Georgette Heyers
Oct. 18th, 2004 12:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamadebI've been reading a lot of Georgette Heyer lately, in no particular order. And while I truly enjoy her Regencies, there's something about her earlier Georgian ones - okay, it's slashability. I just finished These Old Shades, and it's amazingly...gay. I mean, the hero, who is supposedly this dark and evil guy, except we only see him as rather sweet and proper and loving his pretty clothes and jewels (yes, normal for the day, I know.) has a houseguest who basically bitches at him and who buys a pretty young boy (who turns out to be a girl but he doesn't know that at the time) because he looks like someone whom he hates. Except it's entirely possible to read that as someone he used to love. (Not to mention that it really felt like his bitchy friend thought he'd picked a catamite when he brought his new purchase home.)
And even when she's revealed as a girl and dressed in women's clothing and all that, his page remains quite boyish and even keeps her hair short.
And yet, the most fun aspect of this particular book is The cover.
Look at it. Look at what the young woman is wearing, given that the book is set in 1760 or so. And then look at the painting. Look closely at the painting. It's a rather famous one.
And even when she's revealed as a girl and dressed in women's clothing and all that, his page remains quite boyish and even keeps her hair short.
And yet, the most fun aspect of this particular book is The cover.
Look at it. Look at what the young woman is wearing, given that the book is set in 1760 or so. And then look at the painting. Look closely at the painting. It's a rather famous one.
