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Ruritania: Complete Prisoner of Zenda

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Ruritania Complete, Anthony Hope

Anthony Hope (Hopkins) wrote "The Prisoner of Zenda" in 1894 and "Rupert of Hentzau" in 1898. "The Prisoner of Zenda" has been reprinted may times, and adapted to stage, movies, radio, and television. The sequel "Rupert of Hentzau" is less well known and popular, even though it has more action. What made "Zenda" so popular for so long? In recent times its popularity has declined, or perhaps avoided because of its portrayal of royal politics and impersonation ("conspiracy theory"). Could it be ever made into a movie again? [The movie "Dave" echoed its story.] Usually the novel is better than the movie due to editing needed for economy and simplification. This version from Dover contains fourteen illustrations by Charles Dana Gibson, best known for his "Gibson Girl" drawings around 1900.

The attitudes shown in these stories are long out of date. Their aristocracy is composed of hereditary large landowners who rule their lands in alliance with each other. The rise of industrialists provided rivals. You can notice certain actions that are still true today. The use of a double allows things to go on when a ruler is indisposed to appear in public. It is important to fool the public to keep them from learning what is really happening. The secret meeting in "Rupert" is still a useful example today. The intrigue in "Zenda" shows a foreign national acting to influence the selection of a ruler, still true today if unpublicized. More details are in the individual reviews.

The "Zenda" novel was published in 1894, five years after the presumed successor to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was found dead in Mayerling. Would his survival have affected the balance of power in Europe if he lived? In the book King Rudolph did not produce an heir, creating a problem in succession. The book "Royal Babylon" provides an uncensored history of 19th century royalty. You may find it more interesting than many novels.