The Heart of Princess Osra
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 First edition cover |
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| Author | Anthony Hope |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Frederick A. Stokes |
| Released | 1896 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 301 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Followed by | The Prisoner of Zenda |
The Heart of Princess Osra is the second written of Anthony Hope's trilogy of novels set in Ruritania, published in 1896. It is set in the 1730s, well over a century before the events of The Prisoner of Zenda, and is essentially a collection of linked short stories about the love-life of Princess Osra, younger sister of Rudolf III (the shared ancestor of the main male characters in The Prisoner of Zenda).
[edit] Plot introduction
Set in the invented European country of Ruritania, this thematically unified collection of short stories analyzes and acclaims the motivating power of romantic love. Osra’s physical beauty is a metaphor for spiritual beauty. Her name, the feminine form of "Osric," is not an invention, but it is sufficiently unusual to suggest that the character is herself extraordinary, separated from life’s routine. Who will best love Osra? He who best knows her, and matches her. In Ruritania, love is the appreciation of the beloved’s uniqueness, accompanied by the commitment to rise to one’s best.
[edit] Characters in "The Heart of Princess Osra"
- Princess Osra – younger sister of Rudolf III
[edit] Literary significance & criticism
The narrative may seem sentimental and insubstantial to the modern reader, but it is of a style common in the period. It also covers some of the historical background of Ruritania. Some of the additional information which Hope gives about the country may aid in the enjoyment of The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau. The role of Albert von Lauengram in Michael's conspiracy is illuminated when one learns that he was descended from Rudolf III's younger brother; the fact that there was an 1848 Revolution in Ruritania (a passing reference to the burning of the White Palace) may aid appreciation of the social and political divisions described in the earlier novel.
Many may find The Heart of Princess Osra is not as memorable as Hope's other Ruritania novels, but it can be found interesting for its expansion and deepening of the fictional world he created.
