RANDOM JOTTINGS

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Long time blogger just moved to wordpress. Love music, theatre, movies, sport (tennis and cricket) and cooking. Two great daughters, two great granddaughters.

Latest books added to lists | guardian.co.ukTixDaq

Dame Barbara Cartland, whose romantic novels have already sold over a billion copies worldwide, faced furious allegations of plagiarism, previously unpublished letters that were sent in 1950 reveal. The writer Georgette Heyer accused Cartland of trying to "cash in" on her work and of acting like "a petty thief".

via www.guardian.co.uk

Though Barbara Cartland is mentioned here, I remember reading a Regency novel by another author, NOT la Cartland, and was totally gobsmacked to find a situation, a scene, an event and dialogue lifted direct from The Convenient Marriage. I could not believe that this had got by without anybody noticing. I will not name this author as this person is still alive and still writing and it was a long time ago. Hope this person was warned off.

I am looking forward to this new biography IMMENSELY as I love Georgette Heyer as all you who read Random know

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6 responses to “Latest books added to lists | guardian.co.ukTixDaq”

  1. Elaine Simpson-Long Avatar
    Elaine Simpson-Long

    Julie – they are totally and utterly dire. I remember thinking when I heard that the late Princess Diana was addicted to them, that it was no surprise that marriage was a disaster though that is probably being a bit simplistic I know
    Anne – So glad you like GH – I absolutely love her and re-read her books on a regular basis. Her name is pronounced with an H – defo!

    Reply
  2. anne Avatar
    anne

    Find it interesting (and annoying) that Ms Cartland’s son would say it was more likely the other way round….a bit cheeky, I’d say, seeings as he has nothing to base that on,and she apparently had good cause for what she said.
    My oldest daughter introduced me to Georgette H — we enjoy her immensely!
    (in America there is a question as to how her last name is pronounced — some use the H sound, others omit — can you clarify?)

    Reply
  3. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    I read a couple of Barbara Cartland books as a teenager and absolutely hated them. I couldn’t stomach her simpering heroines or the arrogant heroes and the constant use of ellipses drove me mad.
    Comparing her to the divine Georgette Heyer is like comparing supermarket plonk to the finest champagne!

    Reply
  4. Elaine Simpson-Long Avatar
    Elaine Simpson-Long

    Ooh LIz I read Harold Robbins and thought they were so thrilling and ‘naughty’. Pale into insifnificance now of course. I think BC’s books were dire. I read a couple of them as a teenager but just could not take them – I will never forget the over use of the phrase ‘she felt his kiss through every fibre of her being’. turned up in every single book
    Victoria – not surprised. She had probably forgotten she had written it!!

    Reply
  5. Liz F Avatar
    Liz F

    I tried one of Barbara Cartland’s books when I was a teenager because one of my mum’s friends kept pressing them on me. I had been caught reading an illicit Harold Robbins novel and when my mum mentioned this to her friend she was told that La Cartland was far more ‘suitable’ for me.
    All I can remember about it was reading the first ten pages, giving up in disgust and having to dodge the woman in question until she had forgotten about it because my mum didn’t think it would be tactful for me to tell her my opinion!

    Reply
  6. Victoria Avatar
    Victoria

    I loved the comment from the woman who said she liked reading Cartland in the bath becaause you could finish it before the water got cold and it didn’t matter if you dropped it in the water as it wouldn’t spoil the ending.
    Barbara C also plagerised her own books. I knew one of her editors to Arrow who said that more than once they’d had a “new” Cartland manuscript delivered to find it was indentical to a previous book apart from the names being changed.

    Reply

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