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The Scarlet Pimpernel (publication order) #Short Stories
The Adventures Of The Scarlet Pimpernel
The second collection of short stories featuring Sir Percy Blakeney, The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Set in revolutionary France in 1793, these further adventures will thrill the first time reader as much as those who are familiar with the Pimpernel and the League. Their arch enemy Chauvelin and the Committee of Public Safety are never far behind, whilst back in England the beautiful Marguerite maintains her devotion.
Set in revolutionary France in 1793, these further adventures will thrill the first time reader as much as those who are familiar with the Pimpernel and the League. Their arch enemy Chauvelin and the Committee of Public Safety are never far behind, whilst back in England the beautiful Marguerite maintains her devotion.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1929
21 people are currently reading
1203 people want to read
About the author
Emmuska Orczy
857 books1,111 followersFull name: Emma ("Emmuska") Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála Orczy de Orczi was a Hungarian-British novelist, best remembered as the author of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1905). Baroness Orczy's sequels to the novel were less successful. She was also an artist, and her works were exhibited at the Royal Academy, London. Her first venture into fiction was with crime stories. Among her most popular characters was The Old Man in the Corner, who was featured in a series of twelve British movies from 1924, starring Rolf Leslie.
Baroness Emmuska Orczy was born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, as the only daughter of Baron Felix Orczy, a noted composer and conductor, and his wife Emma. Her father was a friend of such composers as Wagner, Liszt, and Gounod. Orczy moved with her parents from Budapest to Brussels and then to London, learning to speak English at the age of fifteen. She was educated in convent schools in Brussels and Paris. In London she studied at the West London School of Art. Orczy married in 1894 Montague Barstow, whom she had met while studying at the Heatherby School of Art. Together they started to produce book and magazine illustrations and published an edition of Hungarian folktales.
Orczy's first detective stories appeared in magazines. As a writer she became famous in 1903 with the stage version of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Baroness Emmuska Orczy was born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, as the only daughter of Baron Felix Orczy, a noted composer and conductor, and his wife Emma. Her father was a friend of such composers as Wagner, Liszt, and Gounod. Orczy moved with her parents from Budapest to Brussels and then to London, learning to speak English at the age of fifteen. She was educated in convent schools in Brussels and Paris. In London she studied at the West London School of Art. Orczy married in 1894 Montague Barstow, whom she had met while studying at the Heatherby School of Art. Together they started to produce book and magazine illustrations and published an edition of Hungarian folktales.
Orczy's first detective stories appeared in magazines. As a writer she became famous in 1903 with the stage version of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 16, 2019
Oh, Sir Percy! You charming rogue! This collection of stories jumps back and forth between the early days of the League and the post-Scarlet Pimpernel time when Marguerite is his wife and confidant. They are fun little adventures, but they're almost like someone in the crew is telling the story, and you don't get a deep look into any of the main characters.
November 29, 2025
Collection of short stories about our favorite English Mi'Lord, who goes across the Channel to rescue aristos from the chopping block. The stories are fun, and you know our hero is going to succeed, although not always how.
November 13, 2025
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy comes from the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list https://www.theguardian.com/books/200...
Nine out of 10
In the future, Artificial Intelligence will be able to spoil audiences with the perfect novel – you should read books by phenomenal Yuval Harari, one of the most illuminating thinkers of our age, and find more about our future http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/02/s... - and tests have been done already, with computers that have already produced music that sounds like Bach – and people have been asked to distinguish between the real and artificial composer of ‘Bach’ music and could not tell the difference – and there have been attempts to offer the public written opera, with those asked unable to tell which is the ‘human product’ and what is artificial.
