Georgette Heyer & Faro's Daughter

Anne here again, bringing you the next post in the Georgette Heyer series, with excerpts from Jennifer Kloester's upcoming book, The Novels of Georgette Heyer, which has not yet been published.

Today I'm focusing on Faro's Daughter, another favorite of mine, and focusing on a few excerpts from letters Heyer wrote to her publisher. They read almost as a conversation — or at least as if he's sitting beside her and occasionally arguing or interrupting. The tone of the letters is most entertaining — funny and ironic and familiar — and you can see that they got on well.

Of particular interest (to me, at any rate) is the letter in which she begins telling her publisher about her still quite vague ideas for her new novel, and by the end, she's worked out the whole plot! And beware, if you haven't yet read Faro's Daughter, there are spoilers below.

Georgette Heyer to L.P. Moore, letter, 28 April 1941.

Must talk to you about my new book. No, not Casca – he’s nearly finished, & nothing to talk about anyway. The new one, I said. Do you recall a short I once wrote, & you or Norah sold to Woman’s Journal for a pittance? Well, it was a poor short, but it has the makings of a novel, & it is going to grow into a lovely romantic bit of froth for Heinemann. Title will remain the same – Pharaoh’s Daughter. Not Moses’ girl-friend, but a lady addicted to gaming.

Georgette Heyer to A.S. Frere, letter, 16 July 1941.

My dear Frere, 

Such trouble as I have been having over that wretched girl, Faro’s Daughter! Or Pharaoh’s Daughter – which do you like? You needn’t bother to answer, if you’re busy: I shan’t pay any attention, anyway. And I haven’t unraveled it all yet, perhaps because there has been a Moon, which affects me strangely, so that I am not certain, and even my complexion shifts to strange effects – et seq. 

And perhaps because the Muse is just obstinate – you must, in your dealings with Inkies, have encountered this phenomenon before, and if you thought that this author was not dependent upon inspiration in all its more aggressive forms that is just where you are wrong … 

Your razor-edged mind (copyright) has by this time leapt to the conclusion that all is not well with the child. Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that exactly. It’s just like you to go leaping to a lot of false conclusions: that’s what I always felt about you, Mr Frere: believing the worst, and goading me on to present MSS at idiotic times of the year, and then grumbling and cursing because they don’t turn up , and not listening to a word I say in my own defence, but going on interrupting like this, and reminding me that I said whatever you think I did say, which I couldn’t possibly have in any case, and very likely losing bits of it when you do get your impious hands on the rotten book, or even refusing to publish it out of sheer spite, which just shows that you can’t have any head for Business, because naturally it’s a very fine work, and immensely entertaining, absorbing, witty, scintillating and erudite. Well, what I mean is, it will be, when I get around to writing it. No, then, I haven’t started it, since you must know… 

Elusive, that’s what it is. The plot, I mean. I see it up to a point – and damned silly, I mean damned good it is – but I don’t quite see what it’s all leading up to, or what to do with the ends, or why the hell I should make up such a lot of rot – make up such an ingenious story at all.

Mr Ravenscar is a winner from the word go. I won’t hear a word against him, and if the schoolgirls don’t like his being tied up and dumped in the cellar they will just have to put up with it. I think myself that Miss Grantham took rather an extreme view of his delinquencies, particularly when you consider that she was in love with him at the time, but she’s so strongminded that it’s no use arguing the matter. And if more men – particularly publishers – were dumped in cellars – but I’m sure I’ve no wish to be offensive. Treat me right, and – I seem to have wandered. Where – oh, yes! Well, as I said, Mr Ravenscar (Max to his friends) is a winner, and no trouble at all. Nor I fancy shall I have much trouble with young Lord Mablethorpe. He seems too big a simp to bother anyone, and can be provided for nicely. Hence Phoebe Blandford.

But what, I ask you, is the precise role of the Earl of Ormskirk? Yes, yes, of course he’s villainous: that’s obvious. But what does he do? Did he really want to marry Phoebe? It seems frightfully unlikely to me, and I would rule it out of court if it were not for the fact that someone objectionable wanted to marry her. Max? Yes, I admit that’s an idea, but there would be certain difficulties. Still, I’ll think about it. But if that were so, what do I do with Lord Ormskirk?

It’s no use saying jettison him, because you don’t suppose, do you, that I’m going to abandon a lovely name like that? He’ll have to have Worse-than-Death designs on Miss Grantham, and buy up the bills, and mortgages and things. Then he can call her his Cyprian in public, and Mr Ravenscar, who’s been calling her a lot of much worse names, can knock him down, and then they can have a duel — guess who wins! And Max can buy the mortgages and things off Ormskirk, and — Gosh, yes! I’ve got it! Eureka!

