The Scarlet Pimpernel

Written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Narrated by Wanda McCaddon

In the year 1792, Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite Blakeney are the darlings of British society-he is known as one of the wealthiest men in England and a dimwit; she is French, a stunning former actress, and "the cleverest woman in Europe"-and they find themselves at the center of a deadly political intrigue. The Reign of Terror controls France, and every day aristocrats in Paris fall victim to Madame la Guillotine. Only one man can rescue them-the Scarlet Pimpernel, a master of disguise who leaves a calling card bearing only a signature red flower. As the fascinating connection between the Blakeneys and this mysterious hero is revealed, they are forced to choose between love and loyalty in order to avoid the French agent Chauvelin, who relentlessly hunts the Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the best-known novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, a prolific author of popular fiction and plays. First published in 1905, it pioneered the tale of the masked avenger and paved the way for such future enigmatic swashbucklers as Zorro and the Lone Ranger. Repeatedly adapted for stage and screen-including as a successful Broadway musical-The Scarlet Pimpernel is a relevant and enormously entertaining tale of survival and pluck during times of widespread fear, hypocrisy, and corruption.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jun 25, 2009
• ISBN: 9781400182763

Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Baroness Emma Orczy (; 23 September 1865 – 12 November 1947), usually known as Baroness Orczy (the name under which she was published) or to her family and friends as Emmuska Orczy, was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save French aristocrats from "Madame Guillotine" during the French Revolution, establishing the "hero with a secret identity" in popular culture.

Reviews for The Scarlet Pimpernel

[Kiana Carr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bit repetitive and sometimes odd when describing characters. I felt like beautiful and small and childlike were words that were really overused. Also it was a bit boring and over dramatic, kinda stupid. Predictable but overall it was fine. I did like the reconciliation between one of the characters and her husband, so yeah

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Reign of Terror in France is in full swing and members of the Royalty are getting their domes loped off left and right by the handy-dandy guillotine. With the help of the infamous “Scarlet Pimpernel” many are fleeing the country to the safe shores of England. Unfortunately the Pimpernel, whose identity is a mystery, is being hunted by the French. Marguerite, a French woman who made it out of the country, is being blackmailed to help with the search for the Pimpernel. Her estranged husband, Sir Percy Blakeney, disapproves of her past actions and she’s left to find a solution on her own. SPOILERSI really loved the ending. It wasn’t shocking, but I felt like it was a good twist and wrapped everything up nicely. In a funny way, it reminded me of Batman. The story of a dimwitted playboy who is actually a super hero saving lives. He never tells his love interest who he is, but he manages to save her and others multiple times. It felt like a super hero action movie. SPOILERS OVER BOTTOM LINE: It’s fun and entertaining; a great adventure book, but don’t expect too much depth. Read it if you’re in the mood for a bit of swashbuckling.“A woman’s heart is such a complex problem, the owner thereof is often most incompetent to find the solution of this puzzle.” 

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A rousing adventure story that's by turns suspenseful, romantic and funny. Our hero fights to save folks condemned to the guillotine during the French Revolution.

[staceyvinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Social satire at its finest.

[glade1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable tale of heroes, spies, villains, and intrigue. This seems a bit unoriginal in light of all the romance novels I have read, until I remember that it came before all those - it was likely a model for more recent historical romances. It's a satisfying tale of good over evil and true love conquering all.

[jennham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is quite possibly my favorite classic. I love books that take place during the French Revolution. The derivative works such as the musical and movies were good, but nothing beats the book.

[sarahgracegrzy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WOW!! This book was amazing! A classic and a must read! I am not going to write a real review because it would be all spoilers anyway, so just know that you should read this! Some parts were hard from me to get through (lotttts of description!) but I am glad I kept at it, and in the end, this is now one of my favorite classics!

[bookwoman247 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the years after the French Revolution The Reign of Terror holds sway as ordinary citizens hold the reins of government and seek revenge on the aristocracy until thd streets run red with the relentless work of the guillotine.Enter The Scarlet Pimpernel, whose bold daring and sharp cunning effect the rescue of many French nobles from under the noses of the authorities.I really loved this book! Intrigue, romance, suspense, adventure ... it had it all!

[piyushc_34 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was one of my most impulsive reads. This one wasn't in my TBR, in any of the lists I sometime follow (that I know of), was not part of any Book Club reads, real life ones or otherwise, nor was it a recommendation. Long story short, I got around to reading it and well, it was quite interesting for a grim subject - the French Revolution.This was my second book (after A Tale of Two Cities, but while The Tale of Two Cities went right into the heart of the matter, this one flirted and skirted around the issue, which is probably also the reason for it be the more cheerful of the two.There is mystique (even if quite predictable), drama, and a sense of anticipation in the entire book. The length was just right, any longer and it would have been a drag. So was the general tone, tenor and characters - the good guys were really good, the bad really evil and the good guys with bad deeds, repentant, which made for some easy, uncomplicated reading.While I am not really tempted as of now to read the sequels, for a standalone book, it worked out quite well.

