The Scarlet Pimpernel: 100th Anniversary Edition (Signet Classics)

The Scarlet Pimpernel: 100th Anniversary Edition (Signet Classics)
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Delightful!

Swashbuckling without swords and almost without violence

God Save the King!

One of the best books of all time.

Dual Identity equals Adventure

The Scarlet Pimpernel: 100th Anniversary Edition (Signet Classics)
Baroness Orczy Emmuska
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Scarlet Pimpernel

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ASIN: 0451527623

Book Description

During the French Revolution's reign of terror, the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel rescues helpless men, women, and children from their doom in this unique, wonderfully colorful adventure classic.

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If you've never read The Scarlet Pimpernel, order this great book now! Move over Zorro and Superman ? here is the first costumed-hero with a secret identity, plus literature's most fiery, independent and alluring heroine.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful! .......2007-07-07

This book is a delightful read. In contrast to the sorrow and heaviness of other books on the French Revolution (including Marie Antoinette The Journey by Antonia Fraser), this book is a very different take on the tragedy. Sir Percy vies with his wife Marguerite, a brilliant French actress, in terms of acting ability. He has mastered the role of a brainless dandy to such an extent that he is the last person anyone would suspect as having the wits and wherewithal to be the Scarlet Pimpernel. Aristocrats are spared the guillotine time after time thanks to this man's ingenuity.

Shortly after Marguerite and Sir Percy marry, Marguerite tells Sir Percy of her involvement in the arrest of a certain marquis who had humiliated her brother. Marguerite does not tell her husband the whole story, including that she had no idea her words would be taken out of context and used against the marquis and that she had done everything within her influence to try to prevent the marquis's death at the guillotine. Sir Percy's attitude towards Marguerite changes: he is still the gallant he always was, but a certain coldness and reservation mark his manner. Marguerite had hoped that her husband would not need a full explanation, and that his worshipful devotion towards her would continue unabated. She is hurt by his changed opinion of her and retaliates with pointed sallies at Sir Percy's expense. She is considered one of the cleverest women in all of Europe, and she sharpens her wits by making fun of her husband, whom she wrongfully assumes is too unintelligent to take offense.

It is not until Marguerite partially confides in her husband when her brother's life is threatened that Sir Percy learns the truth of Marguerite's (unintentional) involvement in the marquis's death. Sir Percy repents his false impressions of his wife and vows that he will do everything within his ability to save Marguerite's brother. As Marguerite makes her way up the staircase after this intense communication, Sir Percy actually kisses the stairs where Marguerite had just walked! His worshipful attitude towards her is renewed, and Marguerite for her own part recognizes how much she has loved her husband all along. But is it too late for the lovers? Marguerite was forced by circumstance to reveal information about the Scarlet Pimpernel to an unrelenting French commissioner (an obsessive, Javert-like character) before realizing that the same man is her own husband.

The rest of the book is a clever game of cat and mouse, replete with a happily-ever-after ending (or rather, a happy-for-the-time-being ending, as there are more books in the Scarlet Pimpernel series).

I had seen the movie with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour several years ago. Both the book and movie are equally wonderful, though the movie's storyline is a bit different. Anthony Andrews (whom I had a crush on as a young girl after seeing him in a TV miniseries) was beyond perfection in the title role, and of course, Jane Seymour was wonderful as Marguerite.

Swashbuckling without swords and almost without violence.......2007-06-10

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is a swashbuckling tale of the French Revolution's reign of terror, only without any swords swashing, and open contempt for the revolutionaries.

A couragous Englishman and a band of his fellow aristocrats rescue French nobles from death at the hands of unwashed masses who shout "Librete, Egalite, Fraternite!" and murder and suppress anyone associated with the earlier regime. The Englishmen don't do this out of duty, or opposition to the brutal leaders in France, but for the sport of it, or so they claim to conceal nobler motives. The sinister Chauvelin, an agent of the French Republic is dedicated to rooting out the Scarlet Pimpernel, the leader of the band who makes fools of the Revolution.