 Must write up Mr Lucius Kennet, soldier of fortune to make him look like possible hero, so that Mr Ravenscar (outsize in cads: women love cads) can go on being objectionable, and use the mortgages and things not as deus ex machina, but as persecutor. No, no! Not, I think, improper designs on the poor girl: just to get her to relinquish young Mablethorpe, who is Max’s cousin, and starts off by being in love with Miss Grantham. I really can’t go into it all now, because it’s very complicated, Miss Grantham never having had the least intention of marrying Mablethorpe, and the whole imbroglio having arisen out of the idiotic way in which Max handled the situation. 

By the time she was finishing the letter, Georgette thanked him for ‘listening’ and told him triumphantly that ‘I really think that’s done it. After weeks of fretting around in a sort of Hampton Court maze, too!’ 

Don't you love how the ideas just tumbled together and we can see the final book taking shape under our eyes. I am so envious of the apparent ease of that kind of plotting — and it's a superb plot, as well. I tried to upload a greater range of covers, but Typepad wouldn't let me. so I hope you enjoy these few.

You can read more about Heyer and Faro's Daughter on Jen Kloester's page here.

What about you — have you read Faro's Daughter? Did you enjoy it? What did you think of the tone of her letters? And do you have any of the above editions? Which do you like best?

 

Comments

[Catherine Kullmann]

Reading that letter,I just wish I could have spent a long evening with her, talking about writing, the Regency, and everything else. All modern writers of Regency novels owe her so much.

[Mike]

Thank you for publishing these letters, they are most enlightening, especially seeing the familiar plot of “Faro’s Daughter” coming together. Her comment in the first where she implies that her inspiration comes from one of her short stories is intriguing as I’ve often thought that some of her later novels involved reworking ideas from “Pistols for Two”, though I’ve never put in the effort to try matching stories and novels. One example I do recall would be “Sylvester”, which starts from a similar opening plot setting as the short story “Full Moon”.

I think the first of the cover illustrations is the best, and this is not only because it has been sitting on my book shelves since 1964 (when it was “Reprinted (and reset)”). I wonder whether this was new for this version or a repetition of that from Pan’s 1953 edition? My copy has one slight difference, the price of 3/6 – pre decimal currency of course – appears at the bottom left hand corner of the cover (6/- in Australia on the back). The book also says “first published in 1941” which seems pretty fast given that it was clearly not complete – maybe there was not even much written down? – in July 1941, and there was a war raging, which one might expect would slow down book publication.

I’m looking forward to Jennifer Kloester’s new book and hope that you will note when it is published in one of your future blog posts.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Ooh, a new Jennifer Kloester book coming, I'll preorder! Thanks, Anne and Jennifer. I've always enjoyed the Heyer heroines who are older and more independent so yes to Faro's Daughter. (But as a solvent member of the middle class, I usually want to swat those characters who are so stupid about money and debt!!!)

[Misti]

That letter is hilarious. I love Faro's Daughter. I loved that she tied him up in the basement. Let's face it, Max was used to getting his way and Deb is perfect to keep him guessing. And one of my pet peeves is when the hero doesn't have to grovel enough before he's forgiven (ha ha I don't know what that says about me) and I just loved Deb's reaction and then how he gets her in the end. I might have to read this again soon.

[Carla]

I love this book and have the middle green cover edition. The letter is just like her books

[Anita Faye ShelburneMK]

I love this! What a fascinating, funny "Inkie" she is! And, yes, "Faro's Daughter" is one of my favorites. Reread it again just recently.

[Alison Morton]

One of my favourite Heyers! And what a fascinating letter…

[Mary Jo Putney]

That's an interesting thought, Mike. It's been a long time since I read PISTOLS FOR TWO, but I thought at the time she was pulling tropes she's used in novels in order to write short stories. As you suggest, she might well have done it the other way around: written the short stories and then later realized that the ideas could be developed into full length novels.

[Lil Marek]

Brainstorming via letter — I love it!

[Anne Gracie]

I'd love to be there, too, Catherine. So fascinating and entertaining. But we're lucky we have the letters, aren't we?

[Anne Gracie]

Mike, they're all on Jen Kloester's website— I'm just selecting a few things from it as a lead-up to her upcoming publication, which I'll definitely let people know about.

And that's an interesting observation about the short stories.
I agree with you about that cover being the best. Interesting about the publication date on your copy — it might be a question to ask Jen, who is a walking encyclopedia of All Things Heyer.

[Anne Gracie]

You can't preorder it yet, Mary Jo — It's not up yet. I chuckled at your wanting to swat those improvident aristocrats but I have come across several people in my life who are just like that, and I expect that Heyer would have some contemporaries who were brought up to expect riches and had no idea (or desire) to work for them. It was the slide into a lower class they were refusing to face.

[Anne Gracie]

Misti, I'm planning a reread soon. Faro's Daughter is one of my faves, and I love the duel between Deb and Max. And isn't the letter fabulous? Her personality really shines through.

