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mels_reads_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
Sinceramente não consigo perceber porque é que tanta gente gosta deste livro. Se eu tivesse que escolher um livro que me tinha enganado e muito pela capa, este seria a minha primeira escolha!
Não sei como é que conseguem comparar este livro a Pride & Prejudice porque ele não tem nada a ver com o maravilho clássico de Jane Austen. Primeiro temos Arabella que é uma menina muito mimada, infantil e que só faz asneiras. Pensa quase como "eu quero, posso e mando". Depois temos o irmão dela que consegue ser ainda pior. A única pessoa que salvou esta história e este livro de não ter uma estrela foi Mr. Beaumaris porque ele sim, valeu a pena durante o livro. Ele foi o único personagem parecido ao que Jane Austen poderia escrever.
Porque é que não dei DNF, perguntam vocês. Porque queria mesmo ver qual é o hype deste livro e sinceramente? Não foi nenhum 🥲
A escrita é confusa, secante, cheia de diálogos indiretos e saltos no tempo. Passei de ler este livro físico, para o kindle a ver se facilitava e, no final, dei por mim a ouvir o audiolivro porque nem assim eu conseguia avançar na leitura 🥲
Não sei como é que conseguem comparar este livro a Pride & Prejudice porque ele não tem nada a ver com o maravilho clássico de Jane Austen. Primeiro temos Arabella que é uma menina muito mimada, infantil e que só faz asneiras. Pensa quase como "eu quero, posso e mando". Depois temos o irmão dela que consegue ser ainda pior. A única pessoa que salvou esta história e este livro de não ter uma estrela foi Mr. Beaumaris porque ele sim, valeu a pena durante o livro. Ele foi o único personagem parecido ao que Jane Austen poderia escrever.
Porque é que não dei DNF, perguntam vocês. Porque queria mesmo ver qual é o hype deste livro e sinceramente? Não foi nenhum 🥲
A escrita é confusa, secante, cheia de diálogos indiretos e saltos no tempo. Passei de ler este livro físico, para o kindle a ver se facilitava e, no final, dei por mim a ouvir o audiolivro porque nem assim eu conseguia avançar na leitura 🥲
marypetrushko's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sazzit's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
kimh147's review against another edition
Language of the book is too difficult for me to digest at this time. Maybe I’ll come back to it at some point
sherwoodreads's review against another edition
One of Heyer's battle of the sexes plots. I love the opening scene with Arabella's family. She finds herself tricked into going to London as an heiress by Heyer's standard rake, and as the inevitably romance develops there are the usual hi-jinks with family members. There is a rare appearance of the poor and how hard their lives are, though Heyer limits contact to one or two examples whose lives are instantly and easily fixed. Some witty passages.
rokinjaguar's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wonderfully delightful! It was such fun to read, although it felt like the ending was a little less than satisfying, subjectively. I think it was done well, but I personally wish it had ended slightly differently. Had a great time though!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Classism
narteest's review against another edition
5.0
Reread 26/10/2015 (Reread 28/08/2017)
Delightful as always! I remember picking this up on a whim after deciding to embark on a journey to read as many books as possible after becoming addicted to the likes of Sarah Dessen and so on. Arabella initially appealed to be when I was in a mood for a romance, and the beautiful cover, of course. It wasn't until I actually did some research on it and discovered it was a Regency Romance--a genre I have come to love! And unforunately, I can't look or really read another regency romance (yet) without thinking of Heyer only and being absolutely unfair to all those other authors! I am a little afraid of having my perfect image of perfect regency, clean, pure romances tainted by some of the horrid romances out there. I'm not against mature scenes in romances, they happen, but this is a genre I feel that absolutely must stay pure!!! Because there's nothing more wonderful than the final moment when the hero kisses the heroine, and finally declaring their love! I love the build ups that Heyer contrives, and I love the way she weaves a believeable, yet dramatic and humourous tale which makes even I, love some of the most ridiculously faint hearted protagonists. Then again, Heyer's faint hearted protagonists are anything but, and usually have a reckless or impudent or impulsive side to them!
