Barnaby Rudge (Everyman's Library) [Hardcover]

Charles Dickens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2005

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

Charles Dickens’s first historical novel–set during the anti-Catholic riots of 1780–is an unparalleled portrayal of the terror of a rampaging mob, seen through the eyes of the individuals swept up in the chaos.

Those individuals include Emma, a Catholic, and Edward, a Protestant, whose forbidden love weaves through the heart of the story; and the simpleminded Barnaby, one of the riot leaders, whose fate is tied to a mysterious murder and whose beloved pet raven, Grip, embodies the mystical power of innocence. The story encompasses both the rarified aristocratic world and the volatile streets and nightmarish underbelly of London, which Dickens characteristically portrays in vivid, pulsating detail. But the real focus of the book is on the riots themselves, depicted with an extraordinary energy and redolent of the dangers, the mindlessness, and the possibilities–both beneficial and brutal–of the mob.

One of the lesser-known novels, Barnaby Rudge is nonetheless among the most brilliant–and most terrifying–in Dickens’s oeuvre.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12-Dicken's tale of private lives and public events takes place in the unrest of the 1780's London. This BBC production includes a full cast, music, and sound effects.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

(in full Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty) Historical novel by Charles Dickens, published in 1841. Barnaby Rudge was Dickens' first attempt at a historical novel. It is set in the late 18th century and presents with great vigor and understanding (and some ambivalence of attitude) the spectacle of large-scale mob violence. In a case of mistaken identification, Barnaby Rudge, the mentally retarded son of a murderer, is arrested as a leader of a mob of anti-Catholic rioters. Subsequently jailed and sentenced to death, he is pardoned at the scaffold. --The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 920 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library (November 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307262901
• ISBN-13: 978-0307262905
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1.7 x 5.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #869,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't start here, but don't stop till you've read this, November 23, 2001

By 

Russael BK Johanys (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barnaby Rudge (Penguin English Library) (Paperback)

Barnaby Rudge is an early Dickens novel, his first historical novel, of the Gordon riots of 1780, about fifty years before his time. The book is a mere 634 pages, that is, two thirds as long as Copperfield but a 100 pages longer than The Old Curiosity Shop. One of Dickens' strong points is atmosphere, and this novel is one of his best in that department. His description of the Maypole Inn and its proprietor, slow John, is marvelous. Much of the book describes the riots and their effect on various characters. Barnaby himself is an idiot, but such an excellent character for all that. The villians actually have good qualities in this book. And by the way, the Raven Grip is supposedly the model for Poe's raven. I would not start reading Dickens with Barnaby, but even though it's not as well known as ten other of his novels, I can highly recommend if you like other Dickens to give this book a read. I intend to reread it in my next round of Dickens rereading.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An account of the Gordon riots of 1780., February 3, 2005

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barnaby Rudge (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Dickens is one of my favourite authors, and I took up this book simply because I wanted to read all his books. "Barnaby Rudge", though is a little different than some of Dickens' other works. For one it's about a true historical happening. The riots of 1780 actually did occur. It's one of his shorter books, and it was written earlier on in his career. The book is really not where a reader should start with Dickens' books, but it should be read nonetheless. It still has the same great characterizations and atmosphere that we expect from Dickens, and it's still a good story. Barnaby is quite the character. We have to laugh at his antics, and Slow John at the Maypole Inn is absolutely wonderful. I read this book quite awhile ago, and while I'm writing this review, I'm thinking I need to reread it again. Wonderful atmosphere!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An action-packed historical novel, October 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Barnaby Rudge (Penguin English Library) (Paperback)

This is a well paced and fast-moving historical novel set during the anti-popery riots in London in 1780. Although not as grippingly exciting as Dicken's other historical novel, A Tale Of Two Cities, there is plenty of drama here to sustain the reader's interest.

The fictional characters are well woven into the historical setting, and the portrayal of these characters gives the book some of its best comic moments, from the suave Edward Chester, to the vengeful Simon Tappertit, to the spiteful Miss Miggs, to the devious hangman, Dennis. The hero of the book is Gabriel Varden, whom Dickens repeatedly describes, rather clumsily, as "the honest locksmith". Varden has to suffer constant friction in his own household between himself, his wife, his apprentice and his maid, and this agitation reflects the agitation of the masses in the streets.

One of the best features of the book is the way it successfully carries a number of plot lines. The main one of these concerns a murder committed many years previously for which no-one has been convicted. There are several other sub-plots such as the tension between the Catholic Haredale and the Protestant Chester, Joe Willet's love for Varden's daughter, the comical scheming of the apprentice locksmith against his master and the presence of a shadowy stranger who pursues Barnaby Rudge's mother. Some elements of the plot fizzle out a bit too easily towards the end, such as the attempt to kidnap Haredale's daughter, but the overall effect of the book is very satisfying.

This is one of Dicken's least remembered novels, but I think it is well worth reading and an excellent introduction to his work.