The Scarlet Pimpernel - Orczy, Emmuska

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Résumé :
When French aristocrats become targets of public violence, a mysterious hero called the Scarlet Pimpernel works to find and safely smuggle them outside the country. Meanwhile, an accredited agent is desperate to uncover his secret identity. During the French Revolution, many members of the upper-class are publicly brutalized and executed. This leads to the creation of an underground society called the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Their leader is the unassuming, Sir Percy Blakeney, a baronet who's married to the beautiful but troubled, Marguerite St. Just. Their relationship is strained due to her complicated history and his false persona. When an ambitious French officer attempts to expose the Scarlet Pimpernel's true identity, Sir Percy and Marguerite, become unexpected pawns in his plan. With The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy delivers one of the most iconic novels of the twentieth century. It's a memorable story that's been adapted multiple times, producing sequels and short story collections. This is the first entry in an expansive series from a brilliant and imaginative author. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Scarlet Pimpernel is both modern and readable.

Biographie:

Baroness Orczy (1865-1947) was initially born in Hungary but raised throughout Europe. She was educated in Brussels, London, Paris and Budapest where she studied creative arts. In 1899, Orczy would publish her first novel entitled, The Emperor's Candlesticks. It wasn't a massive success but led to more writing opportunities including a series of detective stories. A few years later, she wrote and produced a stage play called The Scarlet Pimpernel, which she'd later adapt into a novel. It went on to become her most famous work and is considered a literary masterpiece of the twentieth century.