Day 24: The Scarlet Pimpernel

They seek him here,
they seek him there;
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven?--Or is he in hell
That demmed elusive Pimpernel.
This is a book for anyone who loves action, heroism, adventure and, of course, romance. The scarlet pimpernel itself is a "humble wayside flower" but the hero that bares the name is a man of cunning, strength and charity which blesses the people of France in 1792, the Reign of Terror with Madame la guillotine. There are also several movie versions, the best of which I think is The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen. This movie does not follow the original book too much, but that's because it takes two of the books (There are actually thirteen, but only the first one is still in print...:) ) and mixes them together. It is sooo good! There is also the musical of The Scarlet Pimpernel, which has great music and great dialogue. The Scarlet Pimpernel is all around awesome....and to think it was rejected by several publishers before it was received by the general public. Food for thought.