The Black Moth

What qualities identify a hero? What qualities identify a villain? Do you feel fairly confident that you can spot one or the other, even when one may be traveling somewhat incognito? If so, Ms. Heyer's approach to heroism and villainy may surprise you. The first novel in a four-part series including These Old Shades, Devil's Cub, and An Infamous Army, The Black Moth comes disguised as an amusing but uncomplicated romance. The story appears so straightforward that you may be inclined to read it with half a mind. As I learned the hard way, that would be a mistake. I read all the way to the end of this fairly lengthy novel and got dropped into a denouement that was anything but uncomplicated. As a result, I reread the whole novel, this time with rapt attention. When (notice I didn't say "if") you read this novel, it is very important that you make note (written, if possible) of the names, appearances and motivations of the various male characters. Since two of the main characters have aliases, it is easy to pigeonhole each character into a "hero / villain" category that may or may not suit his true nature. One of the strengths of The Black Moth is that the characters are multifaceted, making it hard to totally like or dislike any of them. The Black Moth himself has three aliases, and only once does the novel hint at who The Black Moth really is. Interestingly, it is easy to miss this, because this he appears as somewhat of a peripheral character. Consider the character of The Black Moth to be a puzzle that must be put together. And a puzzle he is. His motivations defy rationalization. At times he is a guardian angel, other times he lives up to his nickname, which is anything but angelic. From descriptions of his countenance, I pictured someone very much like the actor Alan Rickman--not exactly a romantic hero, but an attractive and compelling character who usually manages to upstage the romantic hero and other characters as well. Hints for more pleasurable reading of The Black Moth: bone up on your fencing terms. The story is pleasurable without knowing the terminology, but with two very interesting fencing matches, it would have been nice to know exactly what was taking place. Also, read the prologue with care. It may seem irrelevant when you start reading the text of the first chapters, but it contains some skillful foreshadowing.

Black Moth is the last of a great trio written by Georgette Heyer. Madame Heyer moves a storyline like no one else who has written about the Regency era. She's a chess-master of storytelling. Although there are returning characters, the writing is fresh, witty and wonderful! I almost felt like I was floating when I finished it--and I've read it before. I just LOVE this story--IT'S A KEEPER!!

"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

I believe The Black Moth was written by Georgette Heyer to entertain her brother who was ill. It was published in 1929. The Black Moth is a light tale of adventure, honor and love written with humor. Heyer's typically well-developed and charming characters struggle with questions of honor and family loyalty before they can resolve their problems. Georgette Heyer's romances and her mysteries have entertained me for years. I have read and reread this book and am delighted to own it. I hope others enjoy it too!

This is the first in a four part series: The Black Moth, These Old Shades, Devil's Cub, An Infamous Army. Although the names in The Black Moth and These Old Shades differ slightly, the characters are the same. Jack, his lady love, the Duke of Andover, and the friend to whom the Duke writes to in The Black Moth become Lord Merivale, Lady Merivale, the Duke of Avon, and Hugh Davenant in the next three novels. This is a fantastic book, brimming with intrigue, romance, duelling, midnight rides ventre a terre, kidnapping, honour lost and honour regained, exile, deceit, mysterious rescues, a sinister villian with a fine sense of humour, hidden truths, public exoneration, and bliss for those in love. This is one of her best novels, on a par with The Grand Sophy, The Masqueraders, and my favourite, These Old Shades.