For the under signed, the future ‘sounds good’ – to quote the advertising slogan of Vodafone…I think it is theirs, not that this matters one bit, for I am the client of their competitor, one of the first they had and told them to celebrate this when they made it to twenty years of activity and when I suggested that I may be number one on their list (as in others have been smarter and left them a long time ago) their first (and tenth) reply was…so what, only to finally come up with a gift, an iPhone and then I stood on my head, in the lotus position for their internal video…incidentally, if you have read this far, interested in an opinion on The Scarlet Pimpernel, it is clear you made the wrong choice, but then maybe we can get together and organize a feat worthy of that dashing, valiant, strong, fearless character and get me to do the lotus on the head position, to which I have added in an absolute Premiere, World Record doing abdomens in that impossible position – here is the video proving it http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/01/w... - with dual benefits, for we can do a commercial with before the use of the product and then after, when I can do…well, magic things
Artificial Intelligence, soon after Singularity or just before will be able to write the novel that includes elements that make The Scarlet Pimpernel captivating, but it will also be able to combine aspects that make readers happier, more positive – the optimists live longer, more successful private and professional lives, as proved by research, including one that looked at the diaries of the nuns of Notre Dame, the nuns that used more positive words in their journals lived about nine years more than those who were neutral, or somewhat less positive – and inspired by the lines printed by a computer, with the potential to enthuse…
That computer will have access to All that Humanity has created and be more intelligent that the whole of humankind, past and present, and with such a ‘very large brain’ – to quote of the most stupid creatures, the one that calls himself the ‘very stable genius’, as such one of the good jokes we can hear, and who could get into the most powerful job in the world, again, in about three years – Artificial intelligence will be able to offer the Perfect Mix of challenge, humor, intensity, bliss, tension, anticipation, delayed gratification, learning to get the audience to reach Flow aka Optimum Experience and be in The Zone http://realini.blogspot.com/2014/02/f...
Algorithms already know about us more than we do and that would also contribute to the creation of the Perfect, Practical Novel, which will offer us Information on literature, the universe (or universes, for there are plenty, if not an infinity of them) much like the Almost Perfect The Information by Martin Amis does http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/03/m... where we could find about Joyce, Proust, dramatists, but also diets, Americans and whatever else gets us high, in the perfect mix of pleasure with practicality, giving us the paradigm of Flow, we are In Control – algorithms will have given the system all the details needed to satisfy our cravings, sooth insecurities, calm anxieties, make us optimistic enough about the future to engage, but not crazy as Martin Seligman, father of positive psychology – cofounded with the author of Flow, Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi – being optimistic does not equal getting drunk at a party and then driving, because we are ‘positive’
The Scarlet Pimpernel does have merits and these will be incorporated in the Novel of the AI Future, which needs to build into the public most, if not all of the Character Strengths – to name a few, magnanimity, gratitude, wisdom, temperance, transcendence, courage, Appreciation of excellence and beauty, Humor…The Scarlet Pimpernel does have this, critics might even say it is amusing in its pretenses and Rowan Atkinson, if I remember well, has taken a sardonic look at the famous hero, dashing to save French ‘aristos’ from the guillotine which had killed so many of them, following the French Revolution, and basically, we follow him and other figures as they clash with the villain, representative of the bloody revolutionaries – maybe the under signed has been less exalted by the Pimpernel (it sound ludicrous actually) because he had been a revolutionary himself, in 1989, when Ceausescu has been deposed, then executed, and yours truly has made it into the pages of Newsweek…
The Novel of the Future will also take into account and place in the pages – explicitly or in a subliminal manner, depending on what is most effective for particular readers – the elements of Positivity – as explained by Barbara Fredrickson in her classic http://realini.blogspot.com/2015/05/p... - awe, amusement, interest, inspiration, hope, pride, gratitude, serenity, joy and above all, love, which will be assimilated by the readers – there are tests that looked at the effect that the image of a logo has, when it passed on the screens of participants in research – on this aspect, Yuval Harari explains that most of the psychological tests are made in the west, America in particular and a good chunk of those take place involving students of…psychology – and when the logo of Apple is seen for under one second, then creativity increases, if it is McDonalds then speed is increased and to add another research, two groups have been given to listen to words, the first were primed with terms associated with old age, grey, Florida, Slowly and the second had none of these connections, and it was proved that the former group would take twice as long to get to the exit, once they had been exposed to the ‘aging treatment, though only metaphorically…
Since The Pimpernel has been turned upside down, let us just conclude that it is not the Novel of the Future – written in 1905 as it is – but the Singularity Machine of 2035 – I think this was the date given as the term when we will have humankind surpassed at IQ by the Supercomputer – will have some of the hues, shades of the Scarlet Pimpernel, depending though on what each and every one prefers, if they are fans of Scarlet, that will be more visible, and if they are reluctant, then there will be just a tiny, little shadow there, in the middle…
Nine out of 10
In the future, Artificial Intelligence will be able to spoil audiences with the perfect novel – you should read books by phenomenal Yuval Harari, one of the most illuminating thinkers of our age, and find more about our future http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/02/s... - and tests have been done already, with computers that have already produced music that sounds like Bach – and people have been asked to distinguish between the real and artificial composer of ‘Bach’ music and could not tell the difference – and there have been attempts to offer the public written opera, with those asked unable to tell which is the ‘human product’ and what is artificial.
