Sylvester

Author:  Georgette Heyer

Publisher:  Naxos Audiobooks

Year:  2009

Narrator:  Richard Armitage

Audible Synposis:
When Sylvester, the Duke of Salford, first meets Phoebe Marlow, he finds her dull and insipid. She finds him insufferably arrogant. But when a series of unforeseen events leads them to be stranded together in a lonely country inn, they are both forced to reassess their hastily formed opinions, and begin a new-found liking and respect for each other.Sylvester calls to mind the satirical genius of a Jane Austen novel and is adored for its wit and a fast-paced plot, which ranges across a myriad of settings.

OK, I admit it. I bought this audiobook solely because it is narrated by Richard Armitage. I just had to find out if he was a good narrator. And he was very good. Not as great as Colin Firth who hit everything spot on (and who is my favorite actor narrator) but Armitage was pretty darn close. My only complaint with Armitage was that all the older ladies sounded like they were on their deathbeds and I could never tell if they were about to die or not.

As for the story itself, it was pretty good too. For years people have been telling me that I need to read Georgette Heyer but she's one of those writers that I just hadn't got around to yet. This story in particular is a regency romance but it is a lot like Pride & Prejudice. It had the same feel to it. The main girl disliked the guy because he was arrogant and the guy disliked the girl for the same reasons Mr. Darcy disliked Elizabeth Bennett. It was quick witted and hilarious. I will definitely be picking up more of her stories.