Short, very readable, with engaging characters who have personal lives, flaws, and issues as well as heroic traits and adventures, this book is pretty darned good. Unlike most stories of late Eighteenth Century Europe, swordplay and violence in general is conspicuous by its absence. The Scarlet Pimpernel uses trickery, cunning, and audacity to outsmart the French authorities who are bent on his destruction as they try to murder the remnants of the French Aristocracy. I liked it a lot, and largely because it wouldn't get good reviews in todays media.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" shows the virtues of monarchy, the vices of democracy, the nobility of taking personal risk to life and limb for strangers, the villiany of the will of the masses, the weakness of grim single-minded determination, and above all, the strength of laughter and a light heart. All of which constitute heresy to "real" book reviewers in academia and the media. Read it, and enjoy a perspective not normally heard, as well as an outstanding adventure story.

God Save the King!.......2007-06-02

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic novel, though it is hard to categorize. It is part romance, part adventure, part spy thriller, and part superhero fiction. All of these elements went into the pot and the resulting stew is extremely entertaining.

The book follows the adventures of Sir Percy Blakeney as he seeks to help French aristocrats escape the guillotine during the French Revolution. Since official English policy forbids this, Blakeney adopts a masked identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel to remain anonymous. The French, of course, detest this interference in their affairs and set out to trap and kill the Pimpernel at all costs. As part of his effort to deflect suspicion from himself, he plays the fool in every day life and he does it well. His own wife considers him a useless fop... and that's where the story really gets interesting.

I won't give away more of the plot, but she ends up following him into danger in an attempt to save him. This allows the most suspenseful section of the book to be told from Mrs. Blakeney's perspective. Her terror for her husband's fate is pure and adds to the tension considerably. If we saw it through the Pimpernel's eyes, it would doubtless be far more composed and nowhere near as suspenseful.

In closing, The Scarlet Pimpernel is well worth buying. It's laugh out loud funny, suspenseful, romantic, and generally quite a page-turner.

One of the best books of all time........2007-02-22

I adore this novel and the Baroness' writing style. I'll admit that I chose this version for its cover, but had always wanted to read the novel. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. This is a great book for anyone who is a fan of historical dramas, adventure and/or romance. It's definitely a great book for both sexes and many ages!

Dual Identity equals Adventure.......2007-02-19

This book is definitely on my top five of historical fiction. Similar in content to A Tale of Two Cities, the Scarlet Pimpernell follows a man of dual identity who, for sport, travels to France during the French revolution to rescue aristocrats. The book is filled with intrigue, romance, and adventure. A must read!

The Scarlet Pimpernel (Enriched Classics)

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God Save the King!

The Scarlet Pimpernel (Enriched Classics)
Emmuska Orczy
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743487745

Book Description

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED

BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information

• A chronology of the author's life and work

• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

• An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations

• Detailed explanatory notes

• Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON

Customer Reviews:

God Save the King!.......2007-08-11

The Scarlet Pimpernel: The New Musical Adventure

Average customer rating:

Yeah well, I was kind of dissapionted.
La...but PRAYER?!
A great modern musical gets a great Vocal Selection book
This is cool!
Very Good Music

The Scarlet Pimpernel: The New Musical Adventure
Frank Wildhorn , and Nan Knighton
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Scarlet Pimpernel: The New Musical Adventure - Original Broadway Cast Recording
Jekyll and Hyde The Musical - Vocal Selections
The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! (1998 Broadway Revival Cast)
The Pirate Queen
Little Women: Vocal Selections

ASIN: 0769258476

Product Description

Vocal Selections from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" contains notes from Frank Wildhorn and director Peter Hunt, Nan Knighton's "The Making of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' documenting the eight-year journey to The Great White Way, a full song and story outline, and beautiful full-color photographs of the production and its stars. Includes the Top 40 Single hit recorded by Peabo Bryson and Linda Eder.

Customer Reviews:

Yeah well, I was kind of dissapionted........2007-07-26

The music on the soundtrack is SOOO good. It is one of the best musicals I have ever heard really! But this music book is not so hot. It looks like someone just threw it together one day. The bass clef usaully just has one note on it for a whole measure! Some of the sections don't even sound like the real music. I was really sad because I like the music a lot. The songs are in the right key, but the accompanyment is not worth the money, unless you plan on adding in your own chords.

La...but PRAYER?!.......2005-05-21

I recently played the musical accomaniment for this entire show in a local production. I fell absolutely in love with the music and have been singing along with the original and encore recordings since...Sir Percy's "Prayer" is always going to be my favorite. One may imagine my disappointment when I discovered Prayer was missing from the book! And "Madame Guillotine" is practically the equivalent to Jekyll and Hyde's thunderous "Facade" and should have definitely been included. Even the relatively short reprises of "When I Look at You" and "Where's the Girl?" would have been awesome additions! I love Pimpernel too much to rate this book anything less than a '4' but I'm crossing my fingers to soon see a new edition that includes EVERYTHING from the show. Even the new material from the Encore version!!

