Helpful Score: 2
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL is a classic, partly because it is a precursor to the super-hero genre. Like Superman, our hero has his mild-mannered Clark Kent facade, which fools most people around him, including his young and pretty wife.
The Scarlet Pimpernel's heroics take place during the French Revolution, and he saves many people from blood-thirsty radicals---those who feel that 'The only good opponent is a dead one, and we might as well kill his wife and all his kids as long as we're at it.'
The pace of the writing style is a little slower than contemporary novels, but the Baroness still tells some darn good stories!
The Scarlet Pimpernel's heroics take place during the French Revolution, and he saves many people from blood-thirsty radicals---those who feel that 'The only good opponent is a dead one, and we might as well kill his wife and all his kids as long as we're at it.'
The pace of the writing style is a little slower than contemporary novels, but the Baroness still tells some darn good stories!
Helpful Score: 1
I *love* this book -- it has everything you could want (in the paraphrased words of the grandfather in _The Princess Bride_, adventure, romance, swordfighting ... everything but the pirates!).
Helpful Score: 1
I had to read this book for school, and i ended up actually liking it. The beginning was a little boring, but once you got into it, it was very interesting.
Helpful Score: 1
The Scarlet Pimpernel is an amazing book, perhaps as amazing as the author's full name (Baroness Emmuska Magdalena Rosalia Maria Josefa Barbara Orczy!)If you want to get a good idea of this book, you need only read the first sentence before it draws you in: "A surging, seething murmuring crowd, of beings that are human only in nave, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate."
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a great classic and a must-read for everyone.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a great classic and a must-read for everyone.
Helpful Score: 1
Although it is a bit hard to understand in places, I thought this was a wonderful book, with plenty of action, suspense, mystery, and intrigue. There were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the series.
Helpful Score: 1
Bravo! An exciting, clever, romantic, humorous book of finest quality. This is one I will be reading time and time again.
I absolutely LOVE this book. (I like the movie too!)
Most of the movie versions I have seen tell the story through they eyes of "him" (The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Interestingly, the book tells "her" side of the story. (Through the eyes of Margarite.)
Most of the movie versions I have seen tell the story through they eyes of "him" (The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Interestingly, the book tells "her" side of the story. (Through the eyes of Margarite.)
I loved this book. It is a classical tale of a British Lord who has a secret identity, that of the most elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. Originally assigned as a high school reading assignment for English class, this is one that I have come back to over and over again. Now, I have replaced my paperback version with a nice hardcover version so it will have a place of honor on my library shelves.
Kind of biased because this is my favorite book of all time. Romance, murder, dashing hero, adventure!
wonderful
Illustrated Pocket Classics
This book was first published in 1905. This classic is an irresistible novel of love and adventure. This is one book everyone should read. A classic for good reason. This one I love to read at the beach.
I'm sorry I didn't read this book earlier. After a moderate start, it really grew momentum and kept me up late a few nights. A solid story with good character development and a feel good ending.
Baroness Orczy wrote a series of these books describing the adventures of an Englishman trying to resue the French from the horrors of thier French Revolution. Lord Blakeney and his band of Englishmen and lady Blakeney are likable characters and the historical backdrop to the books has been praised for it's accuracy to the details of the period. Throughly enjoyable adventure and a love story to boot. What more do you need?
This is a classic tale of a brave man that uses ingenuity to fool the world about his pursuit of life-saving in a brutal and dangerous time. There's also romance and humour. A good read.
An intriguing story from the French Civil War. I loved watching the "smart" French being outsmarted by a "stupid" Englishman.
First book I ever read that was not an assignment. Loved reading ever since!!!
English aristocrat risking his life to save French noblemen from guiliotine.Very good read!!
English aristocrat risking his life to save French noblemen from guiliotine.Very good read!!
This is one of my top 5 books of all time. I read it for the first time when I was a bright-eyed teenager in love with books. It brought me to tears. It also opened up my love for historical fiction. What's better than well-written, exciting fiction that also teaches you about history? A classic that not enough people know about! Set in the time of the French Revolution. FAN-TASTIC! I'm quite sure Hollywood will be making a remake of this book sometime in the near future! However, you will regret not reading this in its original format. It's also a great one to listen to via audio with the family!
A fun, light read. Writing-wise, I wasn't sure exactly why this was considered a classic, but apparently it's a precursor to the superhero genre.
Great adventure story!
This is one of my top 5 books of all time. I read it for the first time when I was a bright-eyed teenager in love with books. It brought me to tears. It also opened up my love for historical fiction. What's better than well-written, exciting fiction that also teaches you about history? A classic that not enough people know about! Set in the time of the French Revolution. FAN-TASTIC! I'm quite sure Hollywood will be making a remake of this book sometime in the near future! However, you will regret not reading this in its original format. It's also a great one to listen to via audio with the family!
An exciting and romantic classic!
The scarlet pimpernel is no longer but a blood red flower. It takes human form as a French nobleman whose head re-attaches itself to his body after the kiss of the guillotine. The English fear to be near it, and in the bloom of spring the countryside is impassable. Whatever are the merchants to do?
Just want to warn potential readers of the extreme anti-semitism of the book. For about 10-20 pages a character is depicted as a supposedly "loathsome" jew. True, there are some qualifying factors to this characterization, which I can't reveal since they'd be plot spoilers. Nevertheless, this stuff is pretty ugly.
Made into a movie with Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews.
