Reviews

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

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isbnopal's review against another edition

4.0

EEEK. i loved this book. It was so different from what i was reading. It was a sweet romance with adventure. And it was actually funny. i was absolutely was surprised.

gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition

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4.0

Very very good. A wonderful romance, a somewhat surprising spy element, and generally a good read (even though I listened to it from Librivox). I heartily recommend this book.

drakken's review against another edition

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3.5

A fun time

trin's review against another edition

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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. :(

emily_quotier's review against another edition

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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

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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.