The Scarlet Pimpernel Pt. 1

   One of two recent swashbuckling novels that I have read is The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. The book is exciting and suspenseful, set during the French Revolution. The basic plot of the story is about a group of Englishmen who follow a mysterious man who calls himself the Scarlet Pimpernel. All of these men, especially the great leader himself, risk their necks time and again to rescue the French aristocrats during this bloody time in history.

     There are several reasons I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a swashbuckling romance. Later on, I will also discuss a few things that may be concerning.

The Pros

     First of all, regarding the pros of the book, it is a very unique story. I am a fan of historical fiction books, especially when they happen during a pivotal time. This book definitely qualifies as exciting and, though it can be classified as a romance, it is most certainly not the typical romance one picks off the shelf in a bookstore. I haven’t read anything like it before and would definitely recommend it to someone looking for an uncommonly good book. 

     Secondly, the three main characters are especially well-thought out and well-developed. There are Lady Blakeney, Sir Percy Blakeney, and Agent Chauvelin of the French Republic. (You guessed it; he’s the bad guy.) All three of these characters, especially Sir Percy, are extremely well-developed. One reason Sir Percy is such a memorable character is his dialogue. Baroness Orczy did a very Austen-esque job in creating a character who is memorable because of his dialogue. Just reading Sir Percy’s dialogue, one can envision him and get a peek into his character. I definitely think the characters make the book.

     A third reason that I like The Scarlet Pimpernel is its extreme sense of irony. All of the daring men in the book who rescue the French aristocrats are wealthy lords and title-bearing Englishmen. One of the ironic thrills is that those Englishmen are actually the heroes of France. 

     I am fond of all sorts of irony: dramatic, verbal,  and situational. All three appear in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Dramatic irony, when one knows something that the character does not, probably appears the most in the book, though. For example, at one point, Agent Chauvelin has laid a trap for the leader of the group at an inn and the man himself does not know it. Another example is at the very beginning of the book when someone gains information about the Scarlet Pimpernel’s group, and the Englishmen do not know it. 

     Fourthly, anyone who knows me is aware that I like sarcastic books. This book was definitely sarcastic. It had a very Austen-esque feel to it, because of the sarcasm and satire. Just like Jane Austen did, Baroness Orczy poked fun at the times. (Though the book wasn’t written in the 1700s, it still jests at the clothes and fashions of the time.)  In The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Percy is a huge fan of fashion and Orczy is careful to point this out repeatedly. Almost every time Percy walks in the door, there is a vivid description of the lace on his suit and the fancy hat he has chosen for the occasion. I loved this; it made the book very amusing to read. The humor was timely and lent a somewhat lighthearted feeling to the suspenseful story.

     A fifth and very simple reason that I like the book so much is that it has a happy ending. I could pretty much guess that it would. I just couldn’t believe that after the somewhat lighthearted feeling I had gotten from the book that it would end up as a tragedy. The reason that I was especially worried about the ending was because I had finished Romeo and Juliet not too long before. I am not a fan of tragedies, though they do have their place in our large world of genres. Give me a happy ending any day! The characters in The Scarlet Pimpernel work hard for their relationships and the betterment of the world. I was very pleased when the book produced a rewarding ending. I suppose that is another proof of how much the characters made an impression on me. I was cheering them on; it would have been devastating if they’d failed. 

The Cons

     These are all very positive reasons that I would recommend the book to you. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are some precautions I would take. 

     First of all, the book is quite full of solid English swearing. Most of the words consist of d*** (and variations thereof) h*** and My (or Oh) G**. My copy of the book that I read belonged to my mom and she had inked out most of the words for me. I appreciated this. However, when I got a red, leather bound, gold embossed copy of the tale, I was reluctant to follow her example. I have learned to skip over the words now because many of the classics include them. It’s hard to find a good book that doesn’t nowadays, as well.

     A second thing I would note about The Scarlet Pimpernel is probably something you were already wondering about. It takes place in the French Revolution and is rather bloody. Though most of the disturbing sections are very short and extremely rare, I see no harm in skipping them. I definitely wouldn’t mind if the book didn’t include the scenes, but I suppose they make the danger that the Scarlet Pimpernel and his group are in more apparent.

     A third and final thing about the book that I didn’t enjoy was the romance. There was nothing inappropriate and it wasn’t even the main plot of the book, but it was very saccharine. There is one particular scene around the middle of the book that makes me roll my eyes and say, “Oh brother!” However, I’m not a big fan of romance anyway, so some of you readers out there may actually find it quite sweet. If you do, please let me know why. 

     And that wraps up my review on The Scarlet Pimpernel novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. It was quite a fascinating, exciting and creative tale. If you are interested in reading the book but would like more details on the cons, feel free to comment and I will help you out! Thanks for reading!