For the under signed, the future ‘sounds good’ – to quote the advertising slogan of Vodafone…I think it is theirs, not that this matters one bit, for I am the client of their competitor, one of the first they had and told them to celebrate this when they made it to twenty years of activity and when I suggested that I may be number one on their list (as in others have been smarter and left them a long time ago) their first (and tenth) reply was…so what, only to finally come up with a gift, an iPhone and then I stood on my head, in the lotus position for their internal video…incidentally, if you have read this far, interested in an opinion on The Scarlet Pimpernel, it is clear you made the wrong choice, but then maybe we can get together and organize a feat worthy of that dashing, valiant, strong, fearless character and get me to do the lotus on the head position, to which I have added in an absolute Premiere, World Record doing abdomens in that impossible position – here is the video proving it http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/01/w... - with dual benefits, for we can do a commercial with before the use of the product and then after, when I can do…well, magic things
Artificial Intelligence, soon after Singularity or just before will be able to write the novel that includes elements that make The Scarlet Pimpernel captivating, but it will also be able to combine aspects that make readers happier, more positive – the optimists live longer, more successful private and professional lives, as proved by research, including one that looked at the diaries of the nuns of Notre Dame, the nuns that used more positive words in their journals lived about nine years more than those who were neutral, or somewhat less positive – and inspired by the lines printed by a computer, with the potential to enthuse…
That computer will have access to All that Humanity has created and be more intelligent that the whole of humankind, past and present, and with such a ‘very large brain’ – to quote of the most stupid creatures, the one that calls himself the ‘very stable genius’, as such one of the good jokes we can hear, and who could get into the most powerful job in the world, again, in about three years – Artificial intelligence will be able to offer the Perfect Mix of challenge, humor, intensity, bliss, tension, anticipation, delayed gratification, learning to get the audience to reach Flow aka Optimum Experience and be in The Zone http://realini.blogspot.com/2014/02/f...
Algorithms already know about us more than we do and that would also contribute to the creation of the Perfect, Practical Novel, which will offer us Information on literature, the universe (or universes, for there are plenty, if not an infinity of them) much like the Almost Perfect The Information by Martin Amis does http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/03/m... where we could find about Joyce, Proust, dramatists, but also diets, Americans and whatever else gets us high, in the perfect mix of pleasure with practicality, giving us the paradigm of Flow, we are In Control – algorithms will have given the system all the details needed to satisfy our cravings, sooth insecurities, calm anxieties, make us optimistic enough about the future to engage, but not crazy as Martin Seligman, father of positive psychology – cofounded with the author of Flow, Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi – being optimistic does not equal getting drunk at a party and then driving, because we are ‘positive’
The Scarlet Pimpernel does have merits and these will be incorporated in the Novel of the AI Future, which needs to build into the public most, if not all of the Character Strengths – to name a few, magnanimity, gratitude, wisdom, temperance, transcendence, courage, Appreciation of excellence and beauty, Humor…The Scarlet Pimpernel does have this, critics might even say it is amusing in its pretenses and Rowan Atkinson, if I remember well, has taken a sardonic look at the famous hero, dashing to save French ‘aristos’ from the guillotine which had killed so many of them, following the French Revolution, and basically, we follow him and other figures as they clash with the villain, representative of the bloody revolutionaries – maybe the under signed has been less exalted by the Pimpernel (it sound ludicrous actually) because he had been a revolutionary himself, in 1989, when Ceausescu has been deposed, then executed, and yours truly has made it into the pages of Newsweek…
