The Black Moth (Historical Romances)

"The Black Moth" is my first Georgette Heyer. Coincidentally, it seems, from reading other reviews, that this was the first book she wrote. When I first opened it, I was actually surprised - and a little disappointed. From reading reviews on-line, I had expected paragraphs upon paragraphs of elegant prose, complex characterizations, unusual characters - what I actually saw was pages upon pages of dialogue. Disappointed, I put this at the bottom of my TBR pile. Then, by chance, I read these reviews, and discovered that Georgette Heyer had written this book at only 17. (Was it 17?) Well, seventeen! That's a different story! With that in mind, I decided to try again. And quickly amended my original assessment of a flat and boring book. For a 17 year old girl, this was a work of pure genius.

I have not read any other Heyer books, as yet. But I truly loved "The Black Moth". I loved the characters. I loved the dialogue. I even loved the plot - yes, it is so predictable, yet almost magical in the way that this is the real romance plot, no surprises, no hidden twists, and yet the reader is kept entranced by the sheer enjoyment of the reading experience.

(To be fair to the author, the plot was probably a little more original when she initially penned it.)

But, with hindsight being 20/20, I can see that a teen-ager - albeit a very gifted teen-ager - wrote this book. There is just a bit too much of the fantastic - too many coincidences, too much drama just for the sake of drama (what earthly reason does John/Jack have for acting as a highwayman? The storyline gives an explanation, but it is a lame excuse in my opinion. For an intelligent man to flirt with such extreme danger to himself - either from passengers unexpectedly armed, or the hangman's noose - not good enough. But good enough if you are 17.)

Some reviewers have mentioned that the characters are somewhat one - or two - dimensional as compared to her later books. Not having read any other books, I cannot judge, but to compare to other, more contemporary books - they are really not too bad. Maybe not very complex, but realistic they are. How I loved Lady Lavinia! A carricature of the English high-born lady, not of the time this novel was set, as a previous reviewer pointed out, but of the times in which Ms. Heyer herself lived. Besides, isn't there a little of Lady Lavinia in all of us? And the other characters - Jack, Dick, Jim - there is certainly nothing one-dimensional about them. Besides being very entertaining. For a 17 year old girl, in fact, it is sheer brilliance. And last, but not least, the Duke! Here we have someone quite complex, and to be honest, more realistic a portrayal of the true "rake" than some more modern novels have us believe a rake to be. And the friendship of the Duke with "Frank" of the opening letter I find simply astonishing. It's hard to imagine a conversation such as they had taking place in modern times - all the more reason to believe that this story took place a very, very long time ago. "The past is a different country, they do things differently there."

If perhaps her characters were not quite fully complex, and the plot a bit too fantastic, her style of writing is superb. Again, I haven't read any of her later books, but I cannot believe that in style of writing she changed too dramatically. There is something very finished about the writing in "The Black Moth".

I had been hesitant to try Georgette Heyer, pushing it off for a long time. Many previous reviewers wrote that she is a brilliant writer, with an extremely careful eye for period detail. I have nothing against "great" writers, but I have found that they are not generally light reading, so I pushed off Heyer until I would have "time". How surprised I was to find that this book is actually not "heavy" reading at all! Ms Heyer had a rare gift for words - an elegance of prose that is both terse and clear, with a story-line that flows smoothly and entertainingly - it is very easy to "get-into" her work. And the dialogue! It is worth reading a Heyer just for the dialogue alone. This simplicity of style is, in my opinion, the hallmark of a great writer. Some writers get the reputation of being "great" writers - rightly or wrongly deserved - by using many long words and putting them all together in sentence after sentence. Some of these, are indeed, good writers, (such as Mary Balogh, Mary Jo Putney), but some of them, in my opinion, are simply great wordsmiths - not necessarily great writers - there IS a difference. It is indeed a talent to be able to use many long words and put them together sentence after sentence, but it is, in my opinion, a greater talent to use simple words, simple sentence structure, and be able to express oneself beautifully and clearly. To express oneself in a way that is both easily understood, and compelling, to write your story concisely yet at length, this is how Georgette Heyer wrote. It is easy to see how she became a classic!

All of Georgette Heyer's Romances are wonderful; full of gentle passion, great historical details and stories that take one's mind off life's daily cares. I have read all of her historical romances and I have really enjoyed them immensely. This book is interesting and colorful. I have read it more than once. Thank you to the store for selling it again for a new generation of readers and to remind us, the more mature readers, of what we have enjoyed before.

Not really a mystery, not just a romance. This one took me longer to get into for some reason. I haven't put my finger on it. I enjoyed it. It just took longer to enjoy the plot. Lots of swordplay, some injury. Who doesn't love a highwayman? Well at least one like this that likes to go thru the loot with his victim before taking off. Our rascal and rogue is indeed a hero and does his fair share of rescuing damsels in distress.

The Black Moth is a delightful romp in 18th Century England. Heyer brings together a dashing highwayman, a scheming duke, a superficial wife, a cowardly brother and, of course, the plucky, spirited heroine who is always the center of her romances.

I enjoyed so much about this story. The characters were well-drawn and interesting. I loved the teasing, loving relationship shared by Miles and Molly. John was a perfect hero and Diana was his match - loved them together. And the Duke! So chillingly menacing! The development of the relationship between Richard and Lavinia was interesting - I wasn't sure where that one would lead.

Yes, there a great deal of drama and emotion expressed, but I thought it was a very fun read. I'm sure I will reread it in the future.

The Black Moth, though a wonderful book, is NOT (I repeat NOT) part of a series with any of Georgette Heyer's other books - certainly not with These Old Shades, Devil's Cub, and The Infamous Army. Devil's Cub is a sequel to These Old Shades, and An Infamous Army is a sequel to Regency Buck! The Black Moth is Georgette Heyer's first novel, and though it is not yet as mature as her later regencies, it is still good, lighthearted fun. Her characters are not greatly developed, and the plot is nothing special, but Heyer's charm and dawning style show through.

The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer is a wonderful story. It was her debut novel. I have read it many times and enjoyed it. HOWEVER, I would not recommend paying the cost of this "Illustrated" edition in order to read it or own a copy. There are only about four illustrations in it, and all show typical Georgian clothing, two men's outfits and two women's. If you were hoping to get pictures or sketches actually illustrating the novel, you will be disappointed. Overpriced!

I have a confession to make, I actually stopped reading this book after about 100 pages. Why? Because I decided that it wasn't worth my time. To be honest, I think I would have enjoyed this book when I was about 16, but now it just irked my soul with sappiness.
Quite ridiculous. Like some hybrid of Elsie Dinsmore and the Scarlet Pimpernel.
See the below quotations for proof:
"I can imagine that you try Richard's patience somewhat...happily, your impetuosity in no way disturbs me." p. 38.
My favorite quote: "She noted the firm, beautifully curved mouth, the aristocratic nose and delicately pencilled eyebrows, with a little thrill. The duel had set her every nerve tingling; she was filled with admiration for her preserver, and the sight of his sensitive, handsome countenance did nothing to dispel that admiration." p. 74.
How could anyone seriously read that last quote and not laugh out loud?