A great modern musical gets a great Vocal Selection book.......2001-05-03

Complete with color photos and information from the Director, Lyricist and Composer of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is one of the most informative vocal selection books I have bought in a while.

However the importance is in the songs that are featured. The only notable absence from the book is "Prayer". Yet all the great songs are there. From "Where's the Girl" to "Into the Fire" this book contains some great sings for different ranges. The piano accompaniment is quite good and does the job of accompanying the singer quite well. However it cannot compare to the original orchestral arrangement. The songs are almost exactly the same (singers interpretation causes differences) as those featured in The Original Broadway Recording of The Scarlet Pimpernel (Douglas Sills and Terrence Mann).

A great group of vocal arrangements are presented in this book and is highly recommended.

This is cool!.......1999-05-04

This score of the amazing musical was the BEST! I loved the arrangements and certain harmonizings that the arranger added. I have many of these "play" books, and this was one of the best! "The Scarlet Pimpernel" rocks!

Very Good Music.......1999-03-31

This was a really good book, the music is easy to play on the piano and it's just as pretty, if you like playing Broadway songs on an instrument, then you need this book!

Scarlet Pimpernel, The (The Classic Collection)

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Scarlet Pimpernel, The (The Classic Collection)
Baroness Orczy
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged Lib Ed
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1596009462
Release Date: 2005-05-25

Book Description

Perhaps the most famous alias of all time, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" hides the identity of a British nobleman who, masked by various disguises, leads a band of young men to undermine the Reign of Terror after the French Revolution.

The Scarlet Pimpernel makes daring raid after daring raid into the heart of France to save aristocrats condemned to the guillotine. At each rescue, he leaves his calling card: a small, blood-red flower - a pimpernel - mocking the power of Robespierre and his Committee of Public Safety.

Having been told that his own wife was an informer who delivered an aristocrat into the hands of the Committee, the Scarlet Pimpernel must keep his identity and work a secret while he struggles against the love he feels for her. Until the day her own brother is taken prisoner...

Average customer rating:

A page turning Classical and Somewhat Historical Read!
A Fun Romp in a Field of Swashbuckling Predictability
La! Delightful!
Beyond a classic!
Great Edition

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Manufacturer: Dalmatian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Ballad Of White Horse
The Elusive Pimpernel (Dover Value Editions)
I Will Repay
The Scarlet Pimpernel

ASIN: 1403709882

Customer Reviews:

A page turning Classical and Somewhat Historical Read!.......2007-05-25

It occured to me Orczy was more invested in creating influential points in her saga than in strict accuracy. She decidedly invested in telling a good tale than in strict historical accuracy. Her sympathies are plainly (and understandably) with the aristocracy, and there are several distortions of historical record and characterization. In particular, the career of Chauvelin, the recurring villain of the series, is much altered; in fact, Bernard-Francois, Marquis de Chauvelin, survived the Revolutionary period to become an official under Napoleon I of France and a noted liberal Deputy under the Bourbon Dynasty, restored.

From the Book: It is set in 1792 and France is in the grip of a seething bloody revolution. Mobs roam the streets of Paris hunting down royalist. Every day hundreds die under the blade of Madame Guillotine. But in the hearts of the condemned nobility there remains one last vestige of hope: Renounced for his unparreled bravery and his clever disguises, the Pimpernel's identity remains as much a mystery to his sworn enemy, the ruthless French agent, as to his devoted admirer, the beautiful Lady Marguerite Blakely.

First published in 1905, The Scarlet Pimpernel is an irresistible novel of love, gallantry, and swashbuckling adventure. Enjoy! I did.

A Fun Romp in a Field of Swashbuckling Predictability.......2006-03-18

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, published in 1905, derives from an even earlier play, and the reader can see it easily revert to the earlier form in his mind's eye as he is carried from plot to plot, mystery to mystery, and intrigue to intrigue. In becoming a short novel, the plot has in no way lost its entertaining histrionic attributes.

