The Prisoner of Zenda

Generations of readers have thrilled to this swashbuckling novel's tale of mistaken identity, court intrigue, a star-crossed romance, and a daring rescue. When an evil prince plots to steal the Ruritanian throne and kidnaps his elder brother, a look-alike is persuaded to stand in for the rightful king. English nobleman Rudolph Rassendyll must successfully impersonate the monarch, assist in the prisoner's liberation from the Castle of Zenda — and come to terms with his growing attraction to Princess Flavia, the king's betrothed, who remains unaware of his true identity.
A favorite of adventure lovers of all ages, Anthony Hope's gripping story spawned legions of imitations and inspired the literary genre known as the Ruritanian romance. Repeatedly adapted for stage and screen, this classic continues to enchant audiences with its tales of derring-do.

I. The Rassendylls--with a Word on the Elphbergs II. Concerning the Colour of Men's Hair III. A Merry Evening with a Distant Relative IV. The King Keeps His Appointment V. The Adventures of an Understudy VI. The Secret of a Cellar VII. His Majesty Sleeps in Strelsau VIII. A Fair Cousin and a Dark Brother IX. A New Use for a Tea Table X. A Great Chance for a Villain XI. Hunting a Very Big Boar XII. I Receive a Visitor and Bait a Hook XIII. An Improvement on Jacob's Ladder XIV. A Night Outside the Castle XV. I Talk With a Tempter XVI. A Desperate Plan XVII. Young Rupert's Midnight Diversions XVIII. The Forcing of the Trap XIX. Face to Face in the Forest XX. The Prisoner and the King XXI. If Love Were All! XXII. Present, Past--and Future?