Customer Reviews

The Prisoner of Zenda (Penguin Red Classics)

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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.

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.

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.

And one of the most lovable rogues in all literature. Our hero risks his life to save the King who stands between him and the woman he loves. A quotation from the book: "God doesn't always make the right man king".