Customer Reviews

The adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Adventures" is a collection of short stories about the exploits of the Pimpernel and his league. They are wonderfully entertaining and Pimpernel addicts will be in heaven! Lots of disguises and narrow escapes here. I particularly enjoyed "Fie, Sir Percy!" The prince of dandies falls asleep during a recitation of the pimpernel's adventures, bringing the playful wrath of the ton down on his immaculate head.

During the year 1792, while the French Revolution is at its peak, a mysterious young Englishman vows to rescue innocent people from their death at the guillotine. Each time he succeeds in sneaking someone out of France, he leaves a note signed with a little flower called the Scarlet Pimpernel. No one can identify this mysterious person, but a French spy has sworn to bring this meddlesome man to his death. Meanwhile, a beautiful, young, French exile, named Marguerite Blakeney marries a tall dull Englishman. The plot thickens as the French spy, Chauvelin, tricks Marguerite into betraying her own husband. But when the Scarlet Pimpernel gets caught in a trap, he always has a daring plan to get out.

I liked the book because it was very exciting and the characters seemed incredibly real. Just when you thought you knew what would happen, the author, Orczy, would change things around. Also, whenever one of the characters was in danger, I was scared for them and had to keep reading until they were out of trouble. Overall, I loved the book and would definitely recommend it to someone else. It was cleverly written and full of intrigue.

This novel is a treasure because of the way that the author protrays the hardships of the nobility during the French Revolution. The book mainly focuses on the Scarlet Pimpernel, his wife, and the villian who is a spy for France's Republic. The Scarlet Pimpernel, in short, is a rescuer of the nobility of France. He and his nineteen comrades take numerous and daring trips accross the English channel to help unfortunate and innocent people escape the clutches of the dreaded guilloutine. His wife unknowingly places him in danger and then when she realizes that, she risks her life to find him and warn him of the death that awaits him. Read this novel and throw yourself into a time that is past where heros exist and love is everlasting.

Again, this is not a full length novel, but a group of shorter works. So the title is apt, as there are indeed several adventures of Sir Percy and the gang to be found in these pages.

A couple of the opening paragraphs are pretty funny:

"You really are impossible, Sir Percy! Here are we ladies raving, simply

raving, about this latest exploit of the gallant Scarlet Pimpernel, and

you do naught but belittle his prowess. Lady Blakeney, I entreat, will

you not add your voice to our chorus of praise, and drown Sir Percy's

scoffing in an ocean of eulogy?"

and

"Oh!" he said, "do not ask me to inculcate hero-worship into this mauvis

sujet. If you ladies cannot convert him to your views, how can I...a

mere man...?"

And His Highness shrugged his shoulders. There were few entertainments

he enjoyed more than seeing his friend Sir Percy Blakeney badgered by

the ladies on the subject of their popular and mysterious hero, the

Scarlet Pimpernel.