The Prisoner of Zenda (Penguin Red Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Anthony Hope (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anthony Hope is the pseudonym of Anthony Hope Hawkins, a successful and prolific author of fiction and drama. The son of a school headmaster, Hope was born in London in 1863. While practicing law, Hope also experimented with creative writing, and he published his first novel, a political satire entitled A Man of Mark, at his own expense in 1890. With the publication of his most famous novel, The Prisoner of Zenda, in 1894, Hope abandoned his legal career to write full-time, penning the short story collection, The Heart of Princess Osra (1896), and the Zenda sequel, Rupert of Hentzau (1898). Throughout his productive life, Hope published a wide variety of fiction, in areas ranging from the light domestic comedy of The Dolly Dialogues (1894) to the more serious fiction of Simon Dole (1889). He died on July 8, 1933. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reissue edition (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141033746
• ISBN-13: 978-0141033747
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,033,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Swashbuckler!, February 24, 2009

By 

John Murphy "O, for a Muse of Fire" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prisoner of Zenda (Penguin Red Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic swashbuckler in the fun-loving tradition of Rafael Sabatini (Captain Blood, Scaramouche). The book's enduring success has led to several stage and screen adaptations, including a popular version from 1937 starring Ronald Colman.

It's easy to see why "Prisoner" has captured so many imaginations. Hope, in highly readable prose, delivers a thrilling yarn of mistaken identities, doomed romance, daring rescues, and stylish nemeses. There's a hero named Rudolf, a princess named Flavia, a castle named Zenda, and a moustache-twirling villain named Black Michael. All that one could Hope for!

As deeply as I love serious writers like Joseph Conrad and Walker Percy, one cannot live by brood alone. Prisoner of Zenda is old-fashioned fun, swift and sharp as an Errol Flynn-wielded blade.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a classic novel, January 17, 2009

By 

Michael T Kennedy (Lake Arrowhead, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Prisoner of Zenda (Penguin Red Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Prisoner of Zenda is a classic and the origin of several excellent movies and knock-off stories based on its plot. Anthony Hope was a British lawyer who wrote novels and eventually gave up the law for writing. This is his most famous story and has been made into several movies, including the modern movie, "Dave." The story is of a British nobleman who decides to visit the country of Ruritania during the coronation of the king. He is aware that he is distantly related and is vaguely aware that he resembles the king. He arrives in the kingdom shortly before the coronation and becomes involved in an impersonation of the king when there is a kidnapping. The 1937 movie (the only one I've seen) is quite close to the novel in the story and the novel has a few embellishments. For those who have enjoyed the movie, the novel is a treat. I recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still My Favorite Swashbuckler, December 11, 2010

By 

John (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prisoner of Zenda (Penguin Red Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'll always remember when I first got The Prisoner of Zenda. I was in the ninth grade, and my younger sister had gotten to go on this big shopping trip that I'd sort of wanted to go on (I can't quite remember why I was stuck at home). She was going to buy me something and bring me home a consolation prize, though. I was excited about that at least. And then she brought me a book that I'd never heard of...The Prisoner of Zenda.

I've always loved reading and all, but this did not seem like my cup of tea. It was too dusty and old. Looking back, though, I'm a little surprised at how nice I was. I pretended to be interested, and I even determined to force myself to at least start it, to at least be seen reading it. I took it on a car trip one weekend and absolutely forced myself to open it and press through those opening couple of pages about the Rassendyll family history...

And then, of course, it all clicked. There's something deeply compelling about this sort of doppelganger situation, that idea of being transported suddenly into another identity and a thrilling adventure, and once I realized that it was this sort of scenario--a shallow but decent prince who looks exactly like our hero Rudolf is trapped in the castle by the evil cousin who seeks to ascend to the throne, and Rudolf must temporarily step into the king's role--I was hooked. Rudolf is a fine hero, intelligent, warm-hearted, and dashing. Flavia is the perfect princess, intelligent, kind, and beautiful. The sidekicks are funny and brave, and the villains are really evil. This all caught my imagination that year like just a few books do in your life, and these characters and this story have been a part of my life ever since.

So, it turned out to be quite a gift that set me on a bit of a quest to read just about every swashbuckler I could get my hands on. But this one's still my favorite.