Johnston McCulley

Old California, in a bygone era of sprawling haciendas and haughty caballeros, suffers beneath the whip-lash of oppression. Missions are pillaged, native peasants are abused, and innocent men and women are persecuted by the corrupt governor and his army. But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's might. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade leaves behind . . . Fist published in 1919, The Mark of Zorro has inspired countless films and television adventures. Now read how the legend began . . .

The Mark of Zorro

Sarah Sammis

Twenty years before Batman started patrolling Gotham City at night, Señor Zorro, the "Curse of Capistrano" was protecting California. He first appeared in the serial The Curse of Capistrano by John McCulley in 1919. A year later he burst onto the silver screen, brought to life by Douglas Fairbanks. If you ever have a chance to see the film with live music, do it!

After the success of the film the book was republished in 1924 with the title of the film, The Mark of Zorro. The book came "illustrated with scenes from the photoplay" in the form of three photographs of Douglas Fairbanks: one as Don Diego Vega and two as Zorro. The book has since been republished (as you can see from the cover art) but I was lucky enough to read the 1924 version.

Let's face it, I'm not going to be able to write a dispassionate review this time. I grew up passionate about three superheroes: Zorro, Batman and Superman. Nearest and dearest to my heart is Zorro because he's the only one who's looking out for my home state.

The focus of the novel (more so than the film) is on Lolita Pulido and her search for a husband. Her three options are Captain Ramón, Don Diego Vega and Señor Zorro. What she doesn't know is that Vega and Zorro are the same man. How could she? Vega acts as if "his blood runs with water" whereas Zorro is a man of action. Vega only wears a blade as part of his formal dress while Zorro is a master swordsman and a marksman with his pistol.

The one place where the story is weakest is in Diego's motivation for risking life and limb as a bandito when he is the son of the most influential nobleman in California, one that even the Spanish appointed governor has to curry favor to. Don Diego isn't tragically orphaned by mobsters like Bruce Wayne. Fortunately though the book rarely dwells on this in lieu of the romance and the derring-do. It's only in the last chapter that Don Diego explains himself and his hinting at 10 years of study starting at the age of 15 was later expanded upon by Isabel Allende in her novel aptly called Zorro. While her novel was a nobel attempt to fill in the blanks of Don Diego's life, I think she missed the mark.

Zorro is such a famous book, I just had to read it when I picked it up at the library. It is a very fast paced book, I finished it really quickly. 

The fighting scenes are very well-written, I really enjoyed the swordfights and the challenges. 

The romance subplot however was very flat in my opinion. It was very insta-love and within a week or so there was already talk of marriage. If this was the same quality as the fighting scenes, this would've been one hell of a book. 

Laura

Zorro is such a famous book, I just had to read it when I picked it up at the library. It is a very fast paced book, I finished it really quickly. 

The fighting scenes are very well-written, I really enjoyed the swordfights and the challenges. 

The romance subplot however was very flat in my opinion. It was very insta-love and within a week or so there was already talk of marriage. If this was the same quality as the fighting scenes, this would've been one hell of a book. 

Marisa

It wasn't a bad book, it kept my attention throughout and I liked the sense of adventure that it had. But I wish the reader didn't know Zorro's identity right off the bat and made it more harder to guess who he is. 

Anahitaa

Jessie

Tiffanie Dang

Timid Don Diego Vega grows faint at even the mention of bloodshed and would rather read poetry than defend his own honor. No one suspects that the effete aristocrat is living a double life as Zorro the fox, bold fighter of injustice, whose sword is ever ready to defend the poor and oppressed against a corrupt governor and his merciless army. Zorro's charade fools even the spirited Lolita Pulido, whose father forces her to endure the listless wooing of Don Diego while her heart belongs to the masked hero who laughs in the face of danger. This lighthearted tale of the Robin Hood of Old California unfolds as a suspenseful romp across Los Angeles of the 1820s. Loaded with colorful characters and historic atmosphere, recounted in direct and unpretentious prose, the pulp adventure offers a winning balance of action, comedy, and romance. This edition reprints the original 1919 story, published serially as "The Curse of Capistrano," which launched the Zorro legend. Scores of sequels followed, along with movie and television versions, all inspired by this swashbuckling classic.

The Mark of Zorro

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