[ellebee57 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic worth re-reading! It has everything: adventure, romance, intrigue, history, humour and a happy ending! What more could you ask?

[estellechauvelin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of the better romance/adventures. The book is more Marguerite's story than the Scarlet Pimpernel's, unlike every stage and screen adaptation (so far as I'm aware). It leans towards melodrama at moments- to be expected of a book that follows the Tale of Two Cities version of the French Revolution, with numbers of executions happening daily in 1792 which weren't reached except for the worst parts of 1794- but the original duel identity hero who has influenced everything from Zorro to Batman holds his own in the test of time.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a huge fan of several movie versions of The Scarlet Pimpernel, but I had never read the book until now. How would it compare to the movies I love so much? Very well indeed. It's neither better nor worse than the movies – just a few plot differences. It's just the sort of book I look for when I want to escape to a different time and place – historical fiction with equal parts adventure and romance. Maybe the best thing about it is that there are sequels, so I have more reading escapes to look forward to!

[patience_crabstick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a vague idea that this book was a minor classic, an ignorant assumption based on a notion that any book written over 100 years ago and still in circulation is probably pretty good. I was wrong. The Scarlet Pimpernel is your typical cheesy romance. It's the same bad writing you can find in any bodice ripper only without the sex. At least it's short.

[crewman_number_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. It really has to be read with fact that it was not written for our time. It is true to the writing style of the period, it has everything, romance, mystery, intrigue, double dealings. I think for its time, it was an amazing peice of fiction.

[elbakerone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

We seek him here, We seek him there,Those Frenchies seek him everywhere!Is he in heaven? Is he in hell?That demmed elusive Pimpernel!So goes the rhyme written about the secretive Englishman who stealthily smuggles French royals into his country to escape their fates at the guilletine. A master of wit and clever disguise, none know the identity of The Scarlet Pimpernel who takes his name from the flower he signs his letters with. Filled with love and adventure, this story is a charming tale and a delightful read for all ages.

[tuffsme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Though not very serious or dramatic, the silliness of this novel and its characters makes for a very entertaining read from cover to cover. Easy to read for people of all ages, this book is highly recommended.

[runaway84_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After loving the musical for so long, I decided to dive into the book before I watched a film adaption.Overall, I loved the book. The only things I was disappointed with was the extreme lack of Percy, who is the most enigmatic character in the whole series. Instead we're left with Marguerite's point of view. And honestly, she isn't the sharped crayon in the box. Also, no sword fighting! Thank God the movies and musical added that bit.Really can't get enough of Sir Percy that I'm definitely continuing with the series.

[ben_a_11 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Dreadful, dreadful book. And this is the type of book I like. Started skimming after 120 pages, and as far as I can tell, it remains awful throughout. I still like the poem, however...(12.28.07)

[cinnamonandspite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lady Blakeney is a bit of a disappointment, considering she was written by a woman. However, the story being told through her point of view is a very interesting device. They are the proto-couple for Nick and Nora Charles (of the movies). Sir Percy himself is fantastic, and despite the slow-start to the book, the writing is exciting and story very captivating.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This classic story of an English aristocrat rescuing doomed French aristocrats from the guillotine in the Reign of Terror through ingenious disguises and escapes has been mimicked so many times (including in the third series of Blackadder) that it seems very familiar, though I had not read it before. It is, in fact, enormously good fun, though the characters on all sides are extremely stereotyped and the view of the French Revolution portrayed here as simplistic as one would expect from this traditionally conservative-minded Austro-Hungarian aristocrat. The only somewhat more nuanced characters are Marguerite St Just and her brother Armand, liberal republicans who supported the Revolution in the early days but have become disillusioned with terror and bloodshed. Enjoyed as pure romantic escapism the novel works, and the Baroness can undoubtedly come up with a good turn of phrase. Aside from the simplistic presentation, the chronology isn't quite right - this is set in September 1792 at the time of the appalling prison massacres, but well before the period known as the Reign of Terror when Robespierre was the leading figure, which really began only from summer 1793. 3.5/5

[ammie_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've rarely read a book that is such a romp as this. Idealistic to the extreme, fast paced, and at times ridiculous, this exciting tale details a hero's hidden identity and the adventures of a woman who is dangerously embroiled in discovering him. Seen in the adventurous tradition of Zorro or Batman, this book takes on a more serious position in literary history. The Scarlet Pimpernel's influence is not to be ignored.

[scribblingsprite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

That was good fun.

