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Cannonball Read III: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

By Captain Steve | Posted Under Book Reviews | Comments (13)

scarlet-pimpernel.jpg

Ah, French class. Wherein I almost ate head cheese, celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a potluck involving quiche, and learned exactly 2 phrases. I also saw the 1982 version of the Scarlet Pimpernel involving Jane Seymour, who I previously only knew as Dr. Quinn, and Anthony Andrews, who I knew not at all, but oh, how pretty. And then the premise! I think I’ve discussed on previous occasions my severe hero jones (but only if they can bring the funny. For example, Thor does not do it for me so much.), and the Scarlet Pimpernel is included. I finished the book on a Sunday, watched the movie (I own it. It’s awesome. Judge away.), then ransacked my Netflix Instant for the BBC version. I love you BBC. Never leave me.

Marguerite St. Juste is an actress and patriot during the French Revolution. She runs the arty intellectual set in bloody France and meets Sir Perceval Blakeney, an apparent fop with nothing on his mind other than a good game of cricket. She sees a spark in him, though, and he is obviously devoted to her, so she attaches herself to those coattails. On the eve of their wedding, Percy finds out that Marguerite’s name was on the warrant that sent the Marquis de St. Cyr and his entire family to the guillotine. Percy is devastated by this news, because if she’ll rat out someone that had her brother’s ass whooped, well then, her dearly devoted aristo hubby has exactly the chance of a snowball in hell of keeping his head if she finds out his secret: he runs the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

This group of 20 young English aristos is dedicated to saving the innocents from death at their own peril. Since he can tell his wife nothing, he keeps her at arm’s length, letting her see only what others see: an idiot with too much time and money on his hands. Chauvelin arrives in England as the French ambassador and hooks up with Marguerite to attempt to ferret out the identity of the Pimpernel. Marguerite refuses to help him, until, after kidnapping 2 gents of the League, he discovers that Armand, Marguerite’s little brother, is a member. This is all news to Marguerite, and Chauvelin threatens her brother’s life, so of course, she is required to help him, even though she supports the Pimpernel’s cause, finding the revolution distasteful and vengeful.

After Marguerite rats out the Pimpernel after stealing a note from Andrew which states exactly where the Pimpernel wants to meet his minions, Chauvelin finds Percy, passed out in the dining room. He begins to suspect our noble hero. Marguerite, still half out of the loop—which makes at least part of me wonder how this woman could have been the toast of intellectual Paris (Had they offed all the chicks with eyes?)—confesses all to Percy in order to save her brother, after Chauvelin makes no promises. He rushes off to France to save Armand, which, wow, cellphones would have been mad helpful. Marguerite finally puts two and two together and comes up with a semi-reasonable answer, and chases after him with Andrew and almost manages to get them all killed, while Percy demonstrates that he has the largest set on either side of the Channel.

Have I mentioned my undying adoration for the Percy/Marguerite hook-up? I mean, yes, she was truly horrible and wretched, but at least she actually did something. So often, especially in older books, the ladies are there as decoration, which does reflect the times. I mean, Elizabeth Bennett wasn’t supposed to do things. She’s damn lucky she got that walk in, even though she got mocked for it. It’s nice to read a book in which the lady is allowed to have a part. I’m into El Dorado right now, and while Marguerite hasn’t yet made an appearance, I’m hoping she might and in so doing, improve upon my view of her.


For more of Captain Steve’s reviews, check out her blog, Gnomespeak.

This review is part of Cannonball Read III. For more information, click here.









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Comments

Give the Broadway musical a try. It is also tremendous.

Posted by: E-Money at September 5, 2011 11:13 AM

Anthony Andrews. My god, how I loved him, and had COMPLETELY forgotten him until this review. My brain was all, "'Anthony Andrews?' 'Pretty.' Why do I know that name?"

Quick imdb..."OH, Sebastian. Brideshead Revisited. Anthony Andrews. I loved him!"

That was weird. He had been almost totally deleted in my memory files.

On a more relevant note, thanks for reviewing this. I was aware of the book but dismissed as one of those that I would've been forced to read in school and didn't think I would like it but now I will read it. And yep, is free on Kindle.

Posted by: Shonda at September 5, 2011 11:47 AM

This was a great read, and still my favorite book.

Posted by: Nicolae at September 5, 2011 3:45 PM

It's also free off the Google books thing and that's how I got it, and it's little friends, too. I would love to see the musical! I've heard it's amazing.

Posted by: Captain Steve at September 5, 2011 3:59 PM

I like the old French history, their sense of nobility was striking. They had no qualms about killing or suicide. Reminds me of Inspector Javert from “Les Miserables,” Javert was so torn up about duty and honor that he committed suicide.

Posted by: Pookie at September 5, 2011 4:07 PM

I thought the movie was actually better than the book since it shows the courtship and the whole relationship before the marriage. The book lands in the middle of things about one year into the marriage and I was at a loss on how pretend-idiot-Percy managed to get the prettiest and smartest woman in Paris to marry him. Of course, I also had no idea he looked like Anthony Andrews, otherwise it would all have made perfect sense.

Posted by: Me at September 5, 2011 4:38 PM

The BBC also ran a Scarlet Pimpernel series back in 1999, with Richard E. Grant in the titular role and Elizabeth McGovern as Marguerite St Just. Not too shabby. It's available on Netflix streaming if you're interested.

Posted by: PDamian at September 5, 2011 4:53 PM

Oh holy hell, Anthony Andrews. We watched the movie in high school English & I was never the same. The moments where he would slip from lame, foppish Sir Percy to swashbuckling, sword-fighting, Dauphin-rescuing badass Scarlet Pimpernel gave me funny feelings in my tummy. And all the pent-up sexual frustration between Percy and Marguerite? Hot.

Posted by: octogrammarian at September 5, 2011 6:26 PM

It disturbs me sometimes how many great movies and books would be ended half way if people just had cell phones. I worry for the suspense of future stories.

Posted by: Haystacks at September 5, 2011 7:07 PM

My favorite movie of all time, "Local Hero," would never have been made in the age of cell phones. Part of the plot revolves around there being only one phone in the entire village, and it's a pay phone.

Posted by: BWeaves at September 5, 2011 8:25 PM

Ok. I'm going to have to read this novel again. All I remember about it is getting constantly exasperated with Marguerite and hoping that at some point Percy would become a widower.

Posted by: Four Eyes at September 5, 2011 9:40 PM

I just watched this recently. One of my closest friends (a girl I should point out) loves this movie, and so decided that I should watch it.

It is an incredible movie.

Posted by: Lord-ninja at September 6, 2011 4:36 PM

call me silly, but i loved it!

Posted by: kikz at September 7, 2011 2:49 PM