Book Log 42/2016 - Eileen Putman: The Dastardly Duke

[jacey]

I guess the author is American because we didn’t have lynx and bobcats in British woodland in the Regency period. Neither did we eat ‘biscuits’ for breakfast. I recommend Ms Putnam reads: Susanne Alleyn: Medieval Underpants and Other Blunders to remind her that a little fact checking is better than making assumptions.

OK that’s got that out of the way. That apart, the rest of it works well. The book is fun. The Duke of Claridge takes a bet and must take a street wench and turn her into a society lady. (Yes, one of those stories.) The difference here is that his street wench, Hannah Gregory, is not quite what she seems. She is a lady but has fallen on hard times due to the fact that she’s profoundly deaf. It adds another dimension to what might otherwise be a Regency re-tread of My Fair Lady (or Pygmalion).

Comments

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

T says bobcats no, but the last lynx died out just before the Regency in the UK. He seems to know; I do not.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

According to an article I read on the BBC website (2015): 'The last British lynx, closely related to the north European lynx, disappeared around 700 AD.' Though there continue to be sightings of 'big cats' all over Britain that are probably escaped or released 'pets'.

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

T found a mention of 400 AD but thinks it was latter - don't know if he can supply evidence, though! We're all agreed that it wasn't the Regency! Although I love the idea of a bonneted lady with a lynx on a chain.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Is it just romance novels that get the dire research? I ask because I don't read much romance, but came across a couple of real howlers in one I just tried.

(I exclude Georgette Heyer from any/all criticism)

I think I'd read more in the genre if only there weren't so many bad ones.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

It's difficult to generalise, but I often turn to Regency Romance if I want a quick light read. I get quite a few to review on Netgalley and some of them turn out to be American writers. I'm sure I'd make similar mistakes in the opposite direction if I tried to write something set in the Americas in 1818. I do, however, find that some could definitely benefit having an English beta or proof reader. The bobcat thing is such a small thing but stands out to glaringly - as does the 'biscuits' for breakfast because American 'biscuits' are soft scone-like baked objects which go well with a savoury breakfast. Whereas we automatically think of ginger nuts or rich tea - which were also probably not a thing in the Regency. Damn I'm now going to have to go and research when biscuits (English style) became a common thing in households. What were the forerunners of rich tea, digestives and ginger nuts? Home made biscuits are easy to make but when did factory-baked packaged ones spring into existence?

[watervole.livejournal.com]

If I write fan fic for an American fandom, I automatically look for an American to proof read it. Surely a professional writer should do at least that much.

'Bob cat' would jump out instantly to any British reader.

It's the little things that slay you. I fell totally out of one romance novel on the first page when the 18c protagonist had a tank of lobsters. Marine aquaria are really tough to manage - especially when you don't live near the sea. Difficult now, impossible then.

I used to keep fish, and looked into keeping marine fish and decided it was too difficult for me.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

On the Heyer thing - I'm just ploughing through a Heyer now - and I mean ploughing. I usually enjoy hers, but The Quiet Gentleman' is verbose in the extreme. I thought it might have been one of her early ones, but on looking it up I see that it was written/published in 1951. By then she'd been published for 30 years.