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Georgette Heyer
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The Corinthian Mass Market Paperback

by Georgette Heyer (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,825 ratings
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The only question which hangs over the life of Sir Richard Wyndham, notable whip, dandy and Corinthian, is one of marriage. On the eve of making the most momentous decision of his life, while he is contemplating a loveless marriage with a woman his friends have compared to a cold poultice, he is on his way home, a little worse for drink, and finds a perfect opportunity for escape by her boring destiny.

He discovers a beautiful young fugitive climbing out of a window by means of knotted sheets, dressed in boy's clothing lovely Penelope Creed is fleeing from London. She is a brilliant London heires with and lavish life, and a proposed marriage to her repulsive fish-lipped cousin, a man she loathed. She has a shimmering dream of a love she had known once--and lost. Discovered by Sir Wyndham, he can't allow her to travel to the countryside all alone, so he offers himself as her protector.

And with her in flight across a landscape of excitement was a man like no other she had known-- handsome, sophisticated, but cynical. They had met by accident, been drawn together by danger. And now only his masked emotions and the shifting impulses of her own wild young heart would tell what their destiny would be.... When their stagecoach overturns, they find themselves embroiled with thieves, at the center of a murder investigation, and finally, in love.
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0069X9E68
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.2 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,825 ratings

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Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
3,825 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Larry S.
5.0 out of 5 stars hilarious adventure romance
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2023
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The adventure was filled with twists & turns, & it was a delight to read. I was cheering the whole time for the main character & the young lady he’d fallen in love with to find their way to end up together. Enjoyable read!
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DNA
5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer fun
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2017
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A seemingly unlikely couple for a love story but it works thanks to Heyer's skill. For all Pen Creed's youth and tomboyishness, she has plenty of common sense besides being such a likable character with a gift for spinning tales. And you can't help but root for Sir Richard "Beau" Wyndham as he escapes a marriage of convenience to the emotionally vacuous Melissa Brandon into which his well-meaning family is trying to thrust him.

The story is helped enormously by the plot twists that introduce the hilarious thief Jimmy Yarde and the silly Lydia Daubenay. But my favorite secondary character is Cedric Brandon, Melissa's flamboyant and comical brother, who tells Richard, "Don't do it! There isn't a fortune big enough to settle our little affairs...that's my advice to you: run!" Aptly described as "an engaging scapegrace," Cedric frequently reminded me of the Duc of Avon's brother Rupert from These Old Shades.

Heyer's masterful writing style is on display from the opening scene when Richard's mother, sister and brother-in-law descend on Richard's mansion in St. James's Square. In just a few pages she conveys a wealth of information about these characters and the family dynamics at play. Just using his mother as an example: with her handkerchief, vinaigrette and hartshorn always at the ready "anyone observing her...would have had to be stupid indeed to have failed to appreciate their sinister message." Lady Wyndham feels a pang whenever she enters the mansion Richard had only purchased a few years before after having sold the much larger family domicile in Grosvenor Square, enabling her ever since "to mourn its loss without being obliged to suffer any longer its inconveniences." Likewise, she can lament the fact that her husband's will left everything to his only son while she enjoys the handsome jointure which allows her to indulge "her liking for the most expensive fal-lals of fashion," all while commanding the sympathy of friends who naturally assume from her complaints that her jointure must have been a mere pittance. This is Heyer at her satiric best.

There is nothing missish about Penelope Creed, as readily apparent in her hilarious interactions with the silly and melodramatic Lydia Daubenay, and she can hardly be blamed for stigmatizing Lydia as "that stupid girl" in the refreshingly frank observations she shares with Sir Richard. Obviously audacious, Pen is also warmhearted, generous and sincerely interested in people, avid and sympathetic as she listens to the long-winded stories other stagecoach passengers share during the early part of their adventure. Sir Richard deplores the stagecoach ride but he derives much amusement from watching Pen in this milieu - like her wide-eyed curiosity on listening to Jimmy Yarde's thieves' cant - and from offering an occasional fictitious detail of his own or otherwise acting "in character" whenever he's expected to corroborate the tale Pen hatched about being a young man traveling with his tutor (Richard variously figures as tutor, uncle, cousin and trustee in the course of the story). One of the funniest scenes comes about after Lydia Daubenay tells her father it was Pen she was meeting clandestinely, in an attempt to throw him off the scent of her true secret suitor. Her father, though angry, immediately envisions a splendid match between Lydia and the wealthy Richard Wyndham's young cousin. In a performance that Pen finds enormously entertaining, Richard ruthlessly quashes Major Daubenay's aspirations with his portrayal of Pen as a monster of precocious depravity who regularly toys with the affections of unsuspecting young ladies and is penniless, to boot.