The story is essentially a mixture of imaginative intrigue and swashbuckling adventure. Written purely to entertain, it achieves its ends well enough. The character of the Pimpernel is, of course, not to be taken seriously, for his adventures, successes and escapes in the face of determined opposition are incredible. He simply cannot be vanquished, and his cunning is always a step ahead of that of his enemies. He is of the genre of Rafael Sabatini's heroes such as the Sea Hawk and Captain Blood, though he is no copy of them, for he has his own unique personality. As do Sabatini's swashbucklers, he does, predictably, win his fair lady by story's end.

In short, the reader never fears that the Pimpernel will win out in every situation, yet the odds seem so stacked against him that one cannot but wonder whether or not his luck is about to change! It is this current of uncertainty beating against the reassurance and security that one feels in the presence of the indefatigable Pimpernel that brings tension to the story and leads the reader ever forward through its pages.

If I must find something in Baroness Orczy's work to criticize, it would be that her use of language, while assuredly correct, is neither imaginative nor creative. The exclamations and expressions of her characters become rapidly predictable, even repetitious at times. The language is not plodding exactly, but neither does it excite the reader. The speech of Orczy's characters as well as the narrative descriptions and expositions of the narrator are rather flat; there is simply no linguistic excitement in her writing. The second criticism I would levy is that the pronouncements of the horrors of the French First Republic under Robespierre are all but unceasing. Not to excuse its excesses or to make light of its copious use of the guillotine, but I found the too-frequent "Republic bashing" tedious after a while. The loathing becomes hyperbolic.

The female protagonist becomes a bit annoying, too, I'm afraid, but is probably an appropriate heroine for the time in which she was created. Her intentions are noble enough, but she is of the "weaker sex" and unwittingly creates problems for herself and others. On several occasions, she foolishly acts to the detriment of her friends; indeed, her remarks send the entire St Cyr family to the guillotine. The strong heroine had yet to make her appearance when Orczy wrote.

Still, its uninspired language, predictability and negative hyperbole notwithstanding, the novel remains an entertaining read. Now and then, a reader needs to be able to relax in the assurance that a swashbuckling hero will overcome all odds and win the day. THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL provides such relaxation while definitely avoiding boredom and is a rational expenditure of one's reading time. If I cannot recommend it "enthusiastically," I can at least recommend it just because it's fun.

La! Delightful!.......2005-10-24

The Scarlet Pimpernel is truly a magnificent book. For something that looks, at first glance, to be an action-adventure novel, it is surprisingly character-driven. The man for whom the book is titled is not, in fact, the primary figure in the piece, but rather focuses on the incomparable character of Marguerite. The tale is wonderfully romantic -- Percy and Marguerite battle with pride and passion to such a degree, and with such vitality, that the reader can't help but weep for them. And aside from the romance, the book is full of intrigue, suspense, and excitement -- definitely something you'll want to read over and over again.

Beyond a classic!.......2005-08-21

As I was browsing in a local bookstore for something new to read, I accidentally came over the Scarlet Pimpernel. At first, I had put the book down numerous of times, despite the price. Somehow at first, it did not appeal to me as much, even if the first page caught my eyes, but how I was wrong. It was amazingly written with an ardent array of mystery, romance, and suspense. It was everything that you expect from a book!

The characters are just simply memorable and unforgettable. The book kept me up late at night, urging me to read till the last page. An unbelievable piece of work!

Great Edition.......2005-06-26

This is one of my favorite books. I love the story and was excited to finally own my own copy. This edition is really great because it is lightly annotated. There are one or two footnotes on just about every page, defining french terms or just uncommon words. This makes reading that much more enjoyable because one understands more.
If you enjoy the book, there is a musical with an amazing soundtrack by the same name.

El Dorado: Further Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)

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Super Reader
El Dorado
A Good Aventure Story

El Dorado: Further Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)
Baroness Orczy
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486440265

Book Description

A popular sequel to the classic adventure tale, The Scarlet Pimpernel, this suspenseful story unfolds against the backdrop of the French Revolution. An irresistible blend of political intrigue, colorful period detail, and vibrant characterizations, it recounts the mysterious Pimpernel's attempts to rescue the young Dauphin from imprisonment.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-30

Another fun Scarlet Pimpernel romp. A friend of Percy's, has his head turned by yet another French actress (this one is not of the sneaky sort), and says some things that he shouldn't.

Throw in a dodgy Austrian baron, and Chauvelin, and the rescue of a young French monarch, and you have your adventure.

Because of his foolish friend Percy himself is captured, because Chauvelin wants him to reveal where the young French blueblood is being hidden, so that they can do some more chopping off of heads.

