The Prisoner of Zenza

Anthony Hope

Dec 2012 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

Anthony Hope's swashbuckling romance transports his English gentleman hero, Rudolf Rassendyll, from a comfortable life in London to fast-moving adventures in Ruritania, a mythical land steeped in political intrigue. Rassendyll bears a striking resemblance to Rudolf Elphberg who is about to be crowned King of Ruritania. When the rival to the throne, Black Michael of Strelsau, attempts to seize power by imprisoning Elphberg in the Castle of Zenda, Rassendyll is obliged to impersonate the King to uphold the rightful sovereignty and ensure political stability. Rassendyll endures a trial of strength in his encounters with the notorious Rupert of Hentzau, and a test of a different sort as he grows to love the Princess Flavia. Five times filmed, The Prisoner of Zenda has been deservedly popular as a classic of romance and adventure since its publication in 1894.

About the author

Anthony Hope (in full Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins) was born in London and educated at Marlborough and at Balliol College, Oxford. He became a lawyer, and dabbled in Liberal politics, but the immediate success of The Prisoner of Zenda, his fourth work, turned him entirely to writing. This work and its sequel, Rupert of Hentzau, both describe the perilous adventures of the Englishman Rudolph Rassendyll in the mythical kingdom of Ruritania. Anthony Hope successfully published many other novels and plays. He was knighted in 1918 and died in 1933.