The Classics Club: “The Scarlet Pimpernel”

Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life: he seems nothing more than a wealthy playboy, but in reality he is a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape artist. During the Reign of Terror in revolutionary France, he assists many French aristocrats in escaping the guillotine. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones who know of his secret identity. He is known only by his symbol: a simple flower called the scarlet pimpernel.  The novel began its life in 1903 as a stage play by a French baroness.  It later evolved into a novel and several film adaptations were made.