Such as Arabella. She's a good girl, brought up as the eldest daughter of a Vicar, hardly rich, and in need of being able to make an advantageous marriage during her season in London. But she's a little impulsive. While she would never do anything digraceful, she's like a pisces, unable to stand animal cruelty, or in this book, she is unable to stand watching anyone be treated abominably, cruelly, and in need of pity. And of course, her actions wreck a world of trouble on her. Thank goodness Mr Beaumaris is a very intelligent man, and also, in love with her. Even though it was his fault to begin with, accidently setting off Arabella's most impulsiveness, he does not for one moment go through the stupid gestures of being an idiot. And Arabella, despite her initial move, is not foolish either. And well, I could go on and on about how much I appreciate the way Heyer crafts her characters so that the tension and attraction (I would say chemistry, but that's too lusty, and in Heyer's Regency's it's not 'lust' but a genuine feel for 'love' in the most pure, fairytale image) is built so much, that one can't help but cheer both sides on, and anticipate the 'Kiss'. It's always about that Kiss. And the kiss, thank god, never happens in the first few pages, and always at the end. Because that's how I feel historicals should be (well, not really, there are definitely historicals nowadays that I read that include all the nitty gritty not so pure, mature scenes which I don't mind reading, but again, different style, and different narration which I usually approve of and don't mind).
In many ways, I think I loved Arabella alot (and still love it), primarily because it read like Jane Austen, only more modern. (And of course, because it's a historical even for Heyer, there are a lot of details to get one into the scene, and she never lets up of description or witty banter. Sure the descriptions can be a bit much sometimes, but I've never found them to be boring, I think she wrote them up really well! And I love reading about the dresses the heroines wear! Not to mention, but I love the cover on this, love the dress, and the portrait!)
So in short. If you love Jane Austen, while Heyer does not compare on the same literary level (by literary I mean classic-study-in-school-literary), she does write a fun and lovable romance set in the same kind of similar world (a little after Austen's time if I'm not wrong) with characters that bespeak the same speech etc. Not to mention, this is a pure romance, not unsightly mature scenes (for those who don't love those kinds of scenes), always ends in a proposal and a kiss.
Delightful as always! I remember picking this up on a whim after deciding to embark on a journey to read as many books as possible after becoming addicted to the likes of Sarah Dessen and so on. Arabella initially appealed to be when I was in a mood for a romance, and the beautiful cover, of course. It wasn't until I actually did some research on it and discovered it was a Regency Romance--a genre I have come to love! And unforunately, I can't look or really read another regency romance (yet) without thinking of Heyer only and being absolutely unfair to all those other authors! I am a little afraid of having my perfect image of perfect regency, clean, pure romances tainted by some of the horrid romances out there. I'm not against mature scenes in romances, they happen, but this is a genre I feel that absolutely must stay pure!!! Because there's nothing more wonderful than the final moment when the hero kisses the heroine, and finally declaring their love! I love the build ups that Heyer contrives, and I love the way she weaves a believeable, yet dramatic and humourous tale which makes even I, love some of the most ridiculously faint hearted protagonists. Then again, Heyer's faint hearted protagonists are anything but, and usually have a reckless or impudent or impulsive side to them!
Such as Arabella. She's a good girl, brought up as the eldest daughter of a Vicar, hardly rich, and in need of being able to make an advantageous marriage during her season in London. But she's a little impulsive. While she would never do anything digraceful, she's like a pisces, unable to stand animal cruelty, or in this book, she is unable to stand watching anyone be treated abominably, cruelly, and in need of pity. And of course, her actions wreck a world of trouble on her. Thank goodness Mr Beaumaris is a very intelligent man, and also, in love with her. Even though it was his fault to begin with, accidently setting off Arabella's most impulsiveness, he does not for one moment go through the stupid gestures of being an idiot. And Arabella, despite her initial move, is not foolish either. And well, I could go on and on about how much I appreciate the way Heyer crafts her characters so that the tension and attraction (I would say chemistry, but that's too lusty, and in Heyer's Regency's it's not 'lust' but a genuine feel for 'love' in the most pure, fairytale image) is built so much, that one can't help but cheer both sides on, and anticipate the 'Kiss'. It's always about that Kiss. And the kiss, thank god, never happens in the first few pages, and always at the end. Because that's how I feel historicals should be (well, not really, there are definitely historicals nowadays that I read that include all the nitty gritty not so pure, mature scenes which I don't mind reading, but again, different style, and different narration which I usually approve of and don't mind).
In many ways, I think I loved Arabella alot (and still love it), primarily because it read like Jane Austen, only more modern. (And of course, because it's a historical even for Heyer, there are a lot of details to get one into the scene, and she never lets up of description or witty banter. Sure the descriptions can be a bit much sometimes, but I've never found them to be boring, I think she wrote them up really well! And I love reading about the dresses the heroines wear! Not to mention, but I love the cover on this, love the dress, and the portrait!)
So in short. If you love Jane Austen, while Heyer does not compare on the same literary level (by literary I mean classic-study-in-school-literary), she does write a fun and lovable romance set in the same kind of similar world (a little after Austen's time if I'm not wrong) with characters that bespeak the same speech etc. Not to mention, this is a pure romance, not unsightly mature scenes (for those who don't love those kinds of scenes), always ends in a proposal and a kiss.