<i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> was first published in 1905 and has proved to be Orczy&rsquo;s most famous and popular novel. The work was originally rejected by publishers, so she refashioned it as a play, with little initial success.<br />The book continued to be popular throughout the twentieth century and was adapted for film, stage and television on multiple occasions. One of the most famous and well-considered adaptations is the 1934 film starring Leslie Howard and directed by Harold Young. The television adaptations include a 1955-56 version and the 1999-2000 BBC production starring Richard E. Grant and Elizabeth McGovern.<br /><i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> is set in 1792 during the French Revolution, but centres on an English hero performing great and brave deeds in a violent and murderous climate. Marguerite St Just is a beautiful French actress, who is married to the English fop, Sir Percy Blakeney. The couple have become estranged as Marguerite has tired of her husband&rsquo;s seemingly superficial lifestyle. She has heard about the exploits of the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel &mdash; an unknown English man &mdash; who is daily helping French aristocrats to escape the Revolution. She is captivated and entranced by the stories surrounding him, but is soon forced into a position where she must assist the French ambassador to England in capturing the elusive man. Orczy&rsquo;s novel unfolds with a series of twists and turns, with frequent moments of excitement and tension. The author&rsquo;s aristocratic heritage no doubt contributed to the politically conservative nature of the work, and her desire to make the hero of a tale an Englishman also underlines not only her own views but her belief in the nationalistic disposition of her English readership.