Mam'zelle Guillotine

The Scarlet Pimpernel (chronological order) #8

by Emmuska Orczy

The author writes, "Three aristos who were being sent to Paris for trial were absolutely spirited away from under the very nose of the highly efficient police administration of the province. Spirited away! There was no other word for it! And the whole thing was obviously the work of those abominable English, who were emissaries of the devil, for no flesh and blood human creature could have engineered so damnable a trick and then disappeared as if the earth had swallowed them up."

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Historical, Adventure, Romance

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Full 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.

Reviews

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impulse purchase. I haven't read 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', but this novel worked just fine without reading that first. This story revolves around the daughter of a regicide, Gabrielle Damiens, who, hell-bent on revenge, becomes the only female executioner for the new French Republic and is known as Mam'zelle Guillotine. The Scarlet Pimpernel comes into conflict with Mam'selle Guillotine when they both want to get their hands on the same family of French aristocrats. This is a fast-paced, suspenseful, dramatic, and entertaining game of cat and mouse, set against the backdrop of the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution.

[Rachael Kosinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, as always. This is the fourth or fifth SP book I've read, and I've figured out the pattern:
(1) Everyone tells Percy not to go. (2) Percy goes. (3) Someone, 95% of the time Chauvelin, devises a really excellently diabolical plan to catch him (4) Marguerite and Sir Andrew worry and collude together (5) shady things happen and (5) Even though the night is black and things are super tense, Percy laughs and evades whatever the problem is and everything is happy.

I have no problem with this at all. I was actually surprised when Chauvelin did not take over from Madame Guillotine, it was a change of pace. Also, her ending was quite ambiguous and I cannot tell if it was meant to be so or if it's early 1900s author politeness. Did Gabrielle drown herself ? That's what it seemed like to me, but I wasn't sure.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic book in the Scarlet Pimpernel series! I especially like that we see more of Lady Blakeney in this one. She is one of my favorite characters, but after the first book in the series, she barely has any scenes.

I adore the Scarlet Pimpernel! He is such a brave hero, ready to sacrifice anything to save the innocent from the guillotine, and ready to dare the most outrageous plans to fool the evil villains.

I wasn't exactly surprised by the plot line in this story, because by now I know how the Scarlet Pimpernel operates, and I could see the plot twists coming; but I still enjoyed the story! I enjoyed the execution of the plot and the energy of the writing! Even though I knew what was coming, it was still wonderful to see how it all played out.

The writing is way too verbose and long-winded, and tends to retell scenes that have already been told. I was skimming through long descriptive passages, when a sentence or two about the derelict village would have sufficed. I don't need three chapters about storming of the Bastille. A paragraph would have been good. I don't need three pages describing every dilapidated building in the village and how the church was burned down and how the landlord left his inn and now the roof is caving in. One paragraph would have been good. Seriously.

However, once the action gets going, the dialogue is excellent, and the writing is energetic! I love how the characters are described with such intensity!

[The Jesus Fandom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ayo it's been sooo long since I read this thankfully I made notes.

- The backstory of the main villain is actually kinda tragic but not as tragic as some reviewers are making it out to be. Personally, I think the first part where she went really wrong was when she didn't destroy the letters after being paid. I mean, I'm also against blackmail, but I got it. Not destroying the letters, though? Scumbag move.
- The author actually agrees that the way the villainesses (?) fate is sealed is terrible.
- We find out where Percy and Marguerite met! At the beginning of the revolution. Which makes Percy's statement in some earlier book that he mistreated her 'for years' kinda weird.
- The Prince of Whales is said to know who the SP is and I'm just wondering... how inaccurately does the author want to portray this historical character cause shes doing a great job
- Percy complaining about having to listen to people talk about the SP lol
- Percy has such a onetrack mind like bro stop ignoring people
- I like how Percy is actually excited that this week's villain is a woman, because 'woman have sharper vision than men'.
- Of course, the woman ends up being a man in a woman's body but whatever. Like, she is described so rudely I felt bad.
- How many times do you have to reiterate that her father is a regicide? We get it already
- Chauvelin really messes up everyone’s plans with his smart strategies. My dude just kill the prisoners already. None of these books would end well for Percy if Chauvelin just killed people the moment he had them instead of using them as bait in some elaborate trap.
- The obligatory rude comments about anyone not in Mrs. Orczy’s class and the deification of any noble person
- Listen. Say what you want, but snarky Percy in disguise? I kinda loved him ngl, I was mad it was just Percy in disguise cause finally we had a fun character. I fr shipped Gabrielle and Andre, sue me. At least, until they started simpering at each other, that was gross.
- PERCY KISSED ANOTHER WOMAN????? I don’t even care that it was for the mission, that’s not only super disrespectful to the woman he was fooling (yes I know she’s a villain who cares, don’t do that) but also to his wife. You couldn’t have found any other way to get into her good books?

[Victoria Law · Rating 1 out of 5]

yes, i know that orczy is anti-revolution, but it irks me that gabrielle mysteriously (and perhaps tragically) disappears while her aristocratic ex-lover, who had her imprisoned in the bastille for 16 years, gets to live happily ever after with his family in england. and seriously, who wouldn't be out for blood if an ex-lover was responsible for an indefinite imprisonment simply to get them out of the way?

also, reading this so soon after City of Darkness, City of Light, i'm struck by how differently the storming of the bastille is described. also, i wonder if some of piercy's descriptions of Claire and the sans-cullotte women in their march on Versailles were influenced by Orczy's description of Gabrielle Damiens at that same demonstration.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Mam'zelle Guillotine was a good adventure story, it wasn't quite up to the standard of the other Scarlet Pimpernel books. The conclusion to the book was weak and there were many repeated details, which became a little boring. Still, the scenes with Percy were marvellous, and Lady Blakeney featured much more prominently than normal. 3 1/2 stars.

[Kimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I still loved this one! Just not as much as the others and I did have some things to nitpick.

Gabrielle started off as a great antagonist and I really liked having a female villain for Percy to face off against. Her defeat however just wasn't very exciting. I was also confused by Percy's disguises with her. Even though they were good, how could she not see the two Renauds were the same person? Also where was the real Renaud during all this... not sure if I missed something there. I thought it was also weird that while in the first disguise Gabrielle and "Renaud" would kiss. I get that it was a role but it was still just kinda icky to me.

Anyway, I still loved so many other parts of this book. All the chapters in England were some of my favorite moments in the series. Seeing Percy getting teased by his loved ones about having to keep up his false persona was hilarious. I also loved the confirmation that the Prince of Wales was in the loop. He and Percy are clearly the best of friends and it's just so sweet.

Theres a few cute Percy and Marguerite moments as well. While I was a little frustrated that Marguerite once again begged Percy not to go instead of being more understanding, the fact that this one takes place right after El Dorado where Percy was captured and tortured and on the brink of death makes me sympathetic to her worries. I also really liked that Percy called her a member of the League. This is something I actually wish the series utilized more. Marguerite should be in on the adventures! She should be one of the guys!

Speaking of the guys, the League will always be my beloved. We actually get to see two other League members here and not just Tony, Ffoulkes, and Hastings. Which is great bc there's supposed to be 19 of them and we hardly see more than those main three. Any time we get a scene of them joking around and having fun, I love it so much. I especially loved how Percy was constantly making it clear that he was only successful because of their devotion and help. We love a humble and appreciative king! (I did notice that even though this book chronologically takes place after Lord Tony's Wife, it states that Tony wasn't married. Methinks this book could've been proofread a few more times.)

And I can't forget to mention how delighted I was to get a "Sink me!" quote from Percy. Anthony Andrews' voice practically jumped off the page.

So yeah, it's another good addition to the series, particularly for the stand out Percy moments but the plot of this one just wasn't my favorite.

[AE · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly different Pimpernel novel! I liked that this one was so spread out, and that much of it was from the point of view of unfamiliar characters (e.g. Gabrielle and the Marquise), as well as having Marguerite joining in League activities. It was also interesting to have Gabrielle as such a large focus, because unlike a lot of the previous villains, her background was meant to be somewhat sympathetic even if it was clear she made the bad choice afterward to let her hate and anger control her.

I wish the ending had been clearer about what exactly went down, though? I don't think it was horribly done or anything, I just got used to finding out and this particular book decided to leave a lot of questions unanswered. What exactly happened to Gabrielle? Did she just give up her anger and decide to move on, or did she commit suicide? If the latter, was Percy anticipating this? What was his plan exactly to make sure she didn't go unpunished, as he told his bounders?

Also, it was never fully explained how much of the first Renaud was Percy. Gabrielle makes several mentions of "Renaud" making love to her, and I couldn't figure out of this meant something different at the time the book was written, or if Percy actually slept with her. If the latter, it seems /highly/ out of character for Percy to do, which is what leads me to think maybe he wasn't Renaud the entire time?


Anyway, I ended up enjoying this quite a bit, and it was definitely unique in the series so far. I wish it had more answers, but I think the mysterious quality was intentional.

[Terry Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read all of the Scarlett Pimpernel books up to this one and I found it tiresome and totally unbelievable.
Sir Percy used to be a brave and clever adventurer. Over time though Orczy is turning him God like and it’s becoming a bit silly.
The fact that Gabrielle Damien never recognised Sir Percy in the latter part of the book simply because he wore a wig and a false nose is farcical. This, despite the implication he actually slept with her, or at the very least got up close and personal.
I do like the character Marguerite but she got on my nerves in this book. She went along with Sir Percy as one of his band, but spent most of the book crying and begging Percy not to carry out his plans at every turn.
Thoroughly unenjoyable.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do love the Scarlet Pimpernel series, and this book was one of my favorites so far. But the more of these I read the more I am realizing I don't really like any of the characters in the books. They are all annoying in some way. Orczy is such a vivid writer, though, that the books are still great.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is only one in a series of good adventure stores , which our hero matches his wits against the agents of the french republic.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent and rollicking adventure from the Scarlet Pimpernel. He isn't actually around for most of the book, but Marguerite now accompanies him. This is proably one of my favorites so far, Sir Percy is excellent, his love for Marguerite not quite as overshadowed by his love of honor as precviously, and the Gang of the Scarlet Pimpernel as endearing as ever.
A lovely read and highly reccomended for any fan of that great, elusive adventurer...
The Scarlet Pimpernel


I'm not sure what I think about Percy wooing another woman, even in the guise of a different man. I dislike it for Marguerite's sake, but for the sake of advneture I enjoyed it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one as much as the first book. So far my favorites are this book, The first book (The Scarlet Pimpernel) and El Dorado. On to the next one!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, though I am a bit mad at Sir Percy!

[Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mentioned in my old diary. Enjoyable historical romp!

[Rod Innis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about the famous Scarlet Pimpernel