Synopses & Reviews
The first and most successful in a series of books that introduced the masked-avenger genre, The Scarlet Pimpernel features Percy Blakeney, who leads a double life as English fop and swashbuckling rescuer of aristocrats from the Reign of Terror.
About the Author
Anne Perry, the Edgar Award-winning author of more than thirty novels, is best known for her two Victorian mystery series. Her recent books include Death of a Stranger, The Whitechapel Conspiracy, and Funeral in Blue. She lives in Scotland.
Reading Group Guide
1. 1. Does Percy treat Marguerite unfairly?
2. 2. How do the theater and theatricality function in the novel?
3. 3. Are there other heroes in the story besides Percy, and if so, who are they and why are they heroes?
4. 4. What is the significance of the flower that gives Percy his secret name?
5. 5. Discuss the use of animal imagery in the novel.
6. 6. Compare and contrast the Fishermans Rest with the Chat Gris.
7. 7. What do you make of Marguerites assumption throughout the last part of the story that Percy is unaware of the fact that Chauvelin is on his trail?
8. 8. Discuss point of view in the novel-it is told mostly from Marguerites point of view, but occasionally it slips into the minds of other characters, such as Percy and Chauvelin. What is the effect of these slips?
9. 9. Is Marguerite ultimately a likable character?