Graustark

After the dime novels I've been reading, this felt like high literature. It was highly enjoyable, a good old fashioned adventure romance. Yes, The Prisoner of Zenda is much better but this was still a good read. The romance got a bit over the top in the last few chapters but I was actually on the edge of my seat for some of the action/adventure scenes. I listened to a collabrative Librivox and some readers were less than successful but overall, very enjoyable.

Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda is the most famous of these pre-World War I adventures set in fictional minor European kingdoms, but this one got to name the genre of "Graustarkian novels". It's an entirely predictable but, nonetheless, enjoyable story with which to pass a summer's afternoon.

The first and one of the best of the "Graustark" novels which gave their name to the genre of adventure novels in small East European imaginary nations. I had forgotten until I reread it that it is actually a murder mystery -- the American hero in love with the princess of Graustark is accused of murdering a royal rival, but the princess herself proves another royal suitor was responsible.

"Graustark" was first published in 1901. The story takes place during the 1890s, opening on a train ride through America, during which Grenfall Lorry - the hero - meets the mysterious and enchanting Miss Guggenslocker.

This lady, travelling with her aunt and uncle, are natives of Graustark; a little-known country in Eastern Europe. The bulk of the novel takes place in this fictitious country, as once the beautiful Miss Guggenslocker returns to her homeland, Grenfall and his friend decide to head over to this unknown place. Once there, confusion sets in, for nobody has heard of anyone by the name of Guggenslocker.