If you know this quote, then chances are, my next indulgence might be one of your own.

No one can forget the 1985 masterpiece rendition of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Anthony Andrew’s performance as the English daredevil masking as an elite fop was perfection, and I still doubt you could find a good actor to reprise that role. Jane Seymour was stunning as the only women in Sir Percy’s sights, and Ian McKellan championed the obsessive and persistent nemesis trying to catch the English rogue in the name of the French Republic. If you haven’t seen the movie, watch it!

But for fans of the movie and of Anthony Andrews performance, not as many have read the book. For the few fans of the book, it’s surprising how many don’t know it is the first of an amazing series.

She was enrolled into an art school where she met the love of her life, an English clergyman, Henry George Montagu Barstow.

They were married on November 7th, 1894.

Despite being of noble blood (something the Baroness definitely believed in), they were not wealthy. Trying to supplement meager earnings, she began writing a detective story for the paper, which gave way to a play entitled The Scarlet Pimpernel. The play wasn’t huge, but it lead to her first book.

The Baroness was actually one of the first authors to introduce a secret identity into fiction, and use it with amazing affect.

Yes, before Superman ever made up mild-mannered Clark Kent, Sir Percy Blakeney did one better, and became an incompetent, and silly fop in public so he could sneak into France and steal victims right out from the guillotine’s blade.

But with such a good character, you can’t settle for just one book. There are ten books in total that involve Sir Percy and his league of gentlemen.

As a classic, you’d think it would be relatively slow reading. Not the Baroness. As one of her critics put it, her books have a “highly wrought and intensely atmospheric” pace that can be enjoyed by those who maybe don’t even favor the classics.

It’s quite a shame more people don’t know of the other books in her series, but that was half the success of the1982 movie. You’ll find it is based on not just The Scarlet Pimpernel, but on one of the sequels entitled Eldorado – one of my favorites as it gives more from Sir Percy’s POV than most.

When I started reading the series though, I was surprised how little of Sir Percy there actually is, but how his character is brought out in every book.

The Baroness is an artful storyteller when it comes to perspective. Very often her books revolve, not on her hero, but the victims he saves. While you search for the tiny clues, hints, and red herrings, of where this man is and behind what disguise he’s hiding, you get caught up in a romance, a revenge story, or a betrayal! Orczy even wrote a book from the perspective of Sir Percy’s sworn enemy, Chauvelin!

Another thing in her favor, for a classical artist, she breaks all the “rules” that we tend to write about today – but still keeps me turning the pages. Baroness Orczy is without a doubt, my favorite classical author to read…and I say that with a great deal of respect for Jules Verne, Jane Austen, and Dickens.

One more great thing about the 1982 movie, is that while the plot diverges between two of her books, the characters are spot on. So reading the books and watching the movie is an equal pleasure – unlike most adaptations today.

While the books can each be read alone, I did find a list that puts them in rough order if you’d like to start.

• The Scarlet Pimpernal
• Sir Percy Leads The Band (a favorite)
• I Will Repay (another favorite)
• The Elusive Pimpernel
• Lord Tony’s Wife
• The Way of The Scarlet Pimpernel
• Mam’zelle Guillotine
• Eldorado (yes, another one)
• Sir Percy Hits Back (A novel from the point of view of Sir Percy’s sworn enemy!)
• The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel
• The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (A collection of short stories.)

Are you already a fan of the books? Are you a fan of the movie? Leave your favorite in the comments!