The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel
	1908 edition
Author	Baroness Orczy
Language	English
Genre	Historical fiction, adventure fiction
Set in	1792, during the early stages of the French Revolution
Publisher	Greening
Publication date	1905
Publication place	United Kingdom
Pages	319
Preceded by	The First Sir Percy
Followed by	Sir Percy Leads the Band

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in 1903.

The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The title is the nom de guerre of its hero and protagonist, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life: apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop, but in reality, a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking master of disguise and escape artist. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones who know of his secret identity. He is known by his symbol, a simple flower, the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).

Opening at the New Theatre in London's West End on 5 January 1905, the play became a favourite of British audiences, eventually playing more than 2,000 performances and becoming one of the most popular shows staged in London. Published after the success of the play, the novel was an immediate success, gaining Orczy a following of readers in Britain and the rest of the world. The stage play and subsequent novel, with their hero and villain, were so popular that they inspired a revival of classic villainy at the time.^[2]

Orczy's premise of a daring hero who cultivates a secret identity disguised by a meek or ineffectual manner proved enduring. Zorro, Doctor Syn, the Shadow, the Spider, the Phantom, Superman and Batman followed within a few decades, and the trope remains a popular one in serial fiction today. Read by Stan Lee as a boy, the Marvel co-creator called The Scarlet Pimpernel "the first character who could be called a superhero."^[3]

^ Cite error: The named reference Dugan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Superhero was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Dugan-1] Cite error: The named reference Dugan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:0-2] Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Superhero-3] Cite error: The named reference Superhero was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1]

[2]

[3]