The Prisoner of Zenda

By cafeatom

Been a minute since I picked this one up, but I still think it’s a really fun adventure story. The whole thing follows Rudolf V, right before he’s supposed to get crowned as king of Ruritania, and of course he ends up getting totally out of it after some kind of drugged celebration drinks. By the time coronation day rolls around, he’s not in any condition to go. Then the king’s loyal people notice that Rudolf Rassendyll, an English guy who was partying with them, looks way too much like Rudolf V. So they basically stash Rudolf away and have Rassendyll step in to impersonate him so the coronation doesn’t get messed up. But when they come back to switch things over, they find that Rudolf is gone. Now it’s a scramble to track him down before anyone realizes what’s actually happening. I know the setup sounds kind of over-the-top, but I still really like it. There’s suspense, some solid action, and even a love story mixed in. There are a few movie versions, but I’d say read the book first if you can. If you’ve read it, did you like it?