The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy is an adventure novel about an enigmatic, daring, crazy-resourceful English aristocrat who has sworn to rescue the victims of the French Revolution's "reign of terror" which was sending men, women and children alike to its insatiable "Madame la Guillotine." He is relentlessly hunted (Javert-style) by the malevolent, implacable "human bloodhound" Chauvelin.

It's a very entertaining, suspenseful book--the kind you speed through because you can't wait to find out what happens. I recommend it if you're looking for a good "fluff" read, especially for those who enjoy a swashbuckler, but I do feel compelled to point out two fairly serious errors in judgment on the part of the author. 1) The character of Lady Blakeney is known as the "cleverest woman in all of Europe," so I assumed she'd be the type who could keep her wits about her. However, in the big denouement, she acquits herself very badly: she is hysterical and ultimately useless. She actually passes out, misses all the action, and then literally has to be carried out of France. It's all very romantic, but I would have preferred a real heroine. 2) The author uses a regrettable stereotype from the day--the greedy, sniveling, surprisingly grimy Jew. It's a tad unsavory. Overall, though, this really was a fun book to read, well worth the little time it takes. There's romance, intrigue, brilliant disguises and daring escapes--a good old fashioned masked-avenger tale.

Debbie: I know you're reading this book, so let's hear what you think! If you're interested, there's a sequel (El Dorado: Further Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel), in which the hero rescues the young Dauphin--that may ring a bell if you've seen the movie The Scarlet Pimpernel.