The Prisoner of Zenda Audiobook By Anthony Hope cover art

The Prisoner of Zenda

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The Prisoner of Zenda

By: Anthony Hope
Narrated by: Andrew Pugsley
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About this listen

The ultimate escapist adventure story, The Prisoner of Zenda transports the listener into a bygone era, awash with swashbuckling heroism, cunning plots, and courtly love. The popularity of Hope’s tale of intrigue was such that it spawned an entirely new genre known as the "Ruritanian romance".

When the King of Ruritania is kidnapped, the onus falls on a British tourist, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the king, to stand in for him and to avert disaster by coming to his rescue. The frequent replays of the film with Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. testify to the continuing popularity of this evergreen adventure. Andrew Pugsley’s reading captures the excitement and the momentum.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks
Classics Adventure
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Editorial reviews

The biggest problem for Andrew Pugsley in his narration is nothing he can control: His fine interpretation of Hope's novel must compete, for some of us, with the 1937 film version, one of the greatest of all adventure movies. This is the classic story of the man who attempts to rescue the king of Ruritania, who has been abducted. However, he's undermined by his love for the king's fiancée. The story is full of swordplay (and a little gunplay), barely repressed passion, political maneuvering, and severely tested personal honor. And Pugsley meets the challenge with all the voices and with his portrayal of Rassendyll's evolution from wastrel to man of action and honor.

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Anthony Hope nailed it back in 1897 when he wrote this book. The cast is varied, and, for the most part, believable. Black Michael (one of the main bad guys) was rather flat. Conclusion was surprising, not bad, good in fact, definitely not what I expected. The first half has mainly intrigue and strategy and a few gunfights, but in the second half, once they journey to Zenda sword fights and heroics abound. Andrew Pugsley was a good choice for narrator; I haven't heard him in anything else, but he did pretty well, although Colonel Sapt sounded like a pirate. Antoinette's voice was rather far-fetched, even exempting that she is a French character; and her exclamations don't have enough punch. Rupert of Hentzau was marvelously done, jeering and cocky, just like he should sound. The main character's romance with Princess Flavia occupies an important part of the story, and while nothing especially graphic takes place, concerned parents should check ahead on chapter eleven. That's pretty much the worst it gets, from then on it's pretty much ok, exempting the violence.

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