The Prisoner of Zenda

Front Cover
Courier Corporation, May 22, 2013 - Fiction - 137 pages
Generations of readers have thrilled to this swashbuckling novel's tale of mistaken identity, court intrigue, a star-crossed romance, and a daring rescue. When an evil prince plots to steal the Ruritanian throne and kidnaps his elder brother, a look-alike is persuaded to stand in for the rightful king. English nobleman Rudolph Rassendyll must successfully impersonate the monarch, assist in the prisoner's liberation from the Castle of Zenda — and come to terms with his growing attraction to Princess Flavia, the king's betrothed, who remains unaware of his true identity.
A favorite of adventure lovers of all ages, Anthony Hope's gripping story spawned legions of imitations and inspired the literary genre known as the Ruritanian romance. Repeatedly adapted for stage and screen, this classic continues to enchant audiences with its tales of derring-do.
 

Contents

The Rassendyllswith a Word on the Elphbergs
1
Concerning the Colour of Mens Hair
7
A Merry Evening with a Distant Relative
13
The King Keeps His Appointment
20
The Adventures of an Understudy
26
The Secret of a Cellar
32
His Majesty Sleeps in Strelsau
38
A Fair Cousin and a Dark Brother
44
An Improvement on Jacobs Ladder
78
A Night Outside the Castle
84
Talk With a Tempter
90
A Desperate Plan
96
Young Ruperts Midnight Diversions
102
The Forcing of the Trap
108
Face to Face in the Forest
113
The Prisoner and the King
119

A New Use for a Tea Table
51
A Great Chance for a Villain
58
Hunting a Very Big Boar
65
Receive a Visitor and Bait a Hook
72
If Love Were All
126
Present Pastand Future?
132
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About the author (2013)

Novelist Anthony Hope-Hawkins was born in London, England on February 9, 1863. After attending Marlborough College and Balliol College, he became a lawyer and wrote short stories. The Prisoner of Zenda, his best-known work, was published in 1894. Due to the book's success, he became a full-time writer. During World War I, he worked for the Ministry of Information to counteract German propaganda. He was knighted for his efforts in 1918. He died of throat cancer in Surrey, England on July 8, 1933.

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