The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (1894)
An English gentleman on holiday in the fictional kingdom of Ruritania discovers he is the exact double of the king — and must impersonate him to save the throne. The original swashbuckling adventure romance.
Historical Significance:
Anthony Hope wrote The Prisoner of Zenda in just 30 days in 1894. It created the "Ruritanian romance" genre — adventure stories set in small fictional European kingdoms — that influenced everything from The Scarlet Pimpernel to Star Wars' Princess Leia storyline. The novel has been adapted into over a dozen films and inspired countless imitators. "Ruritania" entered the English language as a word for any small, romantically unstable European kingdom.
This public domain classic was originally published in 1894. Free to read and share.
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