El Dorado.......2007-05-08

Great sequel to the Scarlet Pimpernel. More adventure awaits you, as in all of Orczy's books.

A Good Aventure Story.......2006-02-28

This is a very good sequel to the well-known adventure classic. It is somewhat confusing because the book does not tell you in which order the series goes. However this is a good adventure story. All the main characters from the first book are in this sequel. Sir Percy, Marguerite, Sir Tony, Armund, Citizen Cheavalian, with the addition of several new characters. The plot begins when Sir Percy reluctantly agrees to send Armund St. Just (Marguerite's brother) to France. He warns him not to renew any friendships. Armund ignores him and renews a friendship with the scheming Baron de Bots who hates the Scarlet Pimpernel. Armund falls in love with a young actress named Citizeness L'Ange. Armund foolishly tells de Bots that he is in the league of the Scarlet Pimpernel. De Bots in turns tells Citizen Heron of the general committee of Public Safety. L'Ange is arrested and Armund behaves like a foolish idiot and disregards Sir Percy, who told him that he would rescue L'Ange. Armund runs through the street screaming "Long LIve the King" since he thinks that his place is to be arrested and executed with L'Ange and runs smack into no other than Citizen Chaeuvleain. Sir Percy is later captured and imprisoned. He is betrayed by a very close friend. Overall this was a great adventure story. The author's over exaggerated romantic descriptions sometimes become a little hard to put up with but all-in-all it is a good story.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Wonderful!!!!!!!!
A real triumph
Enjoyable, not excellent
a triumphant ending

Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel
Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy
Manufacturer: Buccaneer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0899664601

Book Description

Read by Hugh Laurie Two cassettes Running time: 3 hours

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-30

The Scarlet Pimpernel again has to deal with a femme fatale, but this time, she is Spanish. This doesn't mean that the Robespierre types are not around, just that she is involved with one of them.

The Pimpernel has to save a brash young man from her wily clutches, and really is quite enjoying himself in the process.

When she can't outthink or seduce our hero, they decide to do the kidnap the wife routine. Committe, you should know by now, that trick never works.

Wonderful!!!!!!!!.......2007-02-04

This is one of my favorite pimpernel books. It is so awsome!
The story begins with a fortune teller predicting to Robispeirre that the only thing to hinder his taking over France is the Scarlet Pimpernel. So, of course, he goes to Chauvelin, who once again sets masterful plans for the Pimpernel's capture.

One of the things that I liked about this book was the simplicity of plot. No more going for the Pimpernel's honor, or others through him. The plot is cut and dry simple, catch and kill the Scarlet Pimpernel. That is not to say that the Pimpernel does not have something up his sleeve. I simply mean that as far as Chauvelin is concerned his plots aren't as elaborate or far-fetched as they have been in the past.

Margarite is also involved(duh). But in the case of this book, she actually doesn't get involed through an act of her own stupidity. Also in this book it dwells less on Margarite's life in her captivity than others do.

Lastly, I love the dialogs in this book. Percy shines in this book almost unlike any other. Therisa Cabarras is an interesting character, and she has two great conversations with our elusive Hero. Chauvelin is Chauvelin. No matter how hard he tries he simply cannot keep track of Percy(and belive me he tries extra hard in this book). Chauvelin and Percy have the best exchange ever in this book, a whole chapter of uninterupted audacidy. Any Pimpernel lover will be in heaven.

I highly recomend this book to all who liked the original, and any of the sequels. But if you haven't read the original Scarlet Pimpernel then I suggest reading that first, so as to know the characters a little better.
-E

A real triumph.......2005-08-13

If you know this story, or have even read the CAPS section above, you'll know where I get my net-name from. La Cabarrus (based on a historical figure whose real life reads better than most fiction) is the main reason why this book is one of the best in the series. The terror has reached its height and both of Orczy's main protagonists are beginning to crack under the strain. Chauvelin has become obsessed with catching Sir Percy using any means necessary and his current tool is beautiful Spaniard, Theresia Cabarrus. Unfortunately for both Chauvelin and Blakeney, you never quite know where her loyalties lie. When she succeeds in luring Margot into Chauvelin's clutches, Sir Percy is driven to ever more extreme measures to save her. Can Cabarrus be trusted? Is she friend or foe? Unlike Chauvelin, she can see through Sir Percy's disguises, which makes her doubly dangerous to know.

As ever Orczy delivers a cracking good adventure through a slightly rose-tinted quizzing-glass, making even the rather gruesome sections seem light-hearted... unless you really stop and think about what she's saying.

