The Corinthian

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (Pan Books, 1948 edition)
ISBN: None (because ISBNs didn’t exist yet, and Heyer’s Regency romances were selling just fine without them, thank you very much).
Condition: Fair — which, in the noble tongue of Crappy Old Books, means this paperback has seen its own share of highwaymen, carriage chases, and perhaps even a little too much candlelight reading. The cover has the world-weary look of a rake who’s been out all night, the spine may have cracks worthy of a Regency scandal, and the pages are seasoned with that faintly foxed charm that says: “I’ve been loved, read, and possibly hidden under a pillow at boarding school.”

Georgette Heyer, the queen of Regency romance, serves up one of her most charming concoctions in The Corinthian. Here we meet Sir Richard Wyndham — wealthy, fashionable, and thoroughly bored of his pampered London life. He’s a “Corinthian,” which in Regency-speak means a paragon of style, sport, and good breeding. He’s also about to be trapped into a marriage of convenience when fate (and Heyer’s impeccable sense of comic timing) throws a runaway heiress into his path.

Enter Pen Creed: seventeen, impulsive, dressed as a boy, and determined to elope with the curate she loves. What follows is pure Heyer magic: mistaken identities, outrageous escapades, sharp dialogue, and romance that sneaks up on both hero and heroine while they’re too busy getting into scrapes. It’s witty, it’s sparkling, it’s Jane Austen with a shot of brandy and a wink.

Our copy is Fair, meaning this is no pristine collectible but a well-trodden companion, possibly carried around in a reticule, or at least a handbag. It’s structurally sound (no missing chapters, so you’ll get the kiss at the end), but cosmetically it has all the rakish charm of a slightly crumpled cravat.

If you’ve ever:

• Wanted to be swept away into Regency England without enduring actual chamber pots,

• Wondered what would happen if a bored aristocrat and a runaway heiress teamed up,

• Or simply needed a book that proves Georgette Heyer could out-Austen Austen in wit and adventure…

…then this is the book for you.

Perfect for: fans of Regency romance, collectors of vintage paperbacks, anyone who secretly believes life would be better with duels at dawn, or readers who love their heroines headstrong, their heroes reluctant, and their happy endings inevitable.

I have restored this book so the spine is in good shape but you can see the repair paper. 

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