Baroness Orczy

I think my first encounter with the character of the Scarlet Pimpernel was via Leslie Howard’s portrayal of him in the movie of the same name. I quickly followed that up with Anthony Andrews’ interpretation of him. At the time, the bookstore I was working in stocked the book, as it was being used in schools, and I quickly purchased it. It immediately consumed me. It is one of those books where, in spite of the fact that most is told from Lady Blakeney’s point of view, the book is all about Sir Percy and the reader knows it from the moment he appears. He is fascinating, especially when he is playing stupid, and is larger than life and constantly entertaining.
At times I felt that the climax of Orczy’s plots relied a little too heavily on Sir Percy’s at times almost superhuman abilities, but there’s no doubt they were entertaining and that Percy’s love of his beautiful French wife was a delight and an inspiration. If you haven’t read The Scarlet Pimpernel, I can recommend it. Sir Percy Blakeney is another one of those characters who became a force to be reckoned with.