The Prisoner of Zenda
Credits and rights
- Original writer
- Anthony Hope
- Publisher of this edition
- BoingyBooks Classics
- Original publisher
- Project Gutenberg
- Adaptation credits
- John Shoufler / BoingyBooks Classics — digital edition
- Original source / edition
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1894)
- License
- Public Domain
- Rights and adaptation notice
- This work is in the public domain. John Shoufler published this digital edition through BoingyBooks Classics. The original work remains public domain and may be copied, adapted, and shared.
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.
Read the first chapter free — experience the full reader
Create a free account to read this book and 232+ more classics
What's Included
- Reflowable text that adapts to any screen
- Adjustable font size with pinch-to-zoom
- Light, Sepia, and Dark reading themes
- Serif/sans-serif font toggle
- Chapter navigation with swipe & keyboard
- Highlight text in 4 colors
- Add notes to highlighted passages
- Text-to-speech — listen to any chapter
- Remembers your reading position
- Download the complete edition for reading offline
- Works on all devices