In an early scene, Richard's sister Louisa asserts unequivocally that he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body and that he was, first to last, a man of fashion who would never act in any way which contravened that. This claim is soon belied by the excellent adventure Richard is enjoying, but it was perfectly true up until that time: as he muses to himself, had he been sober, he would never have "set forth on this absurd journey, but having done so, drunk, he was perfectly willing to continue it." Like Alverstoke in Frederica but without Alverstoke's cynicism and rakish reputation, Richard suffers from the boredom that arises from the predictability of his life and of the people around him. He is an entirely sympathetic character and his serendipitous encounter and subsequent adventure with Penelope Creed not only affords great entertainment but it feels increasingly well-deserved as it brings out the softer, more vulnerable qualities in Richard that even he did not realize he possessed.
31 people found this helpful
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anonymous
4.0 out of 5 stars Charming and delightful!
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2015
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This is a charming and delightful tale of an adventurous, young heiress and a jaded baronet. He has never been in love and never met a woman who even piqued his interest. Then he literally catches Penelope before she falls, while climbing out of a window, and enters into her adventure. A stage coach accident, worried relatives, elopement, murder and jewelry theft make for an exciting and fast paced story. Minus one star for the heroine rebuffing his proposal, which is a storyline I don't even like in modern regency romances either. Penelope is fun, vivacious and spunky while Richard is dashing, charming and mirthful.

Audiobook: the narrator is good but not great. Expression and pacing are fine, but she struggles with the male voices as her voice is not deep enough. One male character has a scratchy voice and reminded me of Yoda. I wouldn't mind listening to another audibook by this narrator, but I wouldn't seek her out.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Loveball her books
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
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Long time Georgette Heyer fan. Love her attention to details of the time and era. Just reread after many years.
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BJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020
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This book sets the standard for how to write a great historical romance, and what's really amazing is how well it fits with current day writing. It's fast action packed adventure, with great characters and just so much fun from the 1st to last page. The H is jaded, drinks a little more than he should but he's a good man who has got lost in his lifestyle of money, mates, and avoiding growing up. The h is very young, candid and sweet and she likes him straight away. She is very innocent but also very smart, finds him a good and kind man and she challenges his views. They go on a wonderful adventure, with stolen diamonds, thieves and murderers and elopement all twisted together seamlessly by the talented writer. It a feast for the senses - just gorgeous.
7 people found this helpful
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None
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly enjoyable book! Beautifully put together, it truly is an art!
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2017
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Ms. Heyer always exceeds expectations, and is a delightful read, M.C. Beaton is the same. I read the biography of the author in this book and When I saw the date it was written I understood why she is so good. I expect the same of many of our favorite authors, and I believe it is because they take their time, check syntax, spelling and grammar, and they care, truly care about the quality of the book they have written with their name on it. They don't slap together words with no comprehension of how it is going to come through to the reader. I love a well put together story, and adore the authors who care enough to have their books read smoothly without the many errors we see in so many modern books. Sad to say.

But happy to give credit where it is due; that we have the opportunities to enjoy such well put together books, and I would never have discovered this author were it not for Amazon, for which I am very grateful!
9 people found this helpful
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CubanCachita
4.0 out of 5 stars Good fun read
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2016
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This book was certainly a guilty pleasure. I looked up this author based on a comment frm a reviewer. It was the 85th anniversary edition f romance novels and I thought it would be the perfect book to start with. Georgette Hayer did not disappoint. This story was a quick read and an enjoyable rump d misadventures. I fund myself laughing out loud at the escapades of Pen and Richard.
The characters are likeable and endearing. In a few lines of dialogue we are presented with a picture of the character's personality. I found s much enjoyment that I finished it in one sitting.
I Will certainly read more books by this author and hope that hey all provide as much entertainment as this one. I recommend this bok to any romance readers who enjoy good clean fun without sex or foul language.
7 people found this helpful
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Micheline
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite!
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2023
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Oh I imagine I will say that about more than one of her books, but I adore this one. This is a re-read. There are entire sections where I just could not stop laughing! So well done.
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Top reviews from other countries

