The prisoner of ZendaAnthony HopeOmniClassics · Literature
The prisoner of Zenda
Anthony HopeAn English visitor's resemblance to a king draws him into a dangerous substitution with consequences for both a throne and his own affections.
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About the book
Rudolf Rassendyll travels to Ruritania and discovers an extraordinary resemblance to its king, whose coronation is threatened by a rival's scheme. A temporary impersonation becomes a more demanding undertaking when the real monarch's safety and political position are endangered. Rassendyll must learn to perform authority before people who have reasons to watch him closely, including Princess Flavia and opponents unwilling to respect the rules of an honourable contest. Hope combines disguise, intrigue, swordplay, and romantic attachment with a persistent conflict between personal desire and an assumed duty. The narrator's initially comfortable detachment gives way to decisions that cannot be solved by cleverness alone. The adventure asks what responsibility follows when a role adopted for practical reasons begins to involve the trust and future of other people.
- Identity and duty
- Political intrigue
- Love and honour
Why read it
For a brisk adventure in which impersonation becomes a serious test of honour, responsibility, and the limits of personal desire.
Adventure romance · English text