The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Baroness Orczy

Hardcover, 1964

Call number

FIC ORC

Collection

Publication

Dodd Mead (1964)

Description

Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: The Scarlet Pimpernel is the original masked hero adventure story. During the French Revolution a secret society of English gentlemen is formed by the enigmatic Scarlet Pimpernel, to rescue their fellow French nobility. Marguerite's brother is threatened by a Frenchman, who demands information on the Scarlet Pimpernel in return for her brother's safety. Marguerite makes the exchange only to discover that her boring fop of a husband is the Pimpernel himself! She follows him to France and so each proves themselves to the other what they really are..

User reviews

LibraryThing member camillahoel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of those books I reread regularly. It takes me a couple of hours, comforts me when I am tired or sad, distracts me when I'm worried, entertains me when I'm bored. But the strange thing is that it really shouldn't.

I have a vague literary allergy that makes me break out
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in metaphorical hives when I read bad writing, badly researched books or romance too blatantly based on stereotypes. And The Scarlet Pimpernel does all those things. All at once.

It is not only the opening chapter which informs us that the brutal and monstrous revolutionaries of France executed a hundred aristocrats a day (!), or the perfect beauty of the female protagonist, who is repeatedly referred to as "the cleverest woman in Europe" in addition to her brilliant blue eyes, white shoulders and impressive figure.

It is a book of easy distinctions. One in which the bad guys are very bad, the beautiful women very beautiful and the heroes very heroic. Facts or high literature be hanged.

And yet. And yet I adore it. I mostly put this down to three reasons working together to undermine my credentials as a literary snob.

The first, Sir Percy Blackney. I doubt there is need to say much more. If you haven't read the book, I couldn't explain without ruining it; if you have, you know. He was my first literary crush, and remains one of the more powerful. I think this is down to the fact that Baroness Orczy never really described him. Yes, she makes it very clear that he is tall, handsome, rich, beautifully attired, and really rather brilliant. But throughout most of the book, the man himself is mostly all suggestion. And I work well with suggestion.

The second, related, reason is the fact that I was very young when I first read it. I had never heard of Mills and Boon, never yet learnt that there was a genre (which this book in part helped start) of easy literature that is little more than clichéed soap. It was my first romance novel, and in retrospect I am very happy with this turn of events.

The third is precisely that it is an early example of the strong man caped crusader saving the damsel in distress. It gains some standing, as I see it, not only because I had not read (or heard of) a million books of the same type, but because no one had. It is an original where others are cheap knock-offs. Whether that is reflected in literary value is probably dependent on convention, but I do take that into account when I judge its merit for myself, at least.

I do scoff, occasionally, when reading this book. It is hard not to when the feminine distress of Lady Blackney is emphasised, or her brilliant eyes swelling with tears. But mostly I do not read it with ironic detachment. And that is rare when I am confronted with genre literature.

I suspect this review is a little confused. That is because I am confused about my attitude to this book. I should not like it; but I do. And there it is.
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LibraryThing member Katie_H
This classic tale is set during the French Revolution's perilous reign of terror. Every day, innocent men, women, and children were being sent to their deaths on the guillotine, with their only crime being aristocratic ancestry. A brave and anonymous Englishman, dubbed the "Scarlet Pimpernel" due
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to the floral calling card he leaves behind, is able to lead a few lucky people to safety through his elaborately enacted plans and ingenious antics. The novel starts off a tad slow, but the drama unfolds quickly. It is a swashbuckling story full of adventure, romance, disguise, and clever cat-and-mouse games....a fun and exciting read!
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LibraryThing member IreneF
The Scarlet Pimpernel has attained the status of a classic by some unknown mechanism, since it isn't really very good. A short novel at just over 200 pages, it is often regarded as "juvenile fiction", which it is, since it's, well, juvenile. It deals in elitism, sexism, and a bunch of other
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unpopular isms, along with being clunky, overwritten, and by now clichéd. Deeds are, yes, dastardly. Our hero is handsome, our heroine is beautiful, and a snob: "The same feeling of good-humoured contempt which one feels for an animal or a faithful servant, made her turn away with a smile from the man who should have been her moral support in this heart-rending crisis through which she was passing: who should have been her cool-headed adviser, when feminine sympathy and sentiment tossed her hither and thither, between her love for her brother, who was far away and in mortal peril, and horror of the awful service which Chauvelin had exacted from her, in exchange for Armand's safety." They don't write sentences like that anymore, and it's a good thing.

Marguerite (that's her name) is also somewhat dim-witted, since we are repeated told that she is the smartest woman in Europe, but she can't figure out that her husband consistently disappears just before a French aristocrat is snatched from the jaws of the guillotine and smuggled over to England. This does not bode well for the future of European civilization if she's the best of the bunch, cognitively speaking.

However, the book has some virtues: it's fast-paced and exciting, yet very little violence takes place. Unlike most adventure stories, it's told from a woman's point of view. And it's fun in the same way as an old B movie. Even so, I'd rather read something by Dumas.
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LibraryThing member Eric21
I struggled whether to give this book, 3 1/2 or 4 stars, and in the end settled with 4. For being a romance novel, the Scarlet Pimpernel was a pretty good read. The character development was strong and the plot moved at a fairly quick pace. The only thing that would keep me from giving this book a
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perfect score is its predictability. Intensity had a hard time building up because of how obvious a coming plot turn was going to be.
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LibraryThing member fuzzi
This was one of "the classics" that I chose to read in 2014. And I am glad that I did.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" has history, action, romance, devotion, evil, and suspense all stirred together in a light-hearted romp through England and France during the time of the French Revolution.

