Audiobook · read by volunteers
Rupert of Hentzau
Anthony Hope (1863–1933)
Read by Andy Minter (1934-2017) · 21 chapters · 8 h 45
About the book
Five years have passed since the events of The Prisoner of Zenda, and Rudolf Rassendyll has returned to his quiet life in England. But the memory of the Queen, Flavia, is not easily put aside, and she decides to send him a message once each year. When the King grows jealous and suspicious, and when the charming, reckless villain Rupert of Hentzau reappears, Rudolf is drawn back to Ruritania in a plot of secret letters, duels and divided loyalties. Anthony Hope builds the action with elegance and speed, and he gives the scoundrel Rupert a swagger that readers have remembered ever since. Twenty-one chapters, read by a single volunteer, last close to nine hours. This sequel is best enjoyed after the first book, though it can be followed on its own, and it is a splendid choice for lovers of romantic adventure.
Introduction
Anthony Hope, who lived from 1863 to 1933, was the pen name of the English author Anthony Hope Hawkins. He became famous with The Prisoner of Zenda in 1894, a swashbuckling romance set in an imaginary Central European kingdom. Rupert of Hentzau was published in 1898 as its sequel.
The two novels helped to create a popular genre of Ruritanian romance, with its mix of royal secrets, mistaken identity and sword fights. The sequel is darker in tone than the first book and gives its attention to questions of honour and the cost of love. It follows the earlier story but explains enough of what has happened that new listeners can join in.
The LibriVox recording has twenty-one chapters, with titles such as The Queen's Good-Bye and Again to Zenda, and lasts nearly nine hours, read by one volunteer. It is a good choice for anyone who enjoys classic adventure in the manner of the late Victorian age. The pace is brisk, the dialogue is lively and the settings, from railway stations to castles, make a vivid backdrop. For many readers the greatest pleasure of the book lies in its villain, who is witty, brave and utterly unscrupulous, and in the contrast between a world of formal court manners and sudden violence. It is the kind of story that was written to be read in an armchair, and it works just as well when it is read aloud to an audience in the evening.
Public domain
Anthony Hope died in 1933: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text