The Scarlet Pimpernel

Synopsis

Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.

Loved

• Basically I adore every single about this book. For real. But here are some of the best things:

• The wittiness! This book is HILARIOUS. Percy and his men are so witty and so ridiculous with their charade of being brainless dandies whose biggest concern is the knot of their cravats. I laugh out loud so many times when I read this because of Percy's over-the-top flowery language and his plucky insults.

• Percy and Marguerite's romance. Their relationship is so painful and frustrating, but soo swoony. In my opinion the most romantic scene in any book is in this story, but I won't say when to avoid spoilers ;) I just adore their story and the obstacles, assumptions and prejudices they have to overcome in order to trust each other.

• The history. This is set during the French Revolution, so we get to see some of what it was like for the French Aristocrats trying to escape the guillotine. It's a fascinating setting and Chauvelin is a perfect representation of the rigidity and ruthlessness of the Reign of Terror.

• The adventure. I love Percy's men and how fearless they are in going to rescue the Aristocrats. The best part is how smart and cunning Percy is in outwitting the French. He basically escapes every situation on pure wit, daring, and pluck. (Especially his stunt at the end which kills me every time!)

• Percy. I just love and adore Percy so much. I love that he acts like a brainless dandy who writes inane poems and sets the latest fashion, but really he is deep, passionate and selfless. I just love his ability to think on his feet and outwit anyone, especially Chauvelin. His passion for Marguerite underneath his cold facade is heart stopping (*swoon*). Basically Percy is one of my favorite characters in all literature.

Didn't Love

• This book is just perfect :)

Content

• Language: 
• There are lots of "demned"s and some "hell"s, but that's as far as the language goes. 
• There are one or two uses of "zounds" as a curse, which the footnote in the Barnes and Noble version says the translation means "God's wounds." 

• Sexual content: 
• The first chapter takes place in a fisherman's inn and there are some suggestive comments made to Sally, the voluptuous hostess, but nothing explicit. 
• Two of the main characters have chaste kiss that is not described in detail.

• Violence: 
• Since this is set during the French Revolution, there are many references to "Madame Guillotine" and its victims.
• There is mild violence throughout the story, including beatings and kidnappings. There are no graphic descriptions nor hardly mentions of blood in these scenes.

 Overall Thoughts

Obviously I'm biased because this is probably my all-time favorite book, BUT. . . I do love this story because it has something for everyone: adventure, mystery, intrigue, wit, history, humor, and romance. I also love that it's a classic, but a little easier to understand and reads a lot faster than other classics. The beginning is a little slow, but as soon as you get through the first few chapters, you won't be able to put it down and you will be completely hooked, trust me ;)