The Transformation of Philip Jettan

By: Georgette Heyer, Anne Hancock

Narrated by: Anne Hancock

Hoping to win the hand of lovely Cleone Charteris, Philip Jettan discovers that wealth and country manners are not enough. Cleone has been exposed to the gallantries of London society and finds Philip too blunt and boorish. His sophisticated father agrees and the frustrated young man departs for Paris and an education.

To become "a la mode" in 18th-century Paris requires a complete transformation: men of elegance dress in elaborate satins and lace, wear powdered wigs and paint their faces. Philip is a quick study and when he next meets Cleone, greeting her with deep bows and mincing French phrases, the young lady realizes that this was more than she bargained for.

Misunderstandings ensue.

Georgette Heyer published "The Transformation of Philip Jettan" when she was 21 years old. It was an auspicious beginning for the author Stephen Fry describes as "one of the wittiest, most insightful and rewarding prose writers imaginable." (The Guardian; October 2021.)

Public Domain (P)2022 Anne Hancock

really enjoyed this.

enjoyed the narrator although not my favorite. enjoyed the stuff others complained about oddly. I really enjoyed the French phrases and idioms. context clues would have been enough I think. but I remember enough French that it was fun.

Foppish Flirt or Genuine Love

In a long ago binge on all the Geogette Heyer stories in publication, I read Powder and Patch and thought it was hilarious. Mostly. I have recently been enjoying my own person Heyer revival by revisiting the books on audio. I came across this title and, reading the blurb, realized it was the same story description as Powder and Patch.

So two titles and same story, but one difference. This one has the original final ending restored that had been removed before publication of Powder and Patch. I had no idea that was done so I was startled when the story kept going and ended in a different setting and gave a different skew to the story end. Still deciding what I think about that. I for sure thought the Powder and Patch ending was cleaner and much more conventional to a historical romance happily ever after. Yet, I wouldn't have missed getting the extra chapter and the alternative ending for worlds because its Heyer.

So, the story. Childhood friends in the country and growing up to have affection and even first love for each other. Philip likes his simple country life and doesn't care a rip about fashion, polish, or the romantic arts that characterize urbane London and dazzling Paris, but he suddenly has to start caring when sweet Cleonie gets her head turned by a powdered, patched, and simpering son of another neighbor who did go to Town for some polishing. Phillip gets rejected and then humiliated by the interloper. His father, who was once quite a fashionable man of his day, pushes him to go to his Uncle and acquire the Town arts- dress, demeanor, swordplay, and all around fashionable mode. Phillip still wants Cleonie so he goes. And, embraces it all without being changed on the inside. He takes Paris by storm and rumors reach pretty little Cleonie's shell-like ear. She regrets her part in pushing Philip to change and to go away and now knows she must live with this frivolous fop who writes poetry to a pearl in a woman's ear and flirts with every female he meets. So, when they meet in London, it is a comedy of errors with both working to convince the other they are moved on.

I thought there were some interesting thought points: man or fop with the whole powder and patch fashions, the country vs. town manners, and the angst of growing into adulthood and figuring out love. But, wowsers there were some of those 'different time-different social attitudes' moments in the story that was written in the 1930's I think. Like Cleony's aunt's little black page boy given the name 'Sambo' and her advice to Philip about how to handle women. I suppose aunt's lectures on women was meant to be funny and I took it as such, but I guess I'm just putting a warning out there so others aren't startled when they come across it.

I had a good time with this one though I did get to the point where Philip and Cleony's antics in town got tedious and I just wanted it to get to the point. I understand Philip's still sore feelings about the way little miss Cleony got her head turned by foppish manners and he wanted to make good and sure that he, the real Philip under all the paint and silk, had her love, but she was also young and naive and figured out that she appreciated genuine and honesty after the fop wooed her and walked away when he got bored for town before she got to London and she wanted to be sure Philip wouldn't ditch her like the other guy.

Anne Hancock was a new to me narrator, but I enjoyed her voice work for the characters and she got her tongue around all the French phrases nicely.

So, a mid-Georgian male Pygmalion type tale woven with a comedy of airs romance was good, but not my favorite Georgette Heyer.

Enjoyable, a bit slow starting.

This isn’t my favorite Heyer novel, but it’s still better than most other of its type. For Heyer a middling grade is still better than others best. Great narration helps it along.

good narration

i thought the reader was good. i have read this book before and enjoyed it. however there was a lot of French that made it difficult to understand when listening since i don't speak French. the plot seemed more simplistic than heyer's other books.

Young Love

Very cute love story of young love. Lots of game playing and the lack of patience of youth.

The tedium

I didn’t once turn this book on and find myself interested (save maybe for the very beginning). I thought Heyer was an automatic shoe in for me, but now I know better. This is a one-hour short story, elongated to many hours.