The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Anthony Hope (Author), Gary Hoppenstand (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Best known for his political fairy tale, The Prisoner of Zenda, which saw four major screen adaptations, including the acclaimed 1937 incarnation starring Ronald Colman, Anthony Hope was one of the few novelists to achieve wide popular and critical admiration during his lifetime.

Regarded by many critics as the finest adventure story ever written -- and certainly one of the most popular -- The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) tells the story of Rudolf Rassendyl, a dashing English gentleman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the ruler of the fictional kingdom of Ruritania. Rassendyl masquerades as the king in order to save the country from a treacherous plot and secures the release of the wronged prisoner. In the process he wins the heart of the beautiful princess Flavia, but ultimately surrenders the crown and the hand of his beloved princess to the rightful ruler.

Rupert of Hentzau, which ends in tragedy rather than triumph, is the darker, more problematic sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda. Full of swash-buckling feats of heroism as well as witty irony, these adventure tales are also wonderfully executed satires on late nineteenth-century European politics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Hope's Rattling Yarn seems to live on and on, even if it is not a masterpiece of its genre like Rider Haggard's She; it has been filmed no less than five times. Rudolf Rassendyll and Rupert of Hentzau have become almost household names and the imaginary Ruritania has actually become a standard English word. Perhaps Oxford will now reissue other Hope historical romances, such as Sophie of Kravonia. Brian Fallon, Irish Times

'this is one of those rattling good yarns whose heart is so solidly in the right place that one is prepared to forgive some shoddy writing at the margins' Daily Telegraph

`This fast-moving, well-placed romance reaffirmed the pride of English men in what they thought they had :a sense of justice, profound honour and adroitness, all worn lightly.' The Sunday Times

'a gallant guide to the way an English gentleman should conduct himself with foreigners and women' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014043755X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140437553
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long live the King of swashbuckler novels!, August 16, 2000

By 

John DiBello (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

[This is a review of the Penguin edition dual-volume of `Prisoner' and `Rupert']

I've long been a fan of Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the classic works of prolific (and unjustly forgotten) Rafael Sabatini, but if you want the greatest swashbuckler novel of them all, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic you'll come back to again and again: over a hundred years after being written, it's still as sharp as a rapier point.

"The Prisoner of Zenda" is something of a rarity: a Victorian adventure novel that is as fresh and entertaining to read in this modern jaded age as it was in 1894. If you've ever seen one of the many movie adaptations you already know the story: Rudolf Rassendyll, an Englishman vacationing in the tiny European country of Ruritania, meets and befriends the soon-to-be-crowned King Rudolf--his exact and identical double. When the King is kidnapped by the dastardly Black Michael, Rassendyll must impersonate the King in the coronation ceremony...and in the heart of the Queen. Hope's handling of the romance between Rassendyll and Queen Flavia is both a daring and romantic love story and a subtle examination of the meaning of honor and duty to a gentleman. Of course there's plenty of swordplay and derring-do along the way (put on an Erich Korngold CD while reading for the best effect). If Tom Clancy was writing this one, there'd be nuclear weapons instead of swords and email instead of telegrams, but even he couldn't pull off the simple but subtle romantic story and the triumphant but poignant ending.

I recommend this Penguin edition especially because unlike any other editions of "The Prisoner of Zenda" currently available, it also contains Hope's lesser but still worthy sequel "Rupert of Hentzau," which brings Rassendyll back to Ruritania years later to match wits and swords with Michael's henchman, bringing an end to the saga so satisfyingly that there's no need for a third adventure. I loved both but would definitely rank "Rupert" a level below "Prisoner": "Rupert" is narrated by Fritz, the faithful royal retainer from "Prisoner," and suffers from much of the action taking place outside Fritz's personal view and being retold later on. Still, it's a stunning and emotional end to the story, and one which'll bring a proper tear to your eye. Like Rudolf of Ruritania, Anthony Hope is a king...of adventure novels. Unlike Rudolf, he has no equal.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long live the King of swashbuckler novels!, August 16, 2000

By 

John DiBello (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prisoner of Zenda (Gateway Movie Classics) (Paperback)

I've long been a fan of Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the classic works of the prolific (and unjustly forgotten) Rafael Sabatini, but if you want the greatest swashbuckler novel of them all, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic you'll come back to again and again: over a hundred years after being written, it's still as sharp as a rapier point.

"The Prisoner of Zenda" is something of a rarity: a Victorian adventure novel that is as fresh and entertaining to read in this modern jaded age as it was in 1894. If you've ever seen one of the many movie adaptations you already know the story: Rudolf Rassendyll, an Englishman vacationing in the tiny European country of Ruritania, meets and befriends the soon-to-be-crowned King Rudolf--his exact and identical double. When the King is kidnapped by the dastardly Black Michael, Rassendyll must impersonate the King in the coronation ceremony...and in the heart of the Queen. Hope's handling of the romance between Rassendyll and Queen Flavia is both a daring and romantic love story and a subtle examination of the meaning of honor and duty to a gentleman. Of course there's plenty of swordplay and derring-do along the way (put on an Erich Korngold CD while reading for the best effect). If Tom Clancy was writing this one, there'd be nuclear weapons instead of swords and email instead of telegrams, but even he couldn't pull off the simple but subtle romantic story and the triumphant but poignant ending.

If you enjoy this, you'll also want to read Hope's worthy sequel "Rupert of Hentzau," which brings Rassendyll back to Ruritania years later to match wits and swords with Michael's henchman, bringing an end to the saga so satisfyingly that there's no need for a third adventure. I loved both but would definitely rank "Rupert" a level below "Prisoner": "Rupert" is narrated by Fritz, the faithful royal retainer from "Prisoner," and suffers from much of the action taking place outside Fritz's personal view and being retold later on. Still, it's a stunning and emotional end to the story, and one which'll bring a proper tear to your eye. Like Rudolf of Ruritania, Anthony Hope is a king...of adventure novels. Unlike Rudolf, he has no equal.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the Movie..and the Movie was GREAT!, January 21, 2004

By 

H. S. Wedekind "Mr. Weekend" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I am not going to rehash the plot. The other reviewers have already done that, probably better than I could have. I just wanted to comment that this novel is quite entertaining and not at all boring. It is well-written (at times more exciting than many current "popular" adventure novels) and not as stuffy as one would think of a book published in 1894. It offers cliffhanging chapters, foreign intrigue, romance, swordplay, and lots of derring-do. The villain, Rupert, is a nastier character than all of the other nasties that Rudolf contends with...but he's somehow likeable. I guess because I actually saw him as the movie star Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. portrayed him. At any rate, it's no wonder this novel was made into a great movie. It's a great book.