The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel [Hardcover]

Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2002

Paris, 1794. Robespierre's reign of terror is wreaking its bloody havoc, but the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel is still at large - so far. Will the Scarlet Pimpernel triumph? Or might he yet be betrayed by love?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Baroness Orczy was born in Hungary in 1865, the daughter of Baron Felix Orczy, a landed aristocrat and well-known composer and conductor. Shemoved with her parents from Budapest to Brussels and then Paris, where she was educated. Orczy alsostudied art in London and exhibited work atthe Royal Academy. Later sheMontagu Barstow and together they worked as illustrators and jointly published an edition of Hungarian folk tales. Fame came in1905 with the publication of The Scarlet Pimpernel, which was originally a play co-written with her husband. Its background of Revolution in France and swashbuckling hero, 'Sir Percy Blakeney', was to prove immensely popular. Sequels followed and many years later film and TV versions are enduringly popular, with new productions from time to time. However, Orczy alsoalso wrote detective stories which have a following today amongst those intersted in the genre. She died in 1947. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From AudioFile

With the stage debut of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1903), the Baroness Orczy invented the "masked avenger" genre of fiction--the swashbuckling hero of dual identity. Her progeny include Zorro, Superman, The Lone Ranger and many others. The Baroness's Pimpernel is a British fop who, in a play and series of popular novels, daringly spirited condemned innocents out of France during the Reign of Terror. Hugh Laurie, best known Stateside as the foppish Bertie Wooster in TV's "Wooster and Jeeves," plunges into these two adventures with childlike relish. Yes, he is corny; yes, he overdoes it; but irresistibly. That's what this fare is made for. As he reads, one pictures, not the dashing Leslie Howard, cinema's Pimpernel, but a little boy performing for the family behind his homemade puppet theater. Sorry, Baroness, I know this isn't what you had in mind, but it's far better. Y.R. An AudioFile Earphones Award winner. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: House of Stratus Ltd (July 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755111214
• ISBN-13: 978-0755111213
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,874,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great finale, April 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Barre, VT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Hardcover)

This is Percy's last adventure of the Revolution. I must admit that I was glad that the man was finally going to get some time to go home to England and sit on his can! His wife must have been getting pretty lonely by then. Anyway, the Pimpernel's last escapade is a wow! He must help a misguided young French actress who is duped into Chauvelin's service. Several young counter-revolutionaries are also in trouble, as is Marguerite, per usual. As Percy plots to spring his wife, he stages lots of daring escapes and wears some classic disguises. Poor Chauvelin is on the verge of complete mental collapse by now, having been duped countless times, and the humiliating situation in which he is left at the end will make the reader guffaw out loud. Orczy paints an amazingly vivid portrait of Robespierre's fall and the end of that bloody revolution.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a triumphant ending, January 24, 2001

By 

Zara Kaal "ZKS" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Hardcover)

Triumph is an excellent ending to an excellent series. Sir Percy has to face his most difficult challenge. One that will bring him face to face with his most implacable enemey, and also save the life of the woman he adores. Full of Pimpernel wit and audacity, this is a must for all Pimpernel fans!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, not excellent, November 11, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (Moorpark, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (Hardcover)

Triumph is the first SP book I've read after the original story. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't excellent. I found the beginning to be very drawn out; it took me a very long time to read the first 75 pages or so, before it got going. Once it did start, (with Theresia and SP meeting for the first time) I found it to be fast paced, and I looked forward to reading it. However, the long beginning brought it down to a 3 star book for me. Also, the ending wasn't really explained at all...one second, literally, Robespierre is the tyrant in charge, next paragraph, well, no spoiler, but suffice to say he's not. Even in real life, the change was not so dramatic, and surely Orczy could have written a page or two more explaination.

Furthermore, I was disappointed that while St. Just, Andrew, and Tony were mentioned, that was about it; they were barely in the picture at all.

A fun adventure.....but not much more than that.