[Anne Gracie]

Cool, Carla — I've never seen the green cover "in the flesh" so to speak. And yes, the letter is a great example of "voice" that writers talk about.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Anita — I'd forgotten the term "inkie" until I came across it here again.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Alison — and yes, the letter is wonderful and so interesting, I agree.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, Lil, and no crit group, or indeed anyone else needed. *g*

[Mary Schultz]

The letters are fascinating. Faro’s Daughter is one of my favorite books by Ms Heyer. Ihave the 1968 Bantam edition.

[Patricia Franzino]

Thank you for posting this, Anne. Heyer was the first Regency novelist I came across in the library.

I read all of Heyer's Regency novels. Some of them were in out-of-print bookstores. Eventually I donated the books to a church fair.

I enjoyed "Faro's Daughter" as much as all the rest. I have yet to read her mysteries.

Her letters seem to be stream of consciousness, so she can piece the new book together in her mind. She hashes out the issues with her novel and comes to a greater clarity. It's entertaining.

[Karin]

That was so entertaining! I love the way she supplies both sides of the conversation in her letter. I think my copy of Faro's Daughter was the one with the dark green cover, but I no longer have it.

[Annette N]

What a terrific post. I love the letters. It is pretty evident that Ms Heyer was an intelligent woman. She reminds me of Agatha Christie in that both of them could envision their stories in almost complete form. And both of them knew their characters personally. And both of them were sooooo very talented.
Thanks for all the reminders of why I am a fan of Ms Heyer and her stories. Faro's Daughter is one of her books I have not read yet. Now, it will need to move to the head of the line.

Thanks very much for all the wonderful posts.

[Teresa Broderick]

The edition I have is much newer. This wasn't one of my favourites, however it's been some time since I read it. I'm in the Heyer group on GoodReads but this one hasn't come up yet. So maybe a second read will change my mind.
I was thrilled to hear Jennifer Kloester has a new book coming out!! Can't wait to read it.
Lovely post Anne.

[Patricia Rice]

I think, if nothing else, we should all try writing letters to ourselves when we're plotting. We can easily interrupt ourselves at will and know what we're thinking and slap ourselves down when we interrupt. That was quite an entertaining letter, but if I were her editor, I'd have shot her.

[Janice J.]

Of course I've read it, more than once, but not recently. I put Faro's Daughter in the great middle group of her books. It seems particularly dated to me, in a way that her masterworks such as A Civil Contract are not. It is written to be like a 1930s madcap comedy; I can see Cary Grant and maybe Katherine Hepburn playing Max and Deborah, with nice comic roles for Mary Boland as her aunt and young Jack Carson as Lucius Kennet. That style has somewhat palled on me because the characters rarely seem entirely real.

I do have a copy of that original cover - the one that shows the actual characters as described - thanks to a fellow Heyer fan. It's much the best of the ones I've seen. The copy I reread most often is a 1992 Signet with a cover that has nothing much to do with anything and certainly isn't Georgian.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Mary, yes, Faro's Daughter is such a fun one, isn't it?

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Patricia. I think Heyer virtually created the regency romance genre — Jane Austen wrote what were contemporaty novels for her, but Heyer created the modern Regency genre. I also think she impregnated the genre with her sense of humor, which is why, among all the romance historical genres, Regency is most associated with humor.

I also find her letters fascinating and entertaining. Im glad you enjoyed them.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, Karin, the letters are wonderful I agree, written just as if the recipient were right there with her.

[Anne Gracie]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Annette. I don't know much about Agatha Christie — apart from reading her books — but your comment has whetted my curiosity about her. Thanks.
And I envy you for your first read of Faro's Daughter — I think you'll enjoy it.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Teresa. I hope you enjoy Faro's Daughter the second time around. I'm curious as to what you didn't like about it. It's interesting how you notice different things on a second or even third reading.

[Anne Gracie]

LOL Pat — that second letter was to her publisher! And I'm sure he loved getting letters from her. They're very much tongue in cheek and ironic, aren't they?
Maybe I'll try plotting by letter — in a way I do that a bit in my writing journal. Not nearly so entertainingly, though.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Janice. I do think it would work well in that kind of madcap comedy movie that you describe. And I can see the actors you suggested playing the roles, too. I can't however imagine any current actors playing the role. Maybe it is dated, but I hate to think so.

[Alice Mathewson]

The letter is fascinating and definitely gives a great insight into her way of writing. I have good friends who have never heard of Georgette Heyer, which seems sad to me. I was delighted when Kate Quinn had her very fierce heroine reading Heyer at the end of The Huntress

[Christina Courtenay]

Coming in late here but great post, Anne, and I love Faro's Daughter. As for that letter - I just love the way Ms Heyer's brain worked! Talking to her must have been such fun!