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griff340
5.0 out of 5 stars Romance
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2024
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Great read as always gentle romance no Smut or Rude and Crude words nice and easy read. Always go for the Recency Romances by this Author.
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La veneziana
4.0 out of 5 stars Per fortuna che c'è Pug!
Reviewed in Italy on September 5, 2019
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The Corinthian è una variazione sul tema del romanzo "sulla strada" che seppure non raggiunge i livelli cui certi libri della Heyer ci hanno abituato, è tuttavia un prodotto godibilissimo dell'inarrivabile Georgette.
Il nostro eroe è il classico giovanotto titolato, bello, ricco, modaiolo e....annoiato. La storia si apre con le donne di famiglia che gli fanno visita ricordandogli che è proprio arrivato il momento di chiedere in moglie la fanciulla cui era stato promesso molti anni prima. Se non che la famiglia di Melissa Brandon è alla rovina economica e la stessa ragazza è altezzosa e gelida come un iceberg.
Tuttavia il nostro obbedisce e poi va ad ubriacarsi. Solo che, di ritorno dalla nottata si imbatte in un ragazzino che sta fuggendo da casa scendendo da un balcone aggrappato ad una corda di lenzuola (perché, appunto, sulla porta di casa dorme il cane Pug che abbaia se passa qualcuno). Sir Richard Windham non è in uno stato tale da riuscire a ragionare correttamente, ma non è certo uno stupido e capisce subito che il ragazzino è una signorina e poiché è un gentiluomo si offre di accompagnare Penelope Creed nella sua casa nel Somerset dove lei intende sposare il figlio di un vicino di cui si era invaghita da piccola. Inizia quindi una delle trame più classiche, fino a quando l'autrice mescola nuovamente le carte (e nella maniera più improbabile) inserendo un omicidio e un misterioso furto che ingarbuglieranno Sir Richard in uno scandalo da cui servirà tutto il suo ingegno per uscire.
Come sempre, nei romanzi della Heyer, giganteggiano i personaggi secondari, dai membri della famiglia Brandon a quelli della famiglia Luttrell che a tratti rubano la scena ai due protagonisti e sono l'autentico motore di questa vicenda.
Un po' meno interessante è la storia d'amore che in questo caso è assai peculiare poiché fra i due vi è una grande differenza d'età che, temo, esaurita la novità di una giovane, vivace ed ingenua sposa, finirà per annoiare l'uomo di mondo Sir Richard. Nonostante questo, è un romanzo divertente e si legge molto volentieri.
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Jblg
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Delightful!
Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2015
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Absolutely Delightful! At first I was a bit put off by some of the difficult language. It seemed to me that the author wrote the novel using a "Regency thesaurus" and I was constantly looking up words. Some of them made me laugh... such as when she repeatedly has gentlemen rushing into rooms and "ejaculating wildly". Once I got into her writing groove, I loved every second of this clever, witty and throughly enjoyable novel. I recommend it highly.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The Corinthian
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2023
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I enjoyed every minute of this story, it made me laugh at times, never was two peoples lives so complicated and exciting.
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Franzii
5.0 out of 5 stars wunderbar kurzweiliges Buch!
Reviewed in Germany on November 30, 2017
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Klar, man muss diese Sorte von alten englischen Adels-Geschichten schon mögen, aber für den, der sie mag kann ich das Buch empfehlen!
Es ist sehr kurzweilig und amüsant, und die Geschichte ist flüssig erzählt, es kommen auch keine Geschmacklosigkeiten vor.
Inhaltsangaben gibt es schon genug, darüber muß ich jetzt nicht auch nochmal was schreiben;
Das Englisch ist recht gut verständlich, auch wenn man kein Muttersprachler ist ,aber etwas Übung schadet nicht.
Besonders gut geht es in der Kindle-Version, da man jederzeit ein Wort, bei dem man unsicher ist, mit einem Fingertipp nachschauen kann. Insgesamt ein lesenswertes Buch; von mir gibt es eine klare Empfehlung!
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