The Scarlet Pimpernel Series
Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orczi (23 September 1865 – 12 November 1947) was a Hungarian-born British novelist, playwright and artist of noble origin. She is most known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Introducing the notion of a "hero with a secret identity" into popular culture, the Scarlet Pimpernel exhibits characteristics that would become standard superhero conventions, including the penchant for disguise, use of a signature weapon (sword), ability to out-think and outwit his adversaries, and a calling card (he leaves behind a scarlet pimpernel at each of his interventions). By drawing attention to his alter ego, Blakeney hides behind his public face as a slow-thinking, foppish playboy, and he also establishes a network of supporters, The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, who aid his endeavours. Orczy went on to write over a dozen sequels featuring Sir Percy Blakeney, his family, and the other members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, of which the first, I Will Repay (1906), was the most popular.
Critic Mary Cadogan states, "Orczy's books are highly wrought and intensely atmospheric".
Excerpted from Baroness Orczy on Wikipedia.
The Scarlet Pimpernel Series
| Author | Baroness Orczy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Genre | Adventure, Historical fiction |
| Copyright | Public domain in the United States. |
| Book cover | - |
| Ebooks | Project Gutenberg |
| Scans | - |
| Audio | Librivox | Internet Archive |
| Read online | Note: This list is generated by the sequences of events referred to, rather than the dates, in order to make reading easier. 1. The Laughing Cavalier; Ancestor of the Scarlet Pimpernel --Prequel. Read by Deon Gines and Melvin Lee-- The Laughing Cavalier is a prequel recounting the story of the supposed subject of the painting The Laughing Cavalier, who is an ancestor of her main hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Percy Blakeney. 2. The Scarlet Pimpernel --Main novel. Read by Karen Savage-- The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in the series. At the height of the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, a mysterious daredevil rescues French aristocrats from execution and smuggles them out of France. This secretive escape artist is known to the French authorities only by the drawings of a flower, the scarlet pimpernel, that he leaves as his calling card. 3. The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel --Sequel. Reader: Collaborative-- The book consists of eleven short stories about Sir Percy Blakeney's exploits in rescuing various aristos and French citizens from the clutches of the guillotine. The stories are set in 1793 but appear in no particular order. They occasionally refer to events in other books in the series. 4. I Will Repay --Sequels. Read by Annie Kirkpatrick-- The young Vicomte de Marny rashly challenges a French official to a duel, and dies as a result. The Vicomte’s father, the ancient Duc de Marny, insists that his daughter, Juliette, swear an oath before God to seek revenge on the man who killed her brother. Years later, as the French Revolution rages, Juliette insinuates herself into the official’s household, and quickly discovers a way to anonymously accuse him before the National Convention. It will take all of the Scarlet Pimpernel’s ingenuity to rescue his friend from the guillotine. 5. The Elusive Pimpernel --Sequel. Read by Karen Savage-- Baroness Orczy brings back Chauvelin, the French official unable to catch the Pimpernel in the first novel. This time he is more determined, more ruthless, and more devious. He has thought of every possibility, closed every loophole, anticipated every move of his arch-rival. It appears that at last the Pimpernel might have met his match. 6. Lord Tony's Wife --Sequel. Reader: Collaborative-- Although published a few years after El Dorado, this book is set prior to it in the timeline. In the midst of the French Revolution, Pierre, a young firebrand, convinces a group of rabble to rise up against the local duc. Coming across the carriage of the duc’s daughter on their march, Pierre assaults her, is run over by the carriage, and disappears. Looking to punish someone for the uprising, the duc has Pierre’s father hanged. Years later, Pierre has changed his name, gathered some wealth, and ingratiated himself with the duc. Pierre has plans to avenge his father’s death against both the duc and his daughter. 7. El Dorado I, II, III --Sequel. Read by Karen Savage-- Eldorado is a sequel book to the classic adventure tale, The Scarlet Pimpernel. The novel is notable in that it is the partial basis for most of the film treatments of the original book. Scarlet Pimpernel and his league want to free the orphaned Dauphin of France from his captors, but someone else has the same idea, although for very different, and selfish, reasons. Completing his mission while once again escaping the clutches of his arch-enemy Chauvelin will push the Pimpernel to the breaking point. 8. The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel --Sequel. Reader: Group, dramatic readings-- The last of the famous "Scarlet Pimpernel" books, the "Triumph" tells the story of the final confrontation between the Scarlet Pimpernel and his nemesis, Chauvelin. Set at the end of the Reign of Terror, the fortunes of all rise and fall along with the French Revolutionary government. 9. Pimpernel and Rosemary --Sequel. Read by Holly-- A novel in the Scarlet Pimpernel series that features Peter Blakeney, a descendant of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Peter's adventures take him to Hungary and much intrigue involving his good friend, Rosemary, Nazis, and spies ensue. |