The Scarlet Pimpernel

Marguerite Blakeney, a French woman, is married to a wealthy fop, Sir Percy Blakeney. The couple have become estranged as a result of her earlier unintentional denunciation of a French aristocratic family, resulting in their being sent to the guillotine. Like many others, Marguerite is entranced by stories of the Scarlet Pimpernel — an anonymous hero who, through a combination of courage and daring, has rescued many aristocrats from Madame Guillotine, and brought them safely to England.

Marguerite's beloved brother, Armand, is discovered to be part of the Scarlet Pimpernel's organization, and he is therefore in danger of being executed. Marguerite is blackmailed by the wily French ambassador to England, Citizen Chauvelin; if she helps him discover the Pimpernel's identity, Armand's life will be spared. She cannot face the thought of losing her brother, and she hopes that the Pimpernel will be able to save himself. She passes along some information, meaningless to her, to Chauvelin. She is contemptuous of her seemingly witless husband, so she does not go to him for help.

When Sir Percy leaves for France, Marguerite realizes, to her horror, that he is the Pimpernel — the man she has betrayed. She follows him to France to try to warn him. Sir Percy outwits Chauvelin, and manages to rescue Armand, as well as the father of Marguerite's schoolfriend. Touched by his wife's remorse, and by her devotion and courage, he forgives her, and the reconciled couple return to England.

The subsequent books in the series deal with other characters with whom Blakeney comes into contact, and with the activities of his followers, Lord Tony Dewhurst, Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, Lord Hastings, and Marguerite's brother, Armand St. Just.

Historical accuracy

Orczy was more invested in telling a good tale than in strict historical accuracy. Her sympathies are plainly (and understandably) with the aristocracy, and there are several distortions of historical record and characterization. In particular, the career of Chauvelin, the recurring villain of the series, is much altered; in fact, Bernard-Francois, marquis de Chauvelin, survived the Revolutionary period to become an official under Napoleon I of France and a noted liberal Deputy under the Bourbon Dynasty, Restored.

Scarlet Pimpernel Books

* The Scarlet Pimpernel (play 1903, novel 1905)
* I Will Repay (1906)
* The Elusive Pimpernel (1908)
* Eldorado (1913)
* Lord Tony's Wife (1917)
* The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1919) collection of short stories
* The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1922)
* Sir Percy Hits Back (1927)
* The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1929)
* A Child of the Revolution (1932)
* The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1933) collection of short stories
* Sir Percy Leads the Band (1936)
* The Gallant Pimpernel (1939) collection of four novels
* Mam'zelle Guillotine (1940)

'The Tartan Pimpernel'

Inspired by the title Scarlet Pimpernel, the "Tartan Pimpernel" was a nickname given to the Rev Donald Caskie (1902-1983), formerly minister of the Paris congregation of the Church of Scotland, for aiding over 2,000 Allied service personnel to escape from occupied France during World War II.

External links

* Free ebook of The Scarlet Pimpernel at Project Gutenberg
* IMDB link to Scarlet Pimpernel movies
* Additional information and digital copies of all books available at Blakeney Manor