The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope

A turning point in the history of European literature, ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ is one such fabulous work of Anthonu Hope which inspired an entire new genre in literature – Ruritanian Romance. Published in 1894, this is an adventure novel in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus, is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order for the king to retain the crown, his coronation must proceed. Fortuitously, an English gentleman on holiday in Ruritania, who resembles the monarch, is persuaded to act as his political decoy in an effort to save the unstable political situation of the interregnum.