Enjoyable, not excellent.......2001-11-12

Triumph is the first SP book I've read after the original story. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't excellent. I found the beginning to be very drawn out; it took me a very long time to read the first 75 pages or so, before it got going. Once it did start, (with Theresia and SP meeting for the first time) I found it to be fast paced, and I looked forward to reading it. However, the long beginning brought it down to a 3 star book for me. Also, the ending wasn't really explained at all...one second, literally, Robespierre is the tyrant in charge, next paragraph, well, no spoiler, but suffice to say he's not. Even in real life, the change was not so dramatic, and surely Orczy could have written a page or two more explaination.

Furthermore, I was disappointed that while St. Just, Andrew, and Tony were mentioned, that was about it; they were barely in the picture at all.

A fun adventure.....but not much more than that.

a triumphant ending.......2001-01-25

Triumph is an excellent ending to an excellent series. Sir Percy has to face his most difficult challenge. One that will bring him face to face with his most implacable enemey, and also save the life of the woman he adores. Full of Pimpernel wit and audacity, this is a must for all Pimpernel fans!

The Scarlet Pimpernel (The Classic Collection)

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The Scarlet Pimpernel (The Classic Collection)
Baroness Orczy
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1596009454
Release Date: 2005-05-25

Book Description

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The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel Review

The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel
Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Manufacturer: Echo Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1406835870

Customer Reviews:

The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel Review.......2007-07-11

Suspenseful and realistic, The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel leaves the reader wanting more. It all seems so real. Could there really have been an Englishman who helped aristocrats escape out of Paris during the French Revolution? Each of the Scarlet Pimpernel's plans actually could have worked. Finding out the ingenious schemes the Scarlet Pimpernel used was my favorite part of the book. The plans the Scarlet Pimpernel used to get the aristocrats safely out of Paris included several disguises and even fake passports. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy short adventure stories. These stories include tricky English spies, determined French patriots, scared French aristocrats, and severe consequences.

The Elusive Pimpernel (Scarlet Pimpernel)

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL
"They seek him here, they seek him there, that demmed elusive pimpernel!"
Fairly good sequel...
The Scarlet Pimpernel does it again!

The Elusive Pimpernel (Scarlet Pimpernel)
Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

I Will Repay
El Dorado: Further Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)
Sir Percy Leads the Band (The Scarlet Pimpernel Series)
Sir Percy Hits Back
Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel

ASIN: 0755111133

Book Description

It was a mere flash! One of memory's swiftly effaced pictures, when she shows us for the fraction of a second indelible pictures from out our past. Chauvelin, in that same second, while his own eyes were closed and Robespierre's fixed upon him, also saw the lonely cliffs of Calais, heard the same voice singing "God save the King!" the volley of musketry, the despairing cries of Marguerite Blakeney; and once again he felt the keen and bitter pang of complete humiliation and defeat.

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On! ever on! in that wild, surging torrent; sowing the wind of anarchy, of terrorism, of lust of blood and hate, and reaping a hurricane of destruction and of horror.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-30

You can't catch him! A French agent is sent to England undercover as a French diplomat, to try and capture Percy Blakeney (or, actually, his alter-ego, the Scarlet Pimpernel) and get him back to France where they can lop him for all the humiliation and trouble that he has caused.

Said dodgy Frenchman with the help of a sneaky French actress manages to get his hands on Marguerite, and has her in prison.

This leaves the Pimpernel to come up with a plan that will make the Frenchies look silly again.

Definitely an entertaining adventure.

THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL.......2006-09-02

The Elusive Pimpernel follows closely on the heals of the first book of the series, The Scarlet Pimpernel. It seems to me that Baroness Orczy was pouring out her own heart feelings through that of Lady Blackney. Her excellent use of discription makes your own heart ache till near bursting with devotion, love, passion and even fear. There is never a dull moment in this wonderfully wriiten book. I love it and will read it over and over.

"They seek him here, they seek him there, that demmed elusive pimpernel!".......2006-05-10

THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL, the third book in the Pimpernel series by Baroness Orczy, thoroughly establishes the predominant feature that the reader has come to expect in Orczy's novels: faultless cunning and adventurous bravado by the heroic Pimpernel that never fails to foil the nefarious schemes of his enemies, the revolutionaries of Robespierre's 18th century French Republic.

