The Scarlet Pimpernel

By: Baroness Orczy

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

"Who is this man, this Scarlet Pimpernel?" Each day this question grew more pressing to the leaders of the French Revolution. Only this man and his band of followers threatened their total power. Only this maddeningly elusive figure defied the vast network of fanatics, informers, and secret agents that the Revolution spread out to catch its enemies.

Some said this man of many disguises, endless ruses, and infinite daring was an exiled French nobleman, returned to wreak vengeance. Others said he was an English lord, seeking sheer adventure and supreme sport in playing the most dangerous game of all. But of only one thing could those who sought him be sure. They knew all too well the symbol of his presence: the blood-red flower known as the Scarlet Pimpernel.

(P)2005 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"A swashbuckling adventure tale of epic proportions...an exciting, fast-paced story." (Large Print Reviews)
"Arguably the best adventure story ever published, and certainly the most influential that appeared during the early decades of the 20th century." (Gary Hoppenstand)

A good listen

The author paints vivid scenes that are wonderfully entertaining. The end of the book grew tedious with repetition of several phrases ad nauseum. Still I overall enjoyed the story and recommend it to other listeners.

Surprisingly fantastic!

This is such a fun and quick listen. The narrator is one of the best I've heard. This story sounds very modern. The pace and the characters had me laughing out loud. Some people have found the repeated descriptions too flowery or over the top, but I loved the use of epithets and repeated descriptive markers - a classical touch (again, offering evidence that there is likely more going on here than first meets the ear). Adventure story, satire, love story, class warfare - oh my!

Comforting and Familiar

Interesting description and fun scenes bracketed with living history. More than a but heavy to exposition, but the narrator's voice is soothing and pleasant.

Good narration of a classic

The narrator was able to convey all emotions Margarite well. His portrayal of Percy and Chauvelin were nice.

Loved the narration

The narration was perfect. Characters were played in a way that stired the imagination. Spoken with great feeling.

Loved it!

Light weight, some silliness, great intrigue, fun ending. I never tire of rereading this story.

My favorite classic

I read this book so many times as a kid. as an adult, I have less time to read so it was fun to listen to it this time around

Great story with surprises along the way

A long-standing tale, but one worth revisitng for the pure enjoyment of it. Great performance across the different types of voices.

Great listen

A wonderful movie and an even better book. I believe they picked the perfect narrator for this book he really did it justice and made for quite an easy listening.

Stellar

I adore this story and have done ever since I read it in high school several years ago. It is unfortunately dated and a significant aspect of the novel hinges on dreadful anti-semitic stereotypes, however. For that I have given it four out of five stars.