Swashbuckling Ruritanian Pirates

Calenorn · 07-20-2021, 08:39 AM

A couple of other threads have been discussing the swashbuckling and Ruritanian romance genres. It reminded me that a few years ago I picked up one of those cinder-block hardcovers that decorate the front tables in Barnes & Noble stores:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-t...ous/1123908064

It provides a nice survey of the field. At least the list of authors might be helpful. Here's the contents:

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
How the Brigadier Bore Himself at Waterloo by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Captain Moratti's Last Affair by Sidney Levettt-Yeats
How Jean-Pierre Met the Scarlet Pimpernel By Baroness Orczy
The Adventures of a Night by John Bloundelle-Burton
The Story of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmund Rastand and Anne O'Hagan
Crillon's Stake by Stanley J. Weyman
The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas
English Steel and Spanish Passion by Drake Williams and Warren Geiger
Alamut by Harold Lamb
The Plot of Signor Salvi by Marion Polk Angellotti
Scourge of the Main by James Perley Hughes
The Substitute Sword by "Alexander Blade"
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

The novels they have chosen to book-end this tome are instructive. Opening with Zenda lays claim to the Ruritanian throne. I mean, it's where Ruritania was invented!

And winding up with Captain Blood, the Platonic ideal pirate story, anchors us in the Caribbean. Sabatini was a genius. In this novel he squarely faces the fact that pirates were merciless bandits, and finds a way to make one the epitome of honor.

It seems clear that the term "swashbuckling" will have to stretch to cover a cluster of similar genres, with very different flavors.

skb · 07-20-2021, 04:46 PM

I love the Prisoner of Zenda. It had a sequel - Rupert of Henzau (who, even in the movie, Rupert was the best character, but sadly, a baddie).

Interesting that the book has "How Jean-Pierre Met the Scarlet Pimpernel" but not the actual Scarlet Pimpernel. Or perhaps an alternate title? I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel too.

Calenorn · 07-20-2021, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

I love the Prisoner of Zenda. It had a sequel - Rupert of Henzau (who, even in the movie, Rupert was the best character, but sadly, a baddie).

Interesting that the book has "How Jean-Pierre Met the Scarlet Pimpernel" but not the actual Scarlet Pimpernel. Or perhaps an alternate title? I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel too.

Sadly, that volume's Scarlet Pimpernel story is only sixteen pages. Perhaps it is an excerpt.

issybird · 07-20-2021, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calenorn

Sadly, that volume's Scarlet Pimpernel story is only sixteen pages. Perhaps it is an excerpt.

No, it’s a short, based on her eponymous hero. Not taken from the original novel.

I’m a huge fan of The Scarlet Pimpernel. But even the most die-hard fan can’t deny that the baroness milked her hero for all he was worth. And why not? It’s a business.

Calenorn · 07-20-2021, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

And why not? It’s a business.

Give the people what they want. Poor Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes and discovered that it could not be done.

timebug · 07-21-2021, 04:12 AM

Ian Fleming also attempted to kill off James Bond.After he is poisoned by Rosa Klebb at the end of 'From Russia With Love' that was meant to be the end.
After five novels, Fleming decided that he had had enough of his 'hero'. But pressure from the fans and the publishers, brought Bond back in 'Dr No' and the
sunsequent eight books. Like Holmes, many Bond fans consider he was 'never quite as good' after his return!

07-20-2021, 08:39 AM	#1
Calenorn Brash Fumbler Posts: 1,185 Karma: 8710811 Join Date: May 2013 Device: NST, Kobo Mini	Swashbuckling Ruritanian Pirates A couple of other threads have been discussing the swashbuckling and Ruritanian romance genres. It reminded me that a few years ago I picked up one of those cinder-block hardcovers that decorate the front tables in Barnes & Noble stores: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-t...ous/1123908064 It provides a nice survey of the field. At least the list of authors might be helpful. Here's the contents: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope How the Brigadier Bore Himself at Waterloo by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Captain Moratti's Last Affair by Sidney Levettt-Yeats How Jean-Pierre Met the Scarlet Pimpernel By Baroness Orczy The Adventures of a Night by John Bloundelle-Burton The Story of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmund Rastand and Anne O'Hagan Crillon's Stake by Stanley J. Weyman The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas English Steel and Spanish Passion by Drake Williams and Warren Geiger Alamut by Harold Lamb The Plot of Signor Salvi by Marion Polk Angellotti Scourge of the Main by James Perley Hughes The Substitute Sword by "Alexander Blade" Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini The novels they have chosen to book-end this tome are instructive. Opening with Zenda lays claim to the Ruritanian throne. I mean, it's where Ruritania was invented! And winding up with Captain Blood, the Platonic ideal pirate story, anchors us in the Caribbean. Sabatini was a genius. In this novel he squarely faces the fact that pirates were merciless bandits, and finds a way to make one the epitome of honor. It seems clear that the term "swashbuckling" will have to stretch to cover a cluster of similar genres, with very different flavors.

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07-20-2021, 04:46 PM	#2
skb Evangelist Posts: 401 Karma: 1597305 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Ipod G4, MacOS 10.12, Calibre, Pocketbook Touch HD 3	I love the Prisoner of Zenda. It had a sequel - Rupert of Henzau (who, even in the movie, Rupert was the best character, but sadly, a baddie). Interesting that the book has "How Jean-Pierre Met the Scarlet Pimpernel" but not the actual Scarlet Pimpernel. Or perhaps an alternate title? I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel too.

07-21-2021, 04:12 AM	#6
timebug Ancient Sage Posts: 14,585 Karma: 15493448 Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Derby U.K. Device: Kobo Reader	Ian Fleming also attempted to kill off James Bond.After he is poisoned by Rosa Klebb at the end of 'From Russia With Love' that was meant to be the end. After five novels, Fleming decided that he had had enough of his 'hero'. But pressure from the fans and the publishers, brought Bond back in 'Dr No' and the sunsequent eight books. Like Holmes, many Bond fans consider he was 'never quite as good' after his return!