Scarlet Pimpernel, The

The original story that sparked the trope of "rich man has secret identity in which he is a hero".

I was on the fence about reading this one. It was highly recommended, but I'm always super hesitant when it comes to older books, especially ones that are deemed as classics, due to the face that I don't find them enjoyable to read. So I pushed this one off until I finally felt I was up to the task. And oh did this book take me by surprise!

It has a little bit of everything. You have intrigue, you have suspense, you even have a little romance thrown in. The main thing that I would say it was lacking was a good ol' fight, but a lot of that comes from the later iterations of the trope like Zorro or Batman. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a hero, but he uses his smarts to get out of scenarios instead of fists or swords. I found the story to be enjoyable enough without it anyways.

Very glad that I read this and might actually see about getting a physical copy to have on hand. Also seriously considering continuing on with the saga and seeing what else the Scarlet Pimpernel gets into.

It's pure nonsense, and prejudiced as hell, but I imprinted on it at a young age, and managed to re-read it by squinting past the worst offenses.[return]They seek him here[return]They seek him there[return]Those Frenchies seek him everywhere![return]Is he in heaven, or is it hell?[return]That demned elusive Pimpernel!