Bevat : The scarlet pimpernel
I will repay
Eldorado
Sir Percy hits back

There are nearly 1300 pages in this volume, which contains four novels, but I read it in a little over a week. I skimmed here and there; the slightly archaic language is long-winded in places, with a tad too much description for my tastes. But it was also very difficult to put down!

The first book in this volume is the original one, ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’, which introduces the folk hero who rescued many aristocrats from the terrors of the guillotine in the late 1700s. It’s fiction - the hero himself did not exist, but set in a real and terrible climate, amidst many historic figures.

The second book, ‘I will repay’, features a young woman who has sworn to avenge the death of her brother in a duel. She made a promise to her father when she was young, and has determined to carry it out.. only to find herself falling in love with the person she must betray.

The third book, ‘Eldorado’, is my least favourite of the four. The heroine is a young woman who acts on stage, but in the underlying plot the Scarlet Pimpernel and his followers have determined to rescue the ‘Dauphin’ - the presumed child king Louis XVII who is imprisoned following the end of the French monarchy. Orczy manages a believable story, amidst real historic figures, settings and events.

The final book is ‘Sir Percy hits back’. It begins in the countryside, with a family of aristocrats, one of whom is captured while his wife and invalid daughter mysteriously vanish. We then meet Fleurette, a courageous and gentle young woman who has little idea of what’s going on in Paris. There’s an unexpected twist in this story which I thought excellent - I did not see it coming at all! - and the ending is entirely satisfactory. It made a good end to the four-book volume.

These books are cleverly written, exciting and fast-paced, setting the scene of the horrors of the French Revolution and the widespread destruction of those from aristocratic lines, yet without ever becoming gory. It’s oddly light-hearted, taking us, at times, to upper-class English society. I don’t have any particular desire to read the others (there are at least eight more) but I'm glad I finally read this lengthy tome.

I’d recommend it to anyone - teenager or adult - who likes historical fiction, particularly anyone interested in this period of French history. ( )

The Scarlet Pimpernel
Part of the popular canon and deservedly so, this book has sparked several television and film adaptations. The prose is sparkling and this was an enjoyable and interesting read.

I Will Repay
Not enough of the Pimpernel in this one, but still an interesting read as it depicts the paranoia evident during this stage of the Terror. Otherwise this is a fairly standard love story and an OK read.

Eldorado
The Pimpernel is back centre stage in this one, which is how it should be. Armand falls in love and takes a risk which puts everyone in danger. But Sir Percy comes through, eventually... ( )