The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

271 pages

English language

Published Sept. 6, 2002 by Modern Library.

ISBN:: 978-0-8129-6611-4
OCLC Number:: 50253229

(3 reviews)

The first and most successful in the Baroness's series of books that feature Percy Blakeney, who leads a double life as an English fop and a swashbuckling rescuer of aristocrats, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" was the blueprint for what became known as the masked-avenger genre. As Anne Perry writes in her Introduction, the novel "has almost reached its first centenary, and it is as vivid and appealing as ever because the plotting is perfect. It is a classic example of how to construct, pace, and conclude a plot. ... To rise on the crest of laughter without capsizing, to survive being written, rewritten, and reinterpreted by each generation, is the mark of a plot that is timeless and universal, even though it happens to be set in England and France of 1792."

99 editions

KnitAFett reviewed Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy

A classic I actively enjoyed!

4 stars

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 …

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

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.

Michael @ Knowledge Lost reviewed The Scarlet Pimpernel (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection) by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (Scarlet Pimpernel (1))

Review of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

While I really enjoyed the writing style, I was really hoping for more adventure and excitement in this book. It was good to finally read the story of this famous hero.

unicorndeburgh reviewed The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy (Scarlet Pimpernel (1))

Review of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

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!

Subjects

Blakeney, Percy, Sir (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.
British -- France -- Fiction.
Nobility -- Fiction.
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction.