it much harder to follow due to the disguises. The beginnings leave a lot to descern and figure out.. and I normally love all of Heyer. So I hope that as I get further on (*& with the help of this review) I will understand what the point is.
I didn’t realize that they were masquerading as OTHER people altogether.. I thought they were ‘switching places’ & I didn’t understand the point of THAT.
So now a light bulb has gone off, thank you =)
I’m in the same boat as you Marie. I am only a 100 pages into the book, but haven’t been grabbed by it yet. This is only my second Heyer novel though, I absolutely loved “Devil’s Cub.”
I think I would like to try Arabella next.
Thanks for the terrific review!
Devil’s Cub was great!!! I’d recommend Arabella too – it was the first Heyer book and read and how I discovered her – by accident, because I like the picture on the front of the book and it was on the 50% off table at my favorite book store. Such a happy accident!
Happy Heyer reading!
-Abbey
I have just discovered Georgette Heyer and have finished two and am on my third book. I love her novels!!! Great reads!
I adore this book – Robin, small fair and slight but dashing fighting a duel; Prudence and Sir Anthony Fanshawe — sooo romantic.
One of my favourite Heyers in A Civil Contract which I recently posted about over on my blog
http://randomjottings.typepad.com/random_jottings_of_an_ope/2009/10/georgette-heyer-week.html?cid=6a00d83451935569e20128772fe07e970c
Not one of her dashing heroine/hero love stories, more sober and reflective and over the years has become my favourite.
May I also recommend Friday’s Child if you have just discovered GH? Very funny and full of wit and charm
Love GH! Currently working randomly through her list of books and I was wondering if you or Lady Anne or someone might be able to answer a silly question about something I’ve read a number of times in her books (most recently in These Old Shades). What does the phrase “I’ll lay a monkey – ” mean? Is it just an expression that was popular in Regency Era, something like we say “I’ll betcha – ” or “I’d bet anything – ” or does a “monkey” actually stand for something specific like a monetary amount, etc?
Thanks, Abbey
Money talk,
A Monkey= £500.00
A Ton = £100.00
A Pony = £25.00
A Yellow Boy = A guinea £1.1s
For a definitive guide read Georgette Heyer’s Regency World by Jennifer Kloester, a very readable informative book
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gr8 article bro
would love to see the masqueraders come to life on screen like Jane Austen’s books. any chance.
try These Old Shades…. its a prequel to Devils cub and is one of my favourite Heyer books! a must read!!!
Hi, I’m amazed at the amount of research you’ve provided on the Regency period. I’m a big Heyer fan, I wanted to know if you’re up for publishing reviews of Heyer’s books written by other people, as in, me? Otherwise, it’s no problem. Great job with this place, ah, these reviews bring back glimpses from all the Heyer books I’ve read! :)
I just finished reading The Masqueraders and found Fanshawe a wonderful character, full of dry wit, and Prue and Robin equally fun. The scene between the father and Markham is amazing – sophisticated verbal parrying.
[…] setting – I love the first sentence of the blurb! And heroines named Prudence remind me of Georgette Heyer‘s “The Masqueraders”, which is one of my favourite […]
The Masqueraders is worth the effort. Ineed, it is one of those novels that you do not appreciate until you have read it three or four times. Heyer takes the reader on an amazing journey of discovery in The Masqueraders. You have to let go your need for certainty, just as Prudence and Robin need to do. I love this book above all others in Heyer’s amazing production.
Again, plan to read it more than once to get all the points and nuances. You will fall in love . . . .
I have read about 20 of her books, and each is better than the last. However, with this book “The Masqueraders”, I have read again twice, back to back, so three times one after the other. None of the other books have compelled me to do that. The language is superb, and the costume descriptions are magnificently detailed. I actually felt as though I had become one of The Quality along with Prue and Robin. Many thanks to the talented Georgette Heyer.
[…] or watching, but haven’t the time to mention include Prudence from Georgette Heyer’s The Masqueraders, Kim Yoon-hee from the korean television drama, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and Eowyn from J.R.R. […]