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trin's review against another edition
3.0
As a romance and an adventure, this is great fun. They layers of deception and misunderstanding between Percy and Marguerite, even if all secrets are known at the outset to the reader, are delightful to unpick, with some very real tension, as there is also between the Pimpernel and his arch-rival, Chauvelin. Without this story I doubt we'd have Zorro, or Lord Peter Wimsey, or Francis Crawford of Lymond. Many of my favorite guys!
Minus a star, however, for Orczy's depictions of class and analyses thereof. The rich are all noble, the poor dirty, and while I don't in the least think the French Revolution was pure and good (hey! maybe it's gone too far if you're killing kids!), like...uh, they had a point. Truly shocking that a baroness would get this so wrong, lol.
Minus a star, also, I'm afraid, for the antisemitism. When I saw there was a chapter titled "The Jew," I can't even begin to describe how my heart sank. I had to take a break partway through reading this chapter to cook and realized as I was chopping some garlic that I was deeply anxious, as if something horrible was looming over me; I realized it was the thought of going back and seeing just how bad it would be.
It's pretty bad!While no actual Jews appear on screen -- for reasons that are immediately obvious (I am a better spy than Chauvelin) -- characters' attitudes certainly are, and while it is somewhat satisfying that Chauvelin ultimately loses partly because his antisemitism blinds him, the text never really refutes these. Can't say I love the Russian Roulette of classic literature and never knowing when, in a random fun adventure, I'm going to have my personhood attacked. It's a bummer. :(
Minus a star, however, for Orczy's depictions of class and analyses thereof. The rich are all noble, the poor dirty, and while I don't in the least think the French Revolution was pure and good (hey! maybe it's gone too far if you're killing kids!), like...uh, they had a point. Truly shocking that a baroness would get this so wrong, lol.
Minus a star, also, I'm afraid, for the antisemitism. When I saw there was a chapter titled "The Jew," I can't even begin to describe how my heart sank. I had to take a break partway through reading this chapter to cook and realized as I was chopping some garlic that I was deeply anxious, as if something horrible was looming over me; I realized it was the thought of going back and seeing just how bad it would be.
It's pretty bad!
emily_quotier's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
njdarkish's review against another edition
3.0
A fun book, though we are told about the Scarlet Pimpernel's heroic exploits way, way more than we're shown them. I'm hoping the sequels actually have more action.
caaleros's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
silly_sarah_2016's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kstephensreads's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much!! It was a great chaser after Tale of Two Cities. Looking forward to reading more in the series.
story_singer_101's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
crowsandprose's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a companion to me while I was ill -- still am, too -- and quite enjoyed it. It is the start, I think, of some good old intrigue with a league of secret noblemen who strive to rescue innocent if well born people from the French Republic's hungry Madame le Guillotine...
But really, at the core of it, it's about a proud and clever woman, estranged from her husband who she loves but is distant from, and what it will take to reconcile them. Oh yes, there's spies and plots and murder and treachery, but... when it comes down to it, this is about a married couple getting past pride and being able to see where they went wrong.
It's very -- ah, 'woman as temptress/fallen' (as the times were) but it's not so insulting to women as, say, Twilight, by any means. Lady Blakenley is intelligent, cunning, crafty, and loves her brother enough to enter a world of intrigue to save him... and loves her husband enough to defy convention and chase him across the channel. Bella Swann would just cry and consider suicide a lot at her failure to be what someone else wants, so while the The Scarlet Pimpernel has some old fashioned ideas about women, they're a lot more empowering then some modern lit these days!
An excellent book, and if you've got love in your life-- or a desire for some intrigue-- you ought to consider reading it. It does end rather abruptly, which left me a little cold (and the only reason it lost a star) but it's a damn fine romp through the pages otherwise
But really, at the core of it, it's about a proud and clever woman, estranged from her husband who she loves but is distant from, and what it will take to reconcile them. Oh yes, there's spies and plots and murder and treachery, but... when it comes down to it, this is about a married couple getting past pride and being able to see where they went wrong.
It's very -- ah, 'woman as temptress/fallen' (as the times were) but it's not so insulting to women as, say, Twilight, by any means. Lady Blakenley is intelligent, cunning, crafty, and loves her brother enough to enter a world of intrigue to save him... and loves her husband enough to defy convention and chase him across the channel. Bella Swann would just cry and consider suicide a lot at her failure to be what someone else wants, so while the The Scarlet Pimpernel has some old fashioned ideas about women, they're a lot more empowering then some modern lit these days!
An excellent book, and if you've got love in your life-- or a desire for some intrigue-- you ought to consider reading it. It does end rather abruptly, which left me a little cold (and the only reason it lost a star) but it's a damn fine romp through the pages otherwise
cunningba's review against another edition
4.0
A book I've been meaning to read since junior high school. Perhaps it might have been better in junior high school.
It starts out kind of slow, and I had some annoyances in Orczy's style. The main plot in fact is somewhat preposterous: British aristocrats saving French aristocrats.
The first major reveal happens about halfway through the book. But, it is hard to imagine that it could come as a surprise to anyone over the age of twelve. The title and the first chapter are about a male superhero. Then we spend umpteen chapters following a woman around. Why is that? What is the connection?
Finally the pace picks up and we have some real action. This bit is better paced, which is probably why it seems better written. Eventually it even culminates in the 18th century shanks' mare equivalent of a car chase, reminiscent of Kidnapped or John Buchan chases through the gorse. However the disguises wouldn't fool anyone who has read a few Doc Savages or is over the age of twelve.
So am I glad that I read it after all these years? Yes.
Do I wish that I had read it earlier? Yes, but not because I feel like I was missing some part of my education by not reading it. It's more like I think I might have enjoyed it more if I were more naive.
It starts out kind of slow, and I had some annoyances in Orczy's style. The main plot in fact is somewhat preposterous: British aristocrats saving French aristocrats.
The first major reveal happens about halfway through the book. But, it is hard to imagine that it could come as a surprise to anyone over the age of twelve. The title and the first chapter are about a male superhero. Then we spend umpteen chapters following a woman around. Why is that? What is the connection?
Finally the pace picks up and we have some real action. This bit is better paced, which is probably why it seems better written. Eventually it even culminates in the 18th century shanks' mare equivalent of a car chase, reminiscent of Kidnapped or John Buchan chases through the gorse. However the disguises wouldn't fool anyone who has read a few Doc Savages or is over the age of twelve.
So am I glad that I read it after all these years? Yes.
Do I wish that I had read it earlier? Yes, but not because I feel like I was missing some part of my education by not reading it. It's more like I think I might have enjoyed it more if I were more naive.
meguniqueuser's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0