British novelist Anthony Hope -- actually a pseudonym for Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins -- was best-known for The Prisoner of Zenda, the collection of short stories that serve as its prequel, The Heart of Princess Osra, and a sequel entitled Rupert of Hentzau. These works were all set in the fictional kingdom of Ruritania. His first novel was A Man of Mark, and one of his most well-known works during his lifetime was The Dolly Dialogues, published in the Westminster Gazette. Trained as a lawyer, he practiced as a barrister, turning to full-time writing after the success of Zenda. He was knighted in recognition of his contribution to British propaganda efforts during World War I. Tristram of Blent is a departure from Hope's normal adventure story. Subtitled "An Episode in the Story of an Ancient House," the protagonist is a man who throughout boyhood thinks of nothing but owning the House of Blent. This desire is beset on every side by family entanglements and complications, and provides Hope with the opportunity for a lively character study.

Author Biography

Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope (1863 - 1933), was an English novelist and playwright. He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels but he is remembered predominantly for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau (1898). These works, "minor classics" of English literature, are set in the contemporaneous fictional country of Ruritania and spawned the genre known as Ruritanian romance, works set in fictional European locales similar to the novels. Zenda has inspired many adaptations, most notably the 1937 Hollywood movie of the same name.