Customer Reviews

Lord Tony's Wife

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lord Tony's wife is stolen from him by the Martin-Roger. Chavelin joins in the story. He sets a trap for Percy. In this story you learn how much Percy loves Marguerite and how he doesn't want to leave her. Marguerite helps in the wedding plans. This is one of the best sequels to the Scarlet Pimpernel! Tony really trusts Percy implicitly with everthing he has.

Okay, for those of you Pimpernel fanatics, this is the sixth book of the Pimpernel series. Our dear flirtatious Lord Anthony Dewhurst has fallen in love with a certain Yvonne de Kernogan. However, her father the Duc, and a vengeful peasant have other matrimonial plans for her. After some clever spying work, Sir Percy urges Lord Tony to marry Yvonne secretly. Things go all wrong when she is kidnapped shortly after the wedding, and Lord Tony must look to the Scarlet Pimpernel to help save his wife. Things are, of course, made difficult with Monsieur Chambertin...er, Chauvelin... on the trail.

Extremely entertaining and a great book!

LORD TONY'S WIFE is, I believe, the fifth book (or thereabouts) in the series written in the early 20th century by Baroness Orczy around the character of the Scarlet Pimpernel, that English adventurer, master of disguise, embodiment of bravado, and pillar of strength, whose self-appointed mission it is to rescue former aristocrats from the fell clutches of the Committee of Public Safety in late 18th century post-Revolutionary France. Should he fail, the bloodied guillotine shall claim yet another victim.

This book, however, shows what we might describe as a maturing of Orczy's style and a welcome variation on what was becoming a highly predictable plot in her earlier novels. Heretofore, Orczy has veritably hammered her readers with unceasing imprecations against the revolutionaries who overthrew a monarchy to establish the First Republic in France. Not to pardon the excesses and numerous beheadings practiced by the leaders of the late 18th century Republic, but Orczy's constant references to them as terrorists, thugs, murderers, villains, traitors and such like were becoming quite worn after four books of repetitive and caustic diatribe. Chauvelin, an agent of the revolutionary government and the Pimpernel's antagonist, was portrayed as nothing less than a minion of Satan. The negative hyperbole throughout the first four novels was becoming tedious, to say the least.

While the reader of LORD TONY'S WIFE still meets Chauvelin in his role of villainous antagonist, he is now only one of several. Likewise, while the revolutionary government is still portrayed as a pestilential blight upon the land and its people, Orczy has somewhat tired of battering her readers with unending string of imprecations against that government. The relief is palpable (at least until we get to the character of Carrier in the latter pages of the novel, when the hyperbolic strings of pejorative adjectives come alive again).

Orczy's characters seem more fully rounded and less stereotyped in this novel than in her earlier efforts, with, perhaps, the noted exception of Carrier. As such, they are more interesting, and the motivations for their actions evolve from their participation in actual events rather than resulting purely from their stereotyped natures. They are more believable as real people. One of the most enjoyable changes in this novel is that we no longer see our hapless lady fall into peril because of her essential "feminine weakness." While our fair lady does indeed fall into peril and must be rescued by the Scarlet Pimpernel as usual, this time it is in no way her fault. In fact, she is betrayed by her own father, who in turn has been beguiled by a clever plot laid by peasant Pierre Adet, or rather by his rich alter ego, the banker Martin-Roget.

In sum, the plot elements in LORD TONY'S WIFE are more complex and interesting than are those in the previous four novels, the characters are more rounded and less stereotyped, and the descriptions of the revolutionaries against whom the Pimpernel must pit his cunning are less stridently negative, all of which makes this the most interesting book of the series thus far. With that praise deservedly awarded, we must also admit that Orczy's novels remain primarily adventures written to entertain through their plot and action. As a writer, Orczy fits much more securely in the pulp fiction category than with the likes of Melville and Conrad, or even Rafael Sabatini (to include the swashbuckling genre).

I'm not quite certain just why her first work, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, garnered so much popularity that it generated these sequels, but the name is well known, which is probably sufficient justification for reading the novel (originally a play) and its sequels. And please don't give up if the first three sequels seem repetitive and predictable. When you reach the fourth, LORD TONY'S WIFE, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at its comparative improvement in quality. Judged by nothing more than its entertainment value, the novel would probably extract five stars from me, but I just can't quite give the top rating to a plot-dependent adventure novel, no matter how much improved over its predecessors.

Martin-Roger kidnaps Lord Tony's Wife--taking her to France along with her father. Chauvelin uses the situation to his advantage. For, he knows that the Scarlet Pimpernel cannot be far behind. And, from reading a bundle of papers that were "dropped" on the ground, Chauvelin also knows one more thing---how much Sir Percy spends on cravats.

Baroness Orczy writes in a fashion that you can easily invision the objects she is describing. You can feel the suffering and fear of the people as well as the unbridled hatred of their persecutors.

This book gives a detailed look into the private lives of The Scarlet Pimpernel and his loyal followers. Not only that of the brave heroes but also of the unselfish devotion of their wives, knowing that their husbands are in constant danger trying to help those in need. You can sense their bravery, the pain of being alone and waiting to see if their dear husband will return home unharmed.

This is indeed a wonderful book.

Lord Percy advises and helps the gallant Lord Tony to secretly wed his beloved, Yvonne. The plot is fresh and vibrant, sad and trecherous, happy and chivalrous, detailing more on The Reign Of Terror and how it affected the smaller towns, all in one book!

Orczy's books take you there! Late 1700's - early 1800's! I feel as if I had been there! What great writing!

With the help of a disgruntled and vengeful peasant, Yvonne's father helps kidnap her from Lord Tony, taking her to a place where the peasant plans to marry her, even though she is already married, to make her life miserable, or she and her father will die.

Enter Chauvelin, Lord Tony, and Sir Percy Blakeny and the story rocks along. You will absolutely LOVE how Sir Percy, AKA The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Lord Tony rescue Yvonne and whisk her away in Chauvelin's own carriage! :o) Foiled again! The humor, daring, and seriousness of each situation is true to Sir Percy as well as attributed to Lord Tony.

I highly recommend this and all of Orczy's books!

Enjoy!

This book is quite lacking in Scarlet Pimpernel-ness.

A young French local, mad at the treatment of the people at the hands of the nobility, attacks some. This goes wrong, and when he flees, his father is executed instead of him.

Now in England, he tries to lure a woman back to the guillotine, but Lord Tony likes the same girl, and hopes the Pimpernel will help out.

This one is not that interesting.