Loving Literature’s Bad Boys – is it problematic?

“One of the great gifts that Freud has given to our culture is that our sexual fantasies are not to be censored in any way. They are beyond sin, they’re beyond political correctness. We have to accept that our fantasy lives don’t necessarily reflect the person we might want to appear.” - Amy Street

Welcome to Heyer Today, the serial podcast in which we explore Georgette Heyer’s legacy. This week Sara-Mae talks to Amy Street, the author who runs the @georgettedaily account on Twitter. She’s also a huge fan of Austen – her debut novel ‘Becoming Mary’ explores what happened to Mary Bennet after Pride & Prejudice. As someone who once wrote a series of short stories reclaiming forgotten characters in famous novels (for her university dissertation) Sara-Mae appreciates someone who wears their fandom on their ink-stained sleeve. You could say she’s another mega fan. Her delightful selections of Georgette Heyer’s quotes would brighten anyone’s day, and in the somewhat harsh social media landscape, it’s a wonderful, sunny oasis.

We talk literature's sexiest and somewhat problematic heroes like Heathcliff, Rochester and more. Plus, Stephen Fry joins us to talk about the original bad boy - Beau Brummell - whom many of Heyer's heroes were based on.

The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril’s wondrous album, Chapter I, as well as Jerome Alexander’s luscious Message to Bears work. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by Sara-Mae and Tom Chadd.

Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we’re @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter.

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Heyer Today is a Fable Gazers production.

Show notes:

Regency portrait of Stephen Fry by artist Cathy Tuson.

We discuss:

Beau Brummell and Oscar Wilde, Cotillion, Devil’s Cub, Frederica, Friday’s Child, fan fiction, problematic heroes.

 

Links

A New York Times article about Joan Aiken’s Austen spinoffs.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/books/review/joan-aiken-jane-austen-spinoffs.html