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Summary: The Cover Tells the Whole Story!!
Review: I'm surprised no other reviewer noticed! Why did Penquin place Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. prominently on the cover? In this reviewer's opinion, they must secretly realize that the wonderful 1937 classic film vastly outshines the printed word. I found the story to be poorly written and hard to follow. Its' style is too formal, too flowery and too wordy! If I had not seen (both) versions of the film, I could not have followed the "action". I constantly referred back to mental images of the movie to orientate myself. A review of "PZ" boils down to a basic truth: While most agree that the book is usually superior, occasionally the movie wins out. "PZ" is a prime example. ("Strangers on a Train" is another!). As for the so -called sequel, "Rupert of Hentzau"- don't even bother, unless you are an Anthony Hope fanatic. Reviewing the book makes one appreciate-once again- that wonderful film fadeout as Ronald Colman rides off over the hill. Since it happens to be available on amazon, click on the movie reviews. Therein will lie the essence of the wonderful adventure story of "The Prisoner of Zenda".
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Summary: Long live the King of swashbuckler novels!
Review: I've long been a fan of Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the classic works of the prolific (and unjustly forgotten) Rafael Sabatini, but if you want the greatest swashbuckler novel of them all, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic you'll come back to again and again: over a hundred years after being written, it's still as sharp as a rapier point."The Prisoner of Zenda" is something of a rarity: a Victorian adventure novel that is as fresh and entertaining to read in this modern jaded age as it was in 1894. If you've ever seen one of the many movie adaptations you already know the story: Rudolf Rassendyll, an Englishman vacationing in the tiny European country of Ruritania, meets and befriends the soon-to-be-crowned King Rudolf--his exact and identical double. When the King is kidnapped by the dastardly Black Michael, Rassendyll must impersonate the King in the coronation ceremony...and in the heart of the Queen. Hope's handling of the romance between Rassendyll and Queen Flavia is both a daring and romantic love story and a subtle examination of the meaning of honor and duty to a gentleman. Of course there's plenty of swordplay and derring-do along the way (put on an Erich Korngold CD while reading for the best effect). If Tom Clancy was writing this one, there'd be nuclear weapons instead of swords and email instead of telegrams, but even he couldn't pull off the simple but subtle romantic story and the triumphant but poignant ending. If you enjoy this, you'll also want to read Hope's worthy sequel "Rupert of Hentzau," which brings Rassendyll back to Ruritania years later to match wits and swords with Michael's henchman, bringing an end to the saga so satisfyingly that there's no need for a third adventure. I loved both but would definitely rank "Rupert" a level below "Prisoner": "Rupert" is narrated by Fritz, the faithful royal retainer from "Prisoner," and suffers from much of the action taking place outside Fritz's personal view and being retold later on. Still, it's a stunning and emotional end to the story, and one which'll bring a proper tear to your eye. Like Rudolf of Ruritania, Anthony Hope is a king...of adventure novels. Unlike Rudolf, he has no equal.
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Summary: This is a winner
Review: If you like, romance, adventure, great good guys, and better villains this book is for you. I can only add that I look forward to read the sequel "Rupert of Hentzau".
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Summary: Excellent swashbuckler
Review: Just finished reading this on my iPAQ. I'm amazed at how easy it is to read books on my handheld - this one was no exception. The story is gripping, the characters are attractive, and the writing very clear. The story is famous - Rudolf Rassendyll bears an uncanny resemblance to the king of Ruritania, because of a not-too-secret dalliance between his great-grandmother and the then King. As a result, Rassendyll, who is a bored aristocrat hanging around London, decides to visit the coronation of the new King. He meets the King by chance, and then, in a plot twist that only a writer like Hope could get away with, the King is drugged in a drinking bout with Rassendyll on the eve of his coronation. He is unable to be crowned, and his servants beg Rassendyll to step in, until the King recovers. Then things go wrong... This is a really well-set up plot, and the characters are well drawn. Everyone is either black or white, honorable or dishonorable. The exception is Rupert of Hentzau, who has no loyalty but to himself (and perhaps his mother), and is clearly having such a good time being both wicked and unhypocritical, that the author and the reader both end up with a lot of sympathy for him. The classic simplicity of this story, and the characters, are what gives this book its longevity. The morality is old-fashioned to be sure, and no one would call it feminist, but a novel as venerable and fresh as this rises above political correctness. No problems with downloading or displaying it on my 32 MB iPAQ - very easy to read on the screen.
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Summary: A light, but fast-paced, old fashioned escapade!