The reader also knows to expect a bit of archaic word usage, such as "lanthorn" for "lantern," as well as a little French slang here and there that will not succumb to most translating dictionaries, such as "calotin," which, by virtue of the context, I take to be a derogatory term for a churchman. Orczy also throws a few quite good but somewhat uncommon terms into her prose, such as "Columbine," a stock character from Italian drama. Merely because I generally feel rather cheated if I miss the full implication of an author's words, I found it comforting to have one of my English dictionaries as well as my French translating dictionary near at hand while reading Orczy, although it is quite possible to enjoy the plot without recourse to such references, especially if one is adept at grasping the general meaning of unusual words from their context in the story.

As in her other novels, Orczy's characters are stereotypes and are "flat"; that is, they remain the same throughout the story and do not undergo any particular development or change. Sir Percy Blakeney remains the stalwart, unshakable and indestructible adventurer throughout. His arch enemy, Monsieur Chauvelin, begins and ends as a dark, despicable creature who constantly connives to bring down Sir Percy. Lady Marguerite Blakeney plays the part of every significant female figure in Orczy's novels: She means well ands her motivations are impeccable, but her "feminine weakness," the fatal flaw that she suffers merely because of her sex, leads her into unwittingly betraying her husband and placing them both in such jeopardy that nothing short of the audacity and swashbuckling daring of the Scarlet Pimpernel can possibly save them.

As stereotyped characters, the actors who populate Orczy's novel are all somewhat larger than life. Sir Percy is invariably heroic and gently but firmly conquering. Lady Blakeney is invariably the pure, honorable but weak woman. Chauvelin and other leaders of the French revolution are invariably terrorists and anarchists. Abbe Foucquet is invariably the naive old priest who constantly murmurs his Paters and Aves in good times and bad. The attraction of Orczy's novels lies firmly in their suspenseful plots, not in the roundedness or the development of their characters.

Thinking of her depiction of the old priest as well as some descriptions in the preceding novel, I WILL REPAY, I find Orczy's attitude toward religion to be interesting. On the one hand, she depicts churchmen as naive and guileless innocents, rather useless and, at best, irrelevant in the worldly struggle that surrounds them. On the other hand, she portrays the revolutionaries in the harshest of lights and sarcastically observes that they have replaced the good God (le bon dieu) with the "Goddess of Reason," who, in being represented by an incompetent actress during her inaugural procession, is shown to be false. Hence, we find criticism both of those who would nay-say the existence of God and of those who would guide the devotions of his followers.

While it is not absolutely necessary to have read the two preceding novels in order to enjoy THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL, the earlier works do establish the background for certain relationships, and a few events in them do receive occasional references in this novel. One's understanding of the third book in the series will certainly be enhanced by an acquaintance with the earlier books. On a final note, which I do hope piques my readers' curiosities, if one is not aware of the differences between the songs "Ca Ira" and "La Marseillaise," a brief Internet search will bring up the historical backgrounds, words and tunes of the two, enabling one to appreciate much more fully Orczy's references to them.

In brief, THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL continues its author's romp through the adventurous fields of a France racked by revolution and invaded by "that demmed elusive pimpernel." It's lightweight reading that mixes fun and relaxation in equal amounts. If we can think of some books on serious scientific or social topics as "classroom reading," then the Pimpernel books are our "recess reading" and should be enjoyed as such.

Fairly good sequel..........2002-11-02

"Elusive" isn't my favorite Pimpernel sequel, but it's not bad at all either.

First, the bad: While I can understand that Marguerite is a woman in love, some of her stupidity at the beginning bordered on unbelievable (I don't mean this as an offense to Margot, who is one of my favorite characters, but if you read this book, you'll understand what I mean when I say she makes a bad decision). As usual, Percy becomes a secondary character in his own books, and that bothers me. Lastly, the choice Chauvelin gives Marguerite and Percy gets to be a little too much.

The good:
When Percy is around, he really shines. He has some really great moments in this book (which I won't spoil). The reader gets an idea of some of the emotions that are going on behind the facade. Also, "Elusive" has much more of a climax than some of the other Pimpernel books, which is a nice relief. Lastly, Desiree Candeille is an interesting character.

In all, I would recommend Eldorado between Elusive Pimpernel, but it's still a good read anyway.

The Scarlet Pimpernel does it again!.......2002-03-19

What a great book! It's a worthy follow-up to the original, with plenty of excitement, loads of humor, world-class table-turning and narrow escapes.

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