The Novel of the Future will also take into account and place in the pages – explicitly or in a subliminal manner, depending on what is most effective for particular readers – the elements of Positivity – as explained by Barbara Fredrickson in her classic http://realini.blogspot.com/2015/05/p... - awe, amusement, interest, inspiration, hope, pride, gratitude, serenity, joy and above all, love, which will be assimilated by the readers – there are tests that looked at the effect that the image of a logo has, when it passed on the screens of participants in research – on this aspect, Yuval Harari explains that most of the psychological tests are made in the west, America in particular and a good chunk of those take place involving students of…psychology – and when the logo of Apple is seen for under one second, then creativity increases, if it is McDonalds then speed is increased and to add another research, two groups have been given to listen to words, the first were primed with terms associated with old age, grey, Florida, Slowly and the second had none of these connections, and it was proved that the former group would take twice as long to get to the exit, once they had been exposed to the ‘aging treatment, though only metaphorically…
Since The Pimpernel has been turned upside down, let us just conclude that it is not the Novel of the Future – written in 1905 as it is – but the Singularity Machine of 2035 – I think this was the date given as the term when we will have humankind surpassed at IQ by the Supercomputer – will have some of the hues, shades of the Scarlet Pimpernel, depending though on what each and every one prefers, if they are fans of Scarlet, that will be more visible, and if they are reluctant, then there will be just a tiny, little shadow there, in the middle…
April 26, 2010
So at this point in the series this is what I'd recommend if you want to read the stories, but not all the books. Read The First Sir Percy (it is about Percy Blakney's father or grandfather) and read the original book The Scarlet Pimpernel, then read this book. The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel has a lot of the rescues that are in the other books, true it doesn't have all the details, but it has enough to suffice. It also has a few other adventures that are not in the books that I have read. If you want to read more, then read the other top favorite books such as El Dorado, Mam'zelle Guillotine, and the Elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. I only have one more book left (at least of the ones I can get from the Library. A lot of these books are still out of print!) Wish me luck! The book is due soon at the library!
March 12, 2022
Fantastic book!!!
February 1, 2021
This was a great book. It has 8 short stories about the adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Some are quite short and one is quite long but they were all very good. If you have enjoyed other Pimpernel stories, you will enjoy these.
January 13, 2026
Fie, Sir Percy! 4/10
The Principal Witness 5/10
The Stranger from Paris 5/10
Fly-By-Night 5/10
The Lure of the Old Chateau 4/10
In the Tiger's Den 4/10
The Little Doctor 4/10
The Chief's Way 6/10
Overall 5/10
The Principal Witness 5/10
The Stranger from Paris 5/10
Fly-By-Night 5/10
The Lure of the Old Chateau 4/10
In the Tiger's Den 4/10
The Little Doctor 4/10
The Chief's Way 6/10
Overall 5/10
April 30, 2024
And with that, I've finished all the Scarlet Pimpernel books. I'm going to miss you so much, Sir Percy Blakeney!
Once again, these stories are much the same as every other installment in this series. My favorites were "Fly by Night", "The Lure of the Chateau", and "In the Tiger's Den." There was a very small Marguerite moment in Fly By Night that made me soooooo happy!
The last story in this collection felt very much like Sir Percy Leads The Band. As much as I still enjoyed it, I wish it hadn't felt quite so repetitive (from the musicians, to the betrayal by a jealous member of his League). But I did like seeing how selfless and empathetic Percy is towards everyone in this story. In this case, the aristos kinda sucked and it was a member of the rabble Percy wanted to save, and I really liked that flip.
Once again, these stories are much the same as every other installment in this series. My favorites were "Fly by Night", "The Lure of the Chateau", and "In the Tiger's Den." There was a very small Marguerite moment in Fly By Night that made me soooooo happy!
