The Prisoner of Zenda Author:Anthony Hope "After all," thought Rudolf Rassendyll, "red hair and long noses are not confined to the House of Elphberg," and, ignoring the skeleton in the cupboard that linked his family with the ruling house of Ruritania, he attended the coronation. But he and the king are indistinguishable both in name and appearance, and as a result of a series of politi... more »cal intrigues he is forced to masquerade as King Rudolf and thrown into a series of adventures that draw out all his courage and recklessness.
Anthony Hope, a man of many talents, dashed off The Prisoner of Zenda at the rate of two chapters a day, and then decided to be a novelist. The mythical Balkan kingdom of Ruritania was his invention, and there have been many "Ruritanian" novels since -- imitations that contain all Anthony Hope's ingredients of romance, treachery, murder, and midnight duels. But The Prisoner of Zenda, the novel that started it all in an age when realism was considered a bore, remains by far the best.« less
I was surprised by this book. I wasn't really expecting anything when I picked up this book, but it was a fast past, on-your-toes book. It kept me entertained throughout.