Can the famous
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Pimpernel be warned in time of his betrayal by one close to him? Or will the dastardly representative of the bloodthirsty French Republican government, Chauvelin, triumph, and bring his quarry to meet Madame Guillotine? Keep reading to find out...
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LibraryThing member HopingforChange
So, I liked this book. It's definitely a fast and easy read. It's also worth noting that, if you're an adult, it's somewhat predictable. However, that doesn't mean it isn't interesting.

What I liked most about The Scarlet Pimpernel was the fact that the characters are all, pretty much without
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exception, blind to any reality that doesn't fit into their preconceived world views. As a result, they cause themselves immense trouble and pain--all because they simply don't PERCEIVE things. The Scarlet Pimpernel, who we as readers expect to be the exception to this rule, is no different, and he too suffers for it. He cannot see Marguerite's pain, just as she cannot see his, and they both suffer in silence. He relies on his evaluation of her as a Republican. She relies on her perception of him as an inane fool. They are both terribly wrong.

In the end, I think the self-limitations the characters impose on themselves through their quick judgments and closed perspectives speak to the same weaknesses of the human condition that novel tells us inspired the French Revolution. That is, our (heroic) characters tell us that the French Republic is committing atrocities by following their preconceived notions of aristocrats and unjustly murdering an entire social class. At the same time, our characters are unjustly condemning and judging one another on a personal level. As the French disrupt and ruin their society, our characters disrupt and ruin their own lives, all through the same mechanism--abrupt and unconsidered judgment that prevents the observer from seeing anything that he or she has labeled as "impossible." It is, the Republic says, impossible to have a valiant aristocrat. It is, Marguerite says, impossible that Percy is more than what he seems. Again, our author shows us as readers just how dangerous these premature internal decisions are for everyone involved! I found this theme to be very nicely wrought in the novel, and this concept was definitely the most thought-provoking and redeeming part of the work for me.
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LibraryThing member emanate28
This is another one of those books that I'm puzzled why I never came across years ago. Set in the time of the French Revolution, it's an entertaining and fast-paced adventure and love story that (in my mind) was like a cross between Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities and something by Alexandre Dumas.

I
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found it refreshing that this story was told from the perspective of a resourceful (for her time?) young woman...although as a modern reader, I would have preferred that she played an even more active/pivotal role in the final dramatic events.

A fun and quick read.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
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,
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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.

SPOILERS

I 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.”
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LibraryThing member PhilSyphe
I found this engaging at times, I liked the title character and the heroine, but the amount of waffle proved tiresome.

The Scarlet Pimpernel's identity was easy to work out, as were certain plotlines. In short, not as good as expected.
LibraryThing member RogueBelle
Hands down my all-time favourite book. I've always adored and identified with Marguerite, and I can't believe there's a female out there who wouldn't fall in love with Sir Percy. (Six foot odd of gorgeousness!). The ancestor of modern adventure stories -- truly a classic.
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
A classic, and for a good reason.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a daring tale set during the French Revolution. A mysterious Englishman, known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel, is devoted to rescuing those that the revolutionaries have condemned to the guillotine. A ruthless French agent is just as
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determined to find the Scarlet Pimpernel and send him to his execution. And it all hinges on the actions of one woman...

Oh what fun! A smashing good read!

Experiments in Reading
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LibraryThing member jennham
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.
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
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.
LibraryThing member Hamburgerclan
No fair! I thought this was an adventure tale, but I think half of the story goes on in the heroine's head! It's almost a chick flick, er, book. (Maybe it is... I haven't intentionally read any "chick books" to compare with.) But it's still an enjoyable read. There are two main threads: one is the
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mystery of the Scarlet Pimpernel. The year is 1792 and the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution is running rampant. However, some clever Englishmen, known as the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, are systematically rescuing French aristocrats from the guillotine. The leader and mastermind behind the league is a man of mystery, one that French agent Chauvelin is determined to unmask and arrest. The second plot thread is the marital troubles of the heroine, Marguirite Lady Blakeney. Her husband, Sir Percy, has been quite unloving to her since he heard that she was instrumental in the arrest and execution of the Marquis de St. Cyr and his family. She has a good explanation, but fears that her husband will never care to hear it. How do these two plots come together? Well, read the book and find out. It wasn't much of a mystery to me, but then I had known the answer before I read it. Besides, I am quite familiar with the concept of "secret identities" from all my comic book reading. Anyway, the book is still worth putting on my shelf.
--J.
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LibraryThing member robble
This is my favorite book EVER. I especially like Margurite's point of view which was sadly not replicated in Orczy's other books
LibraryThing member meg2101
It was a fun read, although I didn't feel as sorry for the heroine, Marguerite, as I think the author wanted me to. I thought she could have been stronger and more capable, and she was mostly helpless and pathetic. I still enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member elbakerone
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member wfzimmerman
The book is better than the movie. See if you can catch "that demmed elusive Scarlet Pimpernel!"
LibraryThing member MrsLee
Another audio for a very long trip. I enjoyed this very much. The reader has a way with accents and even though he is male, his rendering of female voices is good, not fey. As for the story, I had not read it before. It had humor and suspense, even though it is quite predictable, I enjoyed it.
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Sometimes predictability is a good thing on a drive.
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LibraryThing member Arnett
This is an awesome book! It has a wonderful style mixed with mystery. Also, can be compared with the movie.
LibraryThing member ben_a
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)
LibraryThing member patience_crabstick
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
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bodice ripper only without the sex. At least it's short.
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LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
(Blackstone audiobook) Ralph Cosham narrates Orczy's classic with distinction, providing tension, character dialects and convincing French pronunciation! A pleasure to listen to.
LibraryThing member xfracturedx1conx
If you are older and like detailed books then this would be for you, I did not like this because I am a bad age to read it. This is a action/mystery/suspense book about a man who saves nobles from the french revolution's guillotene.
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