Okay, so I finished A Pride of Kings, by Juliet Dymoke and decided it's a keeper. Maybe it wasn't the absolutely most riveting book I've ever read, but it was nevertheless an interesting take on the life of William Marshal. Plus, it was tremendous fun to see how many historical quotes the author managed to slip into the novel! I used one of the same quotes in Illuminations of the Heart, though in a different context and by a different character. Don't worry, the original speaker (assuming he actually said it) has been dead for over 800 years, so the quote is safely in the common domain. :-)
Now on to another "new" read, one that was recommended to me by a friend over a year ago. I've seen at least two versions of the movie, but until now, have never read...The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. Here's the back cover blurb:
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic adventure novel, the storyline of which takes place in the early years of the French Revolution. It is also a precursor of spy novels, as the title character, the Scarlet Pimpernel, works undercover and in disguise to save French aristocrats from the guillotine.
In the novel, Marguerite Blakeney, a French actress, is married to a Sir Percy Blakeney, a seemingly vain and simple man. The French Ambassador to England, Citizen Chauvelin, blackmails Marguerite into giving him information that leads to his discovery of the Scarlet Pimpernel's true identity. Marguerite only realizes once her husband has once again left for France that the man she betrayed, the Scarlet Pimpernel, is in fact none other but Sir Percy.
In the novel, Marguerite Blakeney, a French actress, is married to a Sir Percy Blakeney, a seemingly vain and simple man. The French Ambassador to England, Citizen Chauvelin, blackmails Marguerite into giving him information that leads to his discovery of the Scarlet Pimpernel's true identity. Marguerite only realizes once her husband has once again left for France that the man she betrayed, the Scarlet Pimpernel, is in fact none other but Sir Percy.
2 comments:
I have this book on my bookshelf and promised myself I will read it one day. Loved the movie!
The version of the movie with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour was voted most romantic movie ever by the Romance Writer's of America about 15 years ago. It's one movie my daughter and I can watch together--over and over and over. There is a part in the book that isn't in the movie which is uber romantic. I once got a hold of an old school primer version of the book but it had cut that scene out entirely--I was glad to find a vintage version of the book containing my favorite scene. At any rate, I love this book/story/movie so much, I named my hero in Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind after Anthony Andrews. Enjoy!
Post a Comment