These Old Shades

This is one of the best Heyer books, and a fine reading of it. The way the reader does Avon is good, and also gives the other more minor characters a good depth as well.

Lovely - listen to The Devils' Cub, Regency Buck and an Infamous Army for a little connected quartet.

I have read Georgette Heyer's books over and over again but it's not until I listened to them that I realised how much I had missed. The wonderful descriptions of the fashion, and the sense of the period, makes "These Old Shades" a joy - I walked around with it playing all the time - much to my husband's disgust as he kept trying to talk to me!! I am now working my way through the others - and just hope that eventually they will all be available.

One of my all time favourite Georgette Heyer novels, but the Duke of Avon would not speak like this. He was very softly spoken, sinister even at times. Very disappointed.

I found the voice given to satanas the Duke of Avon querilous when it should have been assured and sardonic. although he sees himself as a great age he is only in his forties and while life was shorter then perhaps, he was a handsome, active virile man not a papery thin elder.

other voices were Ok to me but the romantic interest should always have the most beguiling voice. We are meant to be bewitched by him while seeing his dark side and this did not happen for me.

I first read These Old Shades when I was a very young teenager and have been in love with Justin ever since. It is funny, poignant and oh, so heart-stoppingly romantic. Decades later, it still makes me feel fourteen again whenever I read it. Why then, do I only give it 4 stars instead of 5. Because the reader is so awful. He reads this and The Devil's Cub, the story about Justin and Leonie's son and he makes both so dreary. Please, please, please will someone get them re-recorded?

If only I'd listened to Alison's review (at the top) and not bought this. I have read this book many times and it's one of my favourites. However as soon as Cornelius Garrett did the voice for the Duke of Avon my heart sank and I was just so irritated by it that I couldn't listen to any more. If only he'd just read the entire book in his normal voice - which is pleasant enough - but he makes the Duke not only sound much older than his 40 years but a like a complete twit! Also he seems so busy putting on this drawling twitty accent that he fails to get any expression into the conversations and it comes out like someone who can't act. The humour in the written speech is totally lost with the stupid accent - aaaaagh. I am really annoyed as you can probably tell!

I have loved this book most of my adult life and have read it more times than I can remember. I was so exited when I downloaded this to my MP3 player only to listen to the first five minutes. The voice was so wrong for Justin and I so agree with the other comment dreary no emotion at all. Very dissapointed. Please try again with someone who has feeling and understang for the characters and portrays them as they should be.

Well read and amusing. You may doubt the voices initially but they are perfect for the characters. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Follow up with Devil's Cub. These two are quite my favourites of GH's books. Five Stars

I have read this book several times over the years. One of the main characters, the Duke of Avon, is portrayed wonderfully by the author as somewhat sinister, cool and softly spoken. I imagine a voice similar to Alan Rickman in my head! Yet when reading his part, the narrator gives him a loud, almost shouting voice, with a strange accent that almost sounds like a speech impediment! Leon/ie has a sweet French accent, but he gives her French brother a cockney accent, totally incongruous. Such a shame, one of my favourite books of all time, but I had to stop listening after 2 chapters as I couldn't bear it anymore. I shan't be purchasing any more books read by the same narrator.

This is one of my favourite Georgette Heyer books, slightly let down for me by the narrator - I just HATED how he pronounced "Leonie".