£3.99
Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emma Orczy
Publication and Adaptations
The Scarlet Pimpernel was first published in 1905 and has proved to be Orczy's most famous and popular novel. The work was originally rejected by publishers, so she refashioned it as a play, with little initial success. The book continued to be popular throughout the twentieth century and was adapted for film, stage, and television on multiple occasions. One of the most famous and well-considered adaptations is the 1934 film starring Leslie Howard and directed by Harold Young. The television adaptations include a 1955-56 version and the 1999-2000 BBC production starring Richard E. Grant and Elizabeth McGovern.
Setting and Main Characters
The Scarlet Pimpernel is set in 1792 during the French Revolution, but centres on an English hero performing great and brave deeds in a violent and murderous climate. Marguerite St Just is a beautiful French actress, who is married to the English fop, Sir Percy Blakeney. The couple have become estranged as Marguerite has tired of her husband's seemingly superficial lifestyle. She has heard about the exploits of the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, an unknown English man who is daily helping French aristocrats to escape the Revolution. She is captivated and entranced by the stories surrounding him, but is soon forced into a position where she must assist the French ambassador to England in capturing the elusive man.
