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Novel "The
Scarlet Pimpernel" captivates audiences
By Elisa Bark
Picture yourself in England during the French Revolution. Besides
"Madame la Guillotine," there is one name on everyone's lips-that
of the Scarlet Pimpernel. This one man, who has taken the name of
a red, star-shaped flower as his code name, ventures on daring missions
to rescue innocent French aristocratic families from the evil jaws
of the guillotine. And all the while, his identity remains a mystery.
Nothing and no one can stop this brave man except the ruthless French
agent Chauvelin, who has sworn to discover the elusive Pimpernel's
identity and hunt him down.
As for my own experience with the novel, I had heard of "The Scarlet
Pimpernel" but never thought I would be able sit long enough to
read this book from the early 1900s. I not only finished it, I read
it twice. The story enticed me and drew me in. The myth about this
book, and other classic novels, is that they are written in Old
English and are too difficult to read. Nothing could be further
from the truth. The language is easy to read and is also breathtakingly
beautiful. What is fascinating is that the author, Baroness Emmuska
Orczy, wrote the book in English, which was not her native language.
She moved from her native Hungary to England, where she wrote many
books, all in English.
Back to the story…from the time Chauvelin enters England, the story
becomes a cat-and-mouse game: survival of the fittest. Chauvelin's
hunt for the Pimpernel leads him to the inner circles of England's
most privileged. During his venture through the country's high society,
Chauvelin meets Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife, Lady Marguerite
Blakeney-England's most well-known couple. Chauvelin connects with
Lady Blakeney, who happens to be French. When he fails to convince
her to aid in his search, he blackmails her, threatening the life
of her only brother, Armand St. Just.
While in pursuit of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Lady Blakeney discovers
feelings for her husband she believed to be long gone. Ironically,
her betrayal of the Scarlet Pimpernel draws Marguerite and Percy
back together in a most profound way.
"How do they get back together?" you may ask. You must find out
for yourself.
My advice to those who dare pick up this book is to forget the time
period, costumes and culture. Focus instead on the timeless themes
of love, betrayal, adventure and intrigue. As you do this, you will
be as fascinated with this novel as I am.
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