The Heart of Princess Osra
Encyclopedia
The Heart of Princess Osra is part of Anthony Hope
's trilogy of novel
s set in the fictional country
of Ruritania
and which spawned the genre
of Ruritanian romance
. This collection of linked short stories
is a prequel
: it was written immediately after the success of The Prisoner of Zenda
and was published in 1896
, but is set in the 1730s, well over a century before the events of Zenda and its sequel
, Rupert of Hentzau
. The stories deal with the love life of Princess Osra, younger sister of Rudolf III, the shared ancestor
of Rudolf Rassendyll, the English gentleman who acts as political decoy
inThe Prisoner of Zenda
, and Rudolph V of the House of Elphberg, the absolute monarch of that Germanic kingdom.
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.
The Heart of Princess Osra is not as memorable as the other two components of the trilogy, but it expands and deepens the fictional world Hope created. The narrative
may seem sentimental and insubstantial to the modern reader, but it is of a style common in Victorian literature
.
This volume covers some of the historical background of Ruritania
, giving additional information which may aid in the enjoyment of the two full-length novels. For example, the role of Albert von Lauengram in Black Michael's conspiracy is illuminated when one learns that he was descended from Rudolf III's younger brother . A passing reference to the burning of the White Palace in 1848, and thus the conclusion that there was an 1848 Revolution in Ruritania, as elsewhere throughout Europe, highlights the social and political divisions described in the other works.
Anthony Hope
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope , was an English novelist and playwright. Although he was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels, he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau...
's trilogy of novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s set in the fictional country
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
of Ruritania
Ruritania
Ruritania is a fictional country in central Europe which forms the setting for three books by Anthony Hope: The Prisoner of Zenda , The Heart of Princess Osra , and Rupert of Hentzau...
and which spawned the genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
of Ruritanian romance
Ruritanian Romance
A Ruritanian Romance is a story set in a fictional country, usually in Central or Eastern Europe, such as the Ruritania that gave the genre its name...
. This collection of linked short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
is a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
: it was written immediately after the success of The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus unable to attend his own coronation. Political forces are such that in order for the king to retain his crown his...
and was published in 1896
1896 in literature
The year 1896 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* Final volume of Theodore Roosevelt's The Winning of the West....
, but is set in the 1730s, well over a century before the events of Zenda and its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Rupert of Hentzau
Rupert of Hentzau
Rupert of Hentzau is a sequel by Anthony Hope to The Prisoner of Zenda, written in 1895, but not published until 1898.-Plot summary:...
. The stories deal with the love life of Princess Osra, younger sister of Rudolf III, the shared ancestor
Most recent common ancestor
In genetics, the most recent common ancestor of any set of organisms is the most recent individual from which all organisms in the group are directly descended...
of Rudolf Rassendyll, the English gentleman who acts as political decoy
Political decoy
A political decoy is a person employed to impersonate a politician, in order to draw attention away from the real person or to take risks on their behalf...
inThe Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus unable to attend his own coronation. Political forces are such that in order for the king to retain his crown his...
, and Rudolph V of the House of Elphberg, the absolute monarch of that Germanic kingdom.
This thematically unified collection of short stories analyzes and acclaims the motivating power of romantic love
Romantic love
Romance is the pleasurable feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.In the context of romantic love relationships, romance usually implies an expression of one's love, or one's deep emotional desires to connect with another person....
. 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.
The Heart of Princess Osra is not as memorable as the other two components of the trilogy, but it expands and deepens the fictional world Hope created. The narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
may seem sentimental and insubstantial to the modern reader, but it is of a style common in Victorian literature
Victorian literature
Victorian literature is the literature produced during the reign of Queen Victoria . It forms a link and transition between the writers of the romantic period and the very different literature of the 20th century....
.
This volume covers some of the historical background of Ruritania
Ruritania
Ruritania is a fictional country in central Europe which forms the setting for three books by Anthony Hope: The Prisoner of Zenda , The Heart of Princess Osra , and Rupert of Hentzau...
, giving additional information which may aid in the enjoyment of the two full-length novels. For example, the role of Albert von Lauengram in Black Michael's conspiracy is illuminated when one learns that he was descended from Rudolf III's younger brother . A passing reference to the burning of the White Palace in 1848, and thus the conclusion that there was an 1848 Revolution in Ruritania, as elsewhere throughout Europe, highlights the social and political divisions described in the other works.