The last story in this collection felt very much like Sir Percy Leads The Band. As much as I still enjoyed it, I wish it hadn't felt quite so repetitive (from the musicians, to the betrayal by a jealous member of his League). But I did like seeing how selfless and empathetic Percy is towards everyone in this story. In this case, the aristos kinda sucked and it was a member of the rabble Percy wanted to save, and I really liked that flip.
January 22, 2025
I’ve given this book one star which might be slightly unfair, so let me explain. I’ve made it my mission to read all of the SP books in the order they were written. This book is 11th in that order.
To be honest all the books are now becoming undistinguishable from each other. It’s becoming boring. This book is short stories and even some of the stories within this book are almost exactly the same.
To be honest all the books are now becoming undistinguishable from each other. It’s becoming boring. This book is short stories and even some of the stories within this book are almost exactly the same.
May 16, 2011
This book is a fun read, but not nearly as fun as the original, The Scarlet Pimpernel, which is one of my favorite books. This is a collection of short stories meant to be read after the first book. These tales are lighthearted and fun, but they are missing the exciting storyline that is found in the original book.
March 30, 2023
Short Pimpernel stories
Although Orczy is much better in long form, any habitual reader of the Scarlet Pimpernel will enjoy this edition. It has several short stories that give you a better glimpse of how Percy operates when he was on mission or on the road. Would have preferred more length to a few of the stories, but she does wrap up each story with a short paragraph that serves as an epilogue. Any of these give us a greater look at the Scarlet Pimpernel
Although Orczy is much better in long form, any habitual reader of the Scarlet Pimpernel will enjoy this edition. It has several short stories that give you a better glimpse of how Percy operates when he was on mission or on the road. Would have preferred more length to a few of the stories, but she does wrap up each story with a short paragraph that serves as an epilogue. Any of these give us a greater look at the Scarlet Pimpernel
March 22, 2023
Considering that this book is a classic, my review might be a bit harsh but it became downright silly at times. What is it that makes it a classic and what am I missing? Baroness Orczy must have had a lot of fun writing this and clearly, she connected with many readers. I am just not one of them.
April 26, 2023
I've had references to this book come up a few times recently. I also remember enjoying it when I first read it in middle school. I'm not sure I feel the same excitement as I did in the first read, but it was worth the reread.
April 3, 2018
collection of shorter Scarlet Pimpernel adventures.
July 24, 2019
One star removed just because it wasn't as polished as her other works. I think she could have used one more draft! Plus, disappointingly little Sir Percy.
March 15, 2021
Same general format for all of her stories, but I like the short stories best. Good writer, she just needed to try different formats here and there.
February 8, 2022
These short stories hit the spot. Yes, the Scarlet Pimpernel is more obvious than in the longer novels, but I think it lines up with the length of the story. A great accompaniment to the novels.
August 8, 2023
Deludente... Molta poca azione, quella poca concentrata tutta alla fine, e troppi patemi d'animo e svenevolezze ridondanti.
Read
March 10, 2024Like let the dark in
June 5, 2024
Plot? What plot? Just a bunch of stories about my fav guy and his guy friends
July 14, 2024
SO fun!! Felt like a lighthearted Dumas! (My only reference for French historical fiction)
Fun, witty, cute! Great read :)
Fun, witty, cute! Great read :)
October 8, 2007
I fell in love with the theater play when I saw it. Finally I read the book and found it - if not equally as endearing - still an interesting read. The plots are always intriguing, and the characters fun (if over-dramatic at times).
The Scarlet Pimpernel leads a band of followers who make it their goal to resuce inoccent people from France during the French Revolution. Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel, though? He's sought after by the French (government? sorry, my history is sadly very poor), and is thus undercover.
There cast of characters include Margaret, an ex-stage actress, moved to England from France with her younger brother Armand, when she married Percy Blakney - an English fop. And, there is Chauvlen (sp?), the French man come to find the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Winner of Annie's Awards 2006:
"Favorite Mystery"
The Scarlet Pimpernel leads a band of followers who make it their goal to resuce inoccent people from France during the French Revolution. Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel, though? He's sought after by the French (government? sorry, my history is sadly very poor), and is thus undercover.
