The Grand Sophy (Regency Romances)

Read this book years ago in English. Georgette Heyer was my most fav author and continues to be... nobody has perfected her style as of yet:( nor ever will ....She was a genuinely "avante guard" author during her writing career with the regency romance books.... great regency knowledge, unsurpassed... expressions such as: "sticking your spoon in the wall" "corinthian" many more... Russian edition was an error on my part lol, I was so excited when I saw the title I clicked LOL.

I love Sophy. She is an amazing heroine with subtle plans to straighten out her poor aunt's family from the domination of the oldest son. Clever, daring, caring and brave, that is Sophy. I read her at least once or twice a year for a delightful laughing time.

A neighbor put this book (in paperback) into my hands in the summer of 1972 as I was preparing to move overseas with my family. Thus began a wonderful, lifelong relationship with Georgette Heyer's marvelous characters. I have read and re-read this paperback, which I still own, so many times that it is held together with a rubber band. I don't read any other romance novels - I am a sci fi/history buff - and the few other "regency" novels I've read by other authors are inferior, poorly written, fluffy drivel compared with GH's work. But this is superb. Read it and laugh along with the brilliant Sophia Stanton-Lacy!

The language and vocabulary take some getting used to, but when the rhythm becomes familiar, the story blossoms as delightfully as its engaging heroine. The climactic scene is clever and most picturesque. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

A delightful and engaging romance with well written and developed characters. The heroine Sophy is independent and warm hearted and is the perfect foil to the taciturn Charles Riverton. Great attention to detail and wonderfully witty dialogue this fast paced historical romance is a joy to read.

I had resisted reading Georgette Heyer until now .. I wonder why since this is by far a wonderful book, full of fun and romance and all the regency details. I did not miss the sex of modern books at all, it is not needed when the writer is so good. I am sure I will go on and read all other books from Heyer and recommend this one hands down. Loved it .. It's never too late.

When you picture yourself lying on the couch eating bon-bons and reading novels, this is the novel you are reading. The style is Jane Austen as written by Oscar Wilde. The characters are a joy and the wit flows readily. There's a slow section towards the end as all the ducks get in a row--with ducklings getting underfoot the whole time--but the finale is deeply satisfying.

All Heyer's regency books are fantastic. I love the period and descriptions of life in merry Old England at the time. Ms.Heyer's propensity to make young women the heroines of her books tickles my fancy.

Funny, cute but the characters were overdone. The stereotypes became old after all while. I'm giving it four stars because it held my curiosity. I wanted to keep reading to see what kind of trouble Sophy would stir up next.

The Grand Sophy is the most charming portrayal of a regency daughter brought up independently thinking who has no problem creating hillarious situations and wonderful word games to keep the reader entertained when even the possible ending becomes apparent very early on in this delightful story, one cannot wait to hear all the dialogue created in order to get there! Wonderful and always entertaining: such a joy for women of from teens through all ages.

The story was clean funny and one you could share with your friends and family without embarrassment. The narration was great - voice changing for lines spoken by various characters made the book so much more enjoyable.

I absolutely loved it. The dialogue as usual was just amazing. Sophy absolutely fixes everyone's problems or thinks she does....way even before anyone can tell there could be an issue. This was such a fun book. I'd read it and reread it....something I'll keep to review over and over.

Sophy is a magnetic character who drives this funny and delightful Austen-lite tale of social intrigues. She's like a young Auntie Mame who knows what is best for everyone and contrives to make it a reality.
Sadly it's hard to overlook the shocking anti-semitism in the construction of Hubert's subplot. There seems to be a lot of anti-semitism in Golden Age mysteries and post-war British literature. I try to be charitable and ascribe it to the sentiments of a particular character when possible but in this case Heyer has chosen to construct an unscrupulous hook-nosed Jewish moneylender all on her own. Considering that the book was published in 1950 when awareness of the Holocaust was certainly fresh, it's all the more appalling.
It's a shame because the other characters are well-drawn and Sophy's mechanations are as well-plotted as any of Heyer's mysteries.

Grand Sophy was written almost a half century ago, before political correctness came in fashion (the Jewish moneylender is vividly portrayed) and before romance novels became handbooks for sexual encounters. The portrayal of a woman who was this assertive was very enjoyable, and the upper class Brits and their lifestyles was well explained as it is a different world from today's work-a-day world. Georgette Heyer was a pioneer in her field.

The inimitable Georgette Heyer! What a pity she is always classified as "Regency Romance" and thrown in with a bunch of thoroughly indifferent bodice-ripper writers. She was a good and entertaining writer. The Grand Sophy is one of the most entertaining. Tangled plot, bold, intelligent heroine, believable characters. Tremendous fun!

I enjoyed this book very much. It is a lighthearted story of Sophy who can manage anything. It isn't the quality of a Jane
Austen or some of the other writers of this time period, but it is just a light thoroughly enjoyable read.

Why was she called the' Grand Sophy?"
Because she was like no other girl of her time{supposedly}
Try to remember you are reading Fiction.
Sophy suprises every one with her antics. Fast moving Cant put down.

A typical Georgette Heyer romance. A great read if you don't want to think too deeply about anything or want to have a break from anything stressful. . I would suggest that if you enjoy this style then it's a good holiday read.

I read Georgette Heyer as an adolescent, forgot about her for years and only started reading her again recently. Far from being just a romance novelist, she reminds me of Jane Austen with a flair for history.

This book is fantastic and you should definitely read it. The characters are engaging and funny and there is a ton of witty dialogue.

Trust me if you like historical novels with a little romance thrown in, you'll love Grand Sophy.

This is a very funny book, but the constant screwball comedy overwhelms the characters, who come off as one-dimensional as a result. There is also a scene which is clearly anti-Semitic, which makes this reader squirm. Sophy may only be twenty years old, but she seems to have omniscient wisdom for her age, carries everyone and every situation before her like a tidal wave, and Always Knows Best. There are some wonderful scenes - particularly the round-up at the end, when all the major characters appear, in a plausible way, and all plot threads are resolved. I'm conflicted by this book. As a lifelong fan of Heyer's work, I appreciate the humor and readability. But the scene with the money-lender casts a shadow on it and I'm annoyed by Sophy's perfection and infallibility.