The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The first time I heard of the character the Scarlet Pimpernel was watching the 1982 TV Movie. I fell in love with Percy and watched that movie dozens of times. My mother informed me that it was based on a book and when I was in college I got a hold of a copy and read it. There are some differences between the movie and book but they complement each other. So even if you have no interest in reading the book, you should at least check out the movie if only to gain an appreciation of the French Revolution.

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL takes place during 1792 and follows Marguerite St. Just. She is a French actress that catches the eye of a wealthy Englishman names Sir Percy Blakeney. They fall in love and get married. After their marriage, Marguerite takes revenge on someone who wronged her brother and that man is sent to the guillotine. Percy becomes distant from his wife, though she doesn't know why. Through all of this the Scarlet Pimpernel, a mysterious man, rescues various French aristocracy from being executed at the guillotine.

There isn't much truth behind the characters but it did give me a small idea of the situation that took place and the horrors of what was happening. I don't read the book for the historical accuracy but I read it for the adventure. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a hero character that I can really stand behind. His methods aren't in righting the wrongs at the cost of his enemies' lives but in doing what he can to make the world better. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a well told adventure novel set in a historical period.