The Scarlet Pimpernel
Above you see my cover for The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. When I went to the library to get a book I wanted one about the French Revolution. The only one they had was The Scarlet Pimpernel. I went to the check out counter and the librarian actually dis-recommended the book because it was so hard. I like a challenge so I did not heed her warning and took the only French Revolution book they had. The first few days I attempted to read I understood why a librarian did not recommend the book. The dialect was almost incomprehensible for example "Nay! Lud love you, they be right, my lord," says an innkeeper to his lordship in chapter three, The Refugees page 23. Orczy also never approaches the point directly much if not at all. If you decide to skip a page because it is boring you end up missing the major point of the chapter just because you miss one clue to what it is. For example "And daily, hourly, the hideous instrument of torture claimed its many victims, old men, young women, even tiny children, until one day it world demand the head of. The king and his beautiful queen." The Scarlet Pimpernel chapter 1. When you read that do you immediately think French Revolution? I researched a little and discovered the book was set during the reign if terror. Well that explains a lot, but still I didn't quite understand the book. I decided to watch the movie. After I watched the movie the book made a whole lot more sence to me. It must of been visualizing it that made it easier. this is what i learned The action takes place during the French Revolution, when a secret society of English aristocrats, called the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, is trying to rescuing their French family's and friends from the guillotine. Their leader, the Scarlet Pimpernel, takes his nickname from the small red flower with which he signs his messages. No one except his small band of 19 followers, and possibly the Prince of Wales, knows his true identity.