THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL

British actor Simon Williams offers a first-rate reading of Baroness Orczy's historical novel, set in 1792 during the Reign of Terror in France, when every aristocrat was under the threat of the guillotine for being considered a traitor to the Republican cause. Williams characterizes voices with enthusiasm and artfully portrays the foppish Sir Percy Blakeney (who is actually the mysterious and elusive Scarlet Pimpernel, the leader of a band of daring Englishmen who smuggle French aristocrats into England). Williams has an easy-to-listen-to European accent and reads with a flowing, elegant style that keeps the story moving briskly. C.R.A. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 98]