There cast of characters include Margaret, an ex-stage actress, moved to England from France with her younger brother Armand, when she married Percy Blakney - an English fop. And, there is Chauvlen (sp?), the French man come to find the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Winner of Annie's Awards 2006:
"Favorite Mystery"
January 2, 2015
I read this mistakenly! This is the second (?) book about the Scarlet Pimpernel and yes, it's his adventures rather than the relationship with his love interest.
However, it is highly entertaining even in this era of clever twists and turns, it stands the test of time. It did get a little repetitive at times - one adventure after another where he saves the day - but it was fun. I suppose it's the only way one could feel sorry for aristocrats in France in that era and perhaps that would turn off some people but as I saw it as simply a work of fiction, it didn't bother me.
However, it is highly entertaining even in this era of clever twists and turns, it stands the test of time. It did get a little repetitive at times - one adventure after another where he saves the day - but it was fun. I suppose it's the only way one could feel sorry for aristocrats in France in that era and perhaps that would turn off some people but as I saw it as simply a work of fiction, it didn't bother me.
November 6, 2008
I was really excited to read this, since I only recently discovered that there were more Scarlet Pimpernel books. Unfortunately, I learned that more is not always better. This book is a collection of short stories, each describing a "miraculous" rescue pulled off by the Pimpernel and his men. But, the format means that there is very little character development, and the multiple stories all start sounding the same- and the Pimpernel's plots start being a little too predictable.
May 6, 2012
This book takes place during the French Revolution. Percy, the main character, travels back and forth between France and England. The Scarlet Pimpernel tries to end the French Revolution by being a spy for both sides. No one knows the true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
I would not recommend this book. The dialect is hard to follow because of the time era that it takes place. The musical and the movie is better than the book. This was also a boring book.
I would not recommend this book. The dialect is hard to follow because of the time era that it takes place. The musical and the movie is better than the book. This was also a boring book.
April 4, 2013
I liked the first book better. It was a little hard to follow at first.Then I understood that each chapter is a completely different story, and I learned to pick out where Percy appeared in the story before he revealed himself. Mostly I was expecting a book that told one story from start to finish. I liked the last chapter the best because it had more of a story line than the others, and I think I'd like to read the next book as it tells about one of the traitors to the Pimpernel League.
June 5, 2014
This is a collection of seven short stories featuring the eponymous hero. The plots are a little same-y, probably because it’s hard to develop a complicated intrigue and rescue in about 20 pages per story, and I thought the two longer ones (‘The Chief’s Way’ and ‘Fie, Sir Percy!’ – both about 60 pages long) were better. Orczy knows how to write a good tale of derring-do though, and overall this was an enjoyable read.
unfinished
February 15, 2021The Laughing Cavalier: 4 stars: I struggled a bit with understanding what was going on in the beginning because I was thrown by the naming system. After I got used to that, it was a pleasant read. The very end seemed a little sudden and contrived, but it was enjoyable anyway.
The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel: 4 stars: This collection of adventures was fun. I enjoyed the short stories about various rescues pulled off by Percy.
The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel: 4 stars: This collection of adventures was fun. I enjoyed the short stories about various rescues pulled off by Percy.
May 26, 2011
While it was a fun read, it was more of a bunch of short stories of how he helped various people escape. There is no in depth character development and you really don't hear much from the Scarlet Pimpernel at all. I like the first one much better, because you saw a depth of emotions and grew to like the characters. This one was just snipets of ways to escape.
March 18, 2008
i finished it now and it ended up SO SO good!! really exciting!!!!!! :) i LOOOVVVVE the movie too~ :) if you wanna watch the movie, you NEED to get the one with Elisabeth McGovern as Margureite!! THE MOVIE IS SOOO GOOD! ROMANTIC ROMANTIC EXCITING AWESOME!!!!!! :) ***
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews