Douglas Fairbanks Jr readsThe Prisoner of Zenda by Douglas Fairbanks Jr,Anthony Hope

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope

I remember watching the old black and white movie from 1937 when I was young. We would stay up just a bit late to watch the weekend features and this was one of many. I have to confess to not recalling that much of the story and reading the book was a great way to refresh my memory. Back then it went along nicely with all the swashbuckler movies of Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. I always remembered the title and it probably fueled my interest in some of the classics like The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.

As the story unfolds we find that Rudolf Rassendyll is telling the tale. It seems that he is attempting to live up to a promise he made to his sister in-law who believes he wastes his life away. He seems to agree, but in a way that says he feels there is little wrong with that or the way he chooses to live his life. It also unfolds that as he tells the story it may be for his own purpose since what he has to tell is best kept as a secret.

Rudolf's sister in-law is trying to set him up with a job with an ambassador as an attache. He acquiesces to her pleas to some extent and since that is 6 mos away he decides to set out on a bit of a vacation that turns into quite an adventure.

In opposition to the movie version Rudolf seems well aware of the scandal involving the Countess Amelia of the Rassendyll's and Rudolf the King of Ruritania. And the story of how every so often a generation has a child whose features recall those of King Rudolf; striking red hair and long sharp straight noses. So on this adventure Rudolf Rassendyll decides to visit the region close to Ruritania; without telling any of his family. On the train there he sees the alluring Antoinette de Mauban (who later plays a major part in the story), but does not take the opportunity to meet her.

After reaching the Ruritanian frontier he decides to get off at Zenda. The first thing that occurs, that is a bit disconcerting, is that people give him a peculiar amount of deference after seeing his face. But when he meets Colonel Sapt and Fritz von Tarlenheim who both serve the king, there is no doubt that his countenance is familiar to both and in their amazement they dawdle enough for him to chance to meet the king (another Rudolf). It becomes clear that the two could almost be brothers and twins at that.

As the plot would have it: what transpires next is that the King is incapacitated to a degree (by drugged wine provided by his brother Michael) that he'd be unable to participate in his up coming coronation and that would leave things open for Prince Michael to grab both the thone and Princess Flavia as his own. It's clear that Michael is behind this and the two King's men hatch a plan to have Rudolf Rassendyll take the Kings place while the King--hopefully--sleeps off the effects of the drug. They leave the King (safe) in the hands of the servants and make off to the coronation.

Everything goes without a hitch though as can be expected Michael is a bit suspicious. Princess Flavia is aware of some change in her betroth and is pleased by the change; leaving the plot open for the pretender to fall in love. And that's when things get complicated.

Michael takes the king as prisoner at Zenda and plots to remove the pretender. He keeps the king alive only because of the pretender and uses him as a means of drawing the three conspirators into a trap.

The story is not only the usual swashbuckling adventure but also a bit of tragedy and fits quite well along the shelf with my Dumas novels.

Of further note::

I found the following line interesting when compared to the famous line I've placed below it here for comparison. (A bit shorter, but still strikingly similar.)

The night was dark and very stormy; gusts of wind and spits of rain caught us as we breasted the incline, and the great trees moaned and sighed.

Hope, Anthony (2012-05-17). The Prisoner of Zenda (p. 89). . Kindle Edition.

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the house-tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

Bulwer-Lytton, Baron Edward (2012-05-16). Paul Clifford - Complete (p. 9). . Kindle Edition.

J.L. Dobias

Where the Prince and the Pauper appeals to younger readers, this is a dashing adventure story for adults, with a similar (though believable) similarity of appearance / features.

What starts as two strangers, amazed to discover they look as alike as twins, evolves into one stepping up when the other is incapacitated, and from there things really get interesting.

A quick read, written a little more than 100 years ago, the English is easy and familiar, as opposed to reading a work in medieval English,or from a literary period where characters names were M. D______

Ultimately it is the challenges, and difficult decisions out hero Rudolf faces, and how he handles them, that made this a wonderful read. The lead character proved himself a hero, in a variety of ways.

Fast paced and very much a piece of its time, The Prisoner of Zenda draws on the old literary device of two identical strangers (though in the case of the two Rudolfs, they are second cousins from a scandalous affair some four generations previously). While Hope's forte was not characterization, he created one of the most memorable villains of the age - Rupert of Hentzau. Rupert is as affable, witty, charming, and evil as they come.

The main character, Rudolf Rassendyll, makes a dashing hero and perhaps a slightly unreliable narrator. The woman he falls in love with, Princess Flavia (the king's cousin and intended), is a flat and idealized character, but her last scene gives her the kind of courage and honor the protagonist could only wish he possessed.

The story is a minor classic, a fast read, and very enjoyable entertainment.

The Prisoner of Zenda
By:Anthony Hope Narrated by: James Wilby
File Size: 310 KB, Print Length: 178, audio: 5 hrs and 31 mins
The Prisoner of Zenda is the story of an Englishman who travels to the small European state of Ruritania where he impersonates the ruler and falls in love with Princess Flavia.
There is more to the description above than what the above explains. So this young Prince is going to get crowned, what does he do? He goes out and parties the night before. I mean really who wouldn’t ? What happens? Well long story short he drank too much and was Ruffied ! The rest of the party goers can’t wake him up as it happens; one of them happens to look a lot like him. So, Rodolf is pushed into taking the Prince’s place and gets crowned King. Simple? NOPE! The uncrowned Prince has a crush on his cousin Princess Flavia and she is crushing hard on the imposter, Rodolf thinking he is the King. What makes this even more complicated is that they thought the Prince was safely tucked away sleeping off his ruffie. Nope, he’s been kidnapped and hauled to Zenda! Now its up to the imposter to not only rescue the Ruffied Prince…now King and continue to impersonate him in the process. Flavia & Rudolf fall in love an unexpected result of spending much time together, since it is expected for them to marry. Rudolf is a smart man, everything works out and Flavia who finally discovers who he really is declares her love for him even though she must marry the newly rescued King. Sadly it ends, with them parting ways, Flavia to her Royal life and duties and Rudolf to a solitary life.
I read this High school, not for class. It was a movie I saw one bored Saturday afternoon when we didn’t have cable, so I checked out of the library. I was more impressed with the movie than the book at the time. Well, years have past, maturity changing my opinion. I was challenged by a dear friend to re-read this story and give it a second chance. I reluctantly did so and quickly found myself in Ruritania. James Wilby has the perfect English accent and does a great deal of aerobics changing voices , carrying the audience with him through horseback rides, battles and plain running for our lives. Whenever a narrator can insert the audience into the action, he/she is doing an outstanding job. Not boring at all. And just for sh** and giggles I will watch one of the movies once I find it.
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope (9 February 1863 – 8 July 1933), was an English novelist and playwright.[1] He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels but he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau (1898). These works, "minor classics" of English literature, are set in the contemporaneous fictional country of Ruritania and spawned the genre known as Ruritanian romance.[2] Zenda has inspired many adaptations, most notably the 1937 Hollywood movie of the same name. Note Amazon has this for free and there are several versions on audio ranging from $2-$18, I sampled them until I heard the one preformed by James Wilby.