[kristenn_43 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A proper swashbuckler that kept me up well past my bedtime. Very light but very fun. I'd seen several film versions but they changed enough of the story that I still had no idea how the book's ending would unfold.The characters -- especially the supporting cast -- are just archetypes, but that's fine for the genre. Although since it's a series, hopefully they developed personalities over time.I could have done without all the vague tangents about "a woman's heart," of course. And there was one major distracting irritation with the climax -- If you're going to tell us over and over that your main character is the most clever person in Europe, don't make her oblivious to something that is obvious to the reader.

[bookish59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful adventure story set during the Terror - when France sent its royalty, the rich and upper class to the guillotine. Romance too.

[julielogan-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I have no idea why some people classify this novel as a classic piece of literature. Just because it was written over a hundred years ago doesn't automatically make it a great novel. Orczy is not in the same league as Tolstoy or Dickens or Shakespeare. She did not write a number of brilliant works that hold up to the passage of time and remain relevant. She did, I think, write the first superhero novel. I read that the creators of Batman were influenced by The Scarlet Pimpernel and I totally see that. At times I felt like I was reading the pulpy novelization of an action movie. I'm sure at the time of the release of this book (and the accompanying play) the plot seemed fresh and daring. Now, of course, it's just one long cliche and common trope. The comparisons to a Scooby Doo episode are not far off the mark.The plot is extremely far-fetched and the characters one dimensional. I kept waiting for a supernatural element to be introduced in order to explain the disguises the S.P. used. I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough - there is no way he could turn himself into a petite elderly woman. Just....no. He's supposed to be huge. How does he hide his height and girth? Hmmmm. And Marguerite -the cleverest woman in Europe! - spends hours with him while he is disguised and doesn't notice? Hmmm. The S.P.'s superhuman strength is also over the top. He is beaten so severely he loses consciousness yet he is still able to walk a mile and a half in the pitch dark through the rough countryside carrying Marguerite? Hmmmm. Orczy is a mediocre writer. If I read the word "inane" one more time I was going to scream. Were thesauruses not invented when she wrote the book? She tells the reader, she doesn't show the reader. Don't tell me Marguerite is "the most clever woman in Europe" over & over & over. Show me! Instead, Marguerite is incredibly dense throughout the book. I couldn't get over how she kept forgetting people - forgetting her husband, forgetting her brother, forgetting that guy that helped her get to France. Where was the cleverness? The romance between Marguerite and her husband befuddled me. They got secretly married after a whirlwind courtship because he was sexually attracted to her and she really enjoyed how much he desired her. She didn't love him but loved that he loved/wanted her so much. Then, after the marriage, they almost immediately have a falling out and never talk about it because both are too proud. Marguerite suddenly decides she passionately loves her husband because.....um, that wasn't totally clear to me. Because she found out he was secretly the S.P.? Or something like that.Finally, that crazy antisemitic chapter of the book "The Jew" - what the hell!?!? That came out of no where. It was like talking to someone at a party, thinking they are cool, when suddenly they start talking about n*ggers and f*ggots. Whoa! Didn't realize how horrible you were! Thanks for sharing that tidbit about yourself! It wasn't just that Orczy was showing some of her characters to be bigoted towards Jewish people. She, the third person narrator, was writing these horrid descriptions."His red hair, which he wore after the fashion of the Polish Jews, with the corkscrew curls each side of his face, was plentifully sprinkled with grey- a general coating of grime, about his cheeks and chin, gave him a peculiarly dirty and loathsome appearance. He had the habitual stoop, those of his race affected in mock humility in past centuries, before the dawn of equality and freedom in matters of faith, and he walked behind Desgas with the peculiar shuffling gait which has remained the characteristic of the Jew trader in continental Europe to this day.""She felt as if he held Percy's fate in his long, dirty hands.""The eyes of the Jew shot a quick, keen glance at the gold in his interlocutor's hand.""With a final, most abject and cringing bow, the old Jew shuffled out of the room."Talk about a buzz kill. I was already having issues with the book and that chapter was like the final nail in the coffin. I give the book 2 stars because it does have a historical interest in the sense that Orczy created a Batman/Superman sort of hero and that is intriguing. Also, I am a sucker for books set in that time period. Even mediocre books like this one.

[zonderz-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An underrated classic. A definite must read for young adults especially.

[scooterchrist66 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An underrated classic. A definite must read for young adults especially.

[burningtodd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun book. I read because I was in the play and I was doing some background work, but ended up thoroughly enjoying the book anyway. A melodrama with sword fights, disguises and a female as the leading character. Though I do believe that Chauvelin is the only pure character in the book, he has a cause and is letting that guide him.

[catquilt-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book. I wished it covered more of the Reign of Terror but it was a light-hearted read.

[longhorndaniel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well i've started reading some old classics because I can and this one was OK; but just way to simple and oh soooo predictable