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  • These Old Shades

  • The Alastair-Audley Series, Book 1
  • By: Georgette Heyer
  • Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
  • Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (89 ratings)

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These Old Shades

By: Georgette Heyer
Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
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Summary

Society believes the worst of Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon. When he encounters a young boy, Léon, who is running from his abusive brother, Avon employs the boy as his page, parading him around parties and other society events in full view of his bitter rival, the Comte de Saint-Vire.

But the truth is soon uncovered: Léon is in fact a girl named Léonie and is actually the legitimate child of the Comte and his wife. While Avon is intent on his plan to reveal the Comte’s duplicity and ruin him publicly, he is charmed by Léonie’s kindness, falls in love, and becomes a changed man.

First published in 1926 to great commercial success, These Old Shades showcases Heyer at her romantic best and remains a charming and entertaining listen for all fans of historical romances.

Public Domain (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing
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What listeners say about These Old Shades

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

How many nineteen year olds could write a novel such as this?

Narration was not perfect but much, much better than many others I have listened to.
I hadn’t read this book for many years so had forgotten much of it. It made me shed a tear or two at the end.
Very well done indeed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Very well read, the narrator shows a good range of voices. It's a long time since I read this book and whilst it was never one of my favourites I would put the audible narration a close second to The Talisman Ring

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly good

Very well written and engaging. Beats most of the modern day romances that are filled with tropes and one dimensional characters.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

much better narrator

At last it is possible to listen to this superb book without cringing too often or having ones ears blasted off by a shouting narrator. I have said all along that it should have been a female narrator. Thank you for listening. Hopefully we will now get a few more books changed too. This lady made a reasonably good job of it in my view although there were some problems I feel.
Overall I was at last happy listening to this book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, shame about the reading

It takes a lot to detract from Heyer’s amazing storytelling, but the reading felt like being trapped in an episode of Allo,Allo, with mangled French pronunciations getting in the way of enjoyment and sentences being delivered in breathless chunks. To each his own but this didn’t do it for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Finally a well narrated version

This is one of the first Georgette Heyer books I read and I love it still, despite elements of the story dating very badly.
The narrator does a great job, yes the french accents are cheesy, but so is what they are saying, I think it suits the style of the writing.
It's been lovely to find an audible version of this I can enjoy, rather than tolerate

Please ask Sarah Nicholls to update more Heyers.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fab story from Georgette Heyer

The narrator is not good, she can’t create the right tones for different characters and some of the accents are overdone.
I didn’t enjoy her voice and only kept listening as I love the story. Please re-record with someone else! Thanks

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

the appalling french accents

love this when reading the book myself but this particular narrator should have gone and done something else and allowed someone who CAN manage a passable french accent to tell this story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

lovely engaging story from Georgette Heyer

I really enjoyed this book, I've read her books so many times since I was a young teenager and they never disappoint.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This Version is spot on.

This is my favourite Georgette Heyer book, full of intrigues and adventures. The time it is set in, Georgian England, (not regency) is evocatively captured. The details of the rich clothing, the French court, even the smaller details of home life (all be it the home life of the nobility) adding to the richness and depth of the story.
Our Heroine is both young and experienced, having had a disadvantaged life, and Avon is cynical and a little weary of his life looking for ways to best others using people and situations to his own advantage, until she explodes into his life.
I had listened to an earlier version where the narrator didn't get Satanas right and I was disappointed. This version is excellent- the narrator Sarah Nichols does a really good job with all the characters, bringing the book to life and I highly recommend it. This version is 5 stars all around

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