Review: No gravitas to this one, but it's a tale of action and high spirits, beginnning with a young English nobleman who bears an uncanny resemblance (as he is soon to find out) to the new king of a small (and fictional) European kingdom, Ruritania, due to an indiscretion of a female ancestor. The indolent, if honorable, Rudolf Rassyndyll, younger brother of the English Lord of Burlesford, takes a vacation in Ruritania on a lark (and for lack of anything better to do) and is soon swept up in political intrigue, obliged to masquerade as the king in order to save that royal gentleman's life, no less than his kingdom. But Rassyndyll finds he is not at all averse to the role, especially when he falls in love with the king's intended, the beautiful Princess Flavia. Then he must contend with his own sense of honor, no less than with his look-alike's mortal enemies, to bring the king safely out of the castle of Zenda alive while yet preserving the king's own heritage, despite his inclinations to the contrary. A good tale, fast moving and written in a manner which in no way impedes the "read". I read it in a single sitting and enjoyed every page. Regretted it wasn't longer though. (Note that this tale is a sort of bridge between the older form of the 19th century historical romance, as practiced in Victorian England from Sir Walter Scott's time, and the more modern twentieth century political thriller. Lots of swashbuckling and derring-do and plenty of political intrigue as well. But, in the end, it's just an entertainment. You'll find no great depth here.)
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Summary: Life may not be like this - but it should be!
Review: Not only is the story a splendidly enjoyable one, full of simple (almost childish) intrigue, outright (and equally childish) villainy, unabashed heroism and noble sentiments, but it is written in a style that is totally engaging, drawing the reader in from the first sentence. Other than the incidental details nothing about the story may be realistic, but one doesn't want it to be so in this marvellous romp and the reader is rooting for the frank, generous and unhesitatingly courageous hero from the very first. Jeremy Nicholas' reading adds to the pleasure, and the very richness and tone of his voice seems to come straight from the late Victorian period. With it he brings to life the large cast of characters, the villains being no less attractive and entertaining than the hero and his cohorts. Life isn't always like this - but it should be! This talking book is a splendid companion for a long road journey. One waits avidly for his reading of Rupert of Hentzau, the denouncement of which should not be revealed beforehand.
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Summary: Good story, bad edition
Review: Prisoner Of Zenda is a wonderful story, reviewed by others in this format. My comments relate specifically to the Lake Illustrated Classics edition. It is more a graphic novel than an illustrated book. Furthermore, it is abridged, cutting out, for example, most of the coronation scene. Obviously it was designed for children, and would be good to interest them in the story.
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Summary: Fate does not always make the right the man King
Review: Rudolf Rassendyll, cadet of a minor British aristocratic
family, unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in central European politics--thanks to his uncanny resemblance to the King of Ruritania--who is actually his distant, red-headed cousin. Obliged to play the part of the incommoded King for the coronation, Rudolf must perpetuate the royal imposture much longer than the loyal conspirators had planned, for the evil Duke of Strelsau has set in motion a diabolical scheme to seize the Crown and the beautiful Princess Flavia for himself. Aided by the The Six, who would march into Hell for him, black-haired Michael wages a secret but murderous war to remove this new threat to his unbridled ambitions. How long can Col. Sapt and faithful Fritz von Tarlenheim protect the true identity of the play-actor king, while preserving the life of the real king, who languishes in a prison at the Duke's stronghold of Zenda? Must a man sacrifice his pasion to maintain loyalty to a newly-met cousin? And what of a maiden's heart--is it noble to toy with the affections of a princess? What sacrifice must their red-haired cousin make in the name of national peace? As one character wisely remarks: "Pawns rarely are allowed to indulge in passions of their own." Rudolf experiences the ultimate trade-off: King for 3 months in a tiny kingdom, yet he rules forever in her heart! This swashbuckler is a great tale of intrigue
which reads swiftly and is sure to entertain all who crave action, romance and adventure.
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Summary: Lawyers are good for something
Review: Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, a respected British Barrister, wrote two novels of incredible charm and appeal -- The Prisoner of Zenda, and its sequel, Rupert of Hentzau, in 1894 and 1898. The novels created a genre. Rudolph Rassendyll, a distaff cousin of the rightful King of Ruritania, goes to that country from his native England to witness King Rudolph's corination. Then the plot thickens. The two Rudolphs meet, and are incredibly similar to one another -- so similar, in fact, that when King Rudolph drinks drugged wine, sent by his brother Michael as part of a plot to put the younger brother on the throne, Our Hero successfully impersonates the King. Worth reading, and a quick read!
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Summary: A nice entertainer
Review: The book is a mish mash of characters from the late Victorian era. The book is delightfully entertaining although tends to get languid especially in the middle. The plot and the schemes remind you of the master of these genre of novels - Alexander Dumas. A nice entertainer on a Sunday afternoon
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