num_pages: 140
description: Anthony Hope's swashbuckling romance transports his English gentleman hero, Rudolf Rassendyll, from a comfortable life in London to fast-moving adventures in Ruritania, a mythical land steeped in political intrigue. Rassendyll bears a striking resemblance to Rudolf Elphberg who is about to be crowned King of Ruritania. When the rival to the throne, Black Michael of Strelsau, attempts to seize power by imprisoning Elphberg in the Castle of Zenda, Rassendyll is obliged to impersonate the King to uphold the rightful sovereignty and ensure political stability. Rassendyll endures a trial of strength in his encounters with the notorious Rupert of Hentzau, and a test of a different sort as he grows to love the Princess Flavia. Five times filmed, The Prisoner of Zenda has been deservedly popular as a classic of romance and adventure since its publication in 1894.
language: English
title: The Prisoner of Zenda
titlecomplete: The Prisoner of Zenda (The Ruritania Trilogy, #2)
characters: Michael Elphberg, Flavia, Rudolf Elphberg, Rupert of Hentzau, Rudolf Rassendyll, Fritz von Tarlenheim
genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Novels, Literature, Romance, Classics, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, 19th Century
ratings_count: 21172
places: Ruritania
series: The Ruritania Trilogy
publisher: Penguin Books