Saturday, September 22, 2012

Georgette Heyer: The Foundling

The Foundling, by Georgette Heyer, was published in paperback by Berkley in April 1974.

This is the story of Gilly, the Duke of Sale, who ends up with an enchanting foundling named Belinda on his hands and asks for help from the one sensible lady he know and admires: Harriet! Can plunging into a dilemma help a man find his true love?

This cover by Allan Kass shows our young couple standing in an elegantly furnished room. The hero seems enamored with the heroine and I feel like both her fan and the large Chinese jar clash with the pose of this cover. We miss some of her dress's detail because of the size of her fan and how it's being held. I would rather have seen the front of the heroine as she plays with her pearl necklace.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Georgette Heyer: False Colours

 False Colours, by Georgette Heyer, has an exciting treat in store for the reader: 2 different Allan Kass covers! The first, by Fawcett, is a 1977 printing, while the Signet is dated October 1984.

Cressida Stavely is a young heiress with a dilemma: which brother to choose? She has accepted Evelyn, the Earl of Fancot but is enamored with his brother, Kit, after he masqueraded as Evelyn and fell in love with her!

The Fawcett cover shows our two brothers, dressed identically, glaring at each other over the chair of the heroine. What strikes me as interesting is the lack of any detail on this cover, other than the people and the chair. It's very unusual for an Allan Kass cover.

The Signet version shows more detail to our heroes and heroine. We see our identical brothers but one leads away the heroine while she glances at the other. Her yellow gown is richly embroidered and decorated. I love her headpiece! Note the detail of the room in which they stand. I hope you like seeing two different illustrations by Kass for the same book! It's apropos, I believe!!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Georgette Heyer: Cousin Kate

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer is a Fawcett novel published in May 1976. Orphan Kate Malvern is invited to live with her aunt because she wishes Kate to marry her son, Torquil. However, Torquil isn't quite sane and his cousin Philip is more attractive....

Allan Kass's cover is one of his best. Our heroine is exceedingly elegant and the hero seems pensive as he gazes down at her. They sit in a richly decorated room with the painting over the fireplace being the focus. I really like how the heroine plays with her strand of pearls and her lilac dress is ethereal.