Regency novel

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The

in Europe.

Regency novels are of two main types:

• Classic Regency fiction, or fiction actually written during the
  Sir Walter Scott, Susan Ferrier, and Maria Edgeworth
  would fall into this category.
• Modern Regency fiction, or later fiction set within the Regency era. - These include romance novels (called "Regency romances"), historical fiction, detective fiction, and military fiction.

In both cases the setting is typically

, although the settings can sometimes be extended to the European continent or to the various British colonies of the same time period. Traits often found in both types include a highly developed sense of social standing on the part of the characters, emphasis on "manners" and class issues, and the emergence of modern social thought amongst the upper classes of England.

Classic Regency fiction

This includes works which were actually written between 1811 and 1820, during the Regency era, which is well known for romantic fiction, including the works of

are worth mentioning, as most of their best-known works were also written during the Regency.

Many of these classic Regency writers are also associated with Romanticism, which is an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Western Europe in the late 18th century. Romanticism expressed a revolt against the aristocratic, social, and political norms of the Enlightenment period which preceded it. Works during this period stressed strong emotion as a source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such emotions as anxiety, horror, and the awe experienced when confronting the sublimity of nature. All of these themes are evident in the best-known classic Regency works.^[1]

A marriage based on love was rarely an option for most women in the British Regency, as securing a steady and sufficient income was the first consideration for both the woman and her family. This is most likely why this period yielded so many examples of literary romance: it gave many women the opportunity to live vicariously through the novel's heroine, who generally married someone she loved deeply.^[2]

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was published in 1818, also falling within the Regency era. Some consider it to be the single piece of British literature that best reflects the interests and concerns of the time, specifically the fascination with and fear of the science and technological advances of the times. It is a classic example of horror fiction.

Modern Regency fiction

Fiction set in the Regency period grew in popularity during the late 20th century, leading to an increased number of novels in all of the categories. Authors generally attempt to write in a more British style, even if they are American, and they tend to favor slightly more formal or historical language.^[3] Despite painstaking detail of historical accuracy, some criticize modern Regency novels for the behavior of the protagonists being more reflective of modern times than of the early 1800s.^[4]

Historical semi-fiction

This includes modern works based in the Regency that do not fall into any of the other categories, and may include historical characters such as the Prince Regent, or other notable historical figures during the Regency era. They may even be fiction based on a true story, where true events are expanded into a narrative that contains elements of fiction. It may also feature notable historical occurrences during the Regency, such as the

and set primarily in Regency England.

Military fiction

The

.

Mysteries

These include

Rosemary Stevens

.

Romances

The Regency period, overlapping as it does with the

, and Joan Smith.

Many readers and writers of Regency romance make a distinction between "traditional Regency romance" (also known as "Regency romance"), "traditional Regency" (also known as "trad"), and "Regency historical". Many authors have written both traditionals and historicals, including Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Susan Carroll, Loretta Chase, Suzanne De Launton, Edith Layton, Mary Jo Putney, and Barbara Metzger.

Christian Regency romance

This genre includes modern romance novels set in the Regency with strong Christian themes. Authors include Bonnie Blythe, Heather Diane, Laurie Alice Eakes, Julie Klassen, and Ruth Axtell Morren. There is generally a strong romantic theme throughout these novels, without the racy sex scenes often found in other modern Regency works.^[5]

Traditional Regency romance

The Regency-set books published by the Fawcett Coventry line are all considered to be "trads", or traditional Regency works. The distinction rests on the genre definition of regency romance: works in the tradition of Georgette Heyer, with an emphasis on the primary romance plot, would be considered traditional. Traditional Regency romance writers usually pay close attention to historical detail, as their readers are notorious for noting errors, and the authors often do extensive research so they can clearly understand and replicate the voice of the genre.^[6]

Regency historical romance

The Regency-set books written by authors such as

, but the plot, characterization, or prose style of the work extends beyond the genre formula of the Regency romances published by Heyer and Fawcett Characters may behave according to modern values, rather than Regency values.

The sensual Regency historical romance has been made popular in recent years by Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Lisa Kleypas, Stephanie Laurens, Sorcha MacMurrough, and Julia Quinn. Balogh and Beverley, in addition to Loretta Chase are three authors who have made the transition from writing traditional Regency novels to Regency historical novels.^[6] These novels are much more explicit than the traditional Regency works, and include many more love scenes, which tend to be racy. In addition, these novels are often published in a series, with groups of friends of either gender the focus of interest as they get married off one by one.

Major writers of classic Regency fiction

• Jane Austen (1775–1817)
• Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849)
• Susan Ferrier
  (1782–1854)
• E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822)
• Sir Walter Scott
  (1771–1832)
• Mary Shelley (1797–1851)
• Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)
• Johann David Wyss (1743–1818)
• Washington Irving (1785-1859)
• Henry Smothers (1788-1813)

Major writers of modern Regency fiction

• Mary Balogh (born 1944)
• Jo Beverley (born 1947)
• Susan Carroll (born 1952)
• Loretta Chase (born 1949)
• Lecia Cornwall
• Georgette Heyer (1902–1974)
• Mary Jo Putney
• Amanda Quick
• Abigail Reynolds

Major Classic Regency books

• The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. by Washington Irving (1819-1820)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (1814)
• Waverley; or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since by Sir Walter Scott (1814)

References