Jack Sheppard (Read Red) [Paperback]

William Harrison Ainsworth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2010 | Series: Read Red

A master of drinking, whoring, theft - and escape! While Jack Sheppard seems marked from birth for a terrible end, his wit and charm might just be able to cheat fate. Fate, however, seems eager to cheat him out of an honest living, when Jack begins visiting the notorious Black Lion, drinking den of the worst criminals in London. Soon he is one of the most famous scoundrels in the city - not for his crimes, but for the wonderful fact that not one of the King's fine prisons can hold him. But Jack's luck will have to run out eventually...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Its incredible popularity and Ainsworth's ranking as one of the premier novelists of the period argue the need for Jack Sheppard to be in print. Without reading it, we have a necessarily distorted view of crime literature, the historical novel, popular fiction—and, indeed, the Victorian novel as a whole. This edition astutely fills in the context of the novel: its reworking of the 18th-century true-crime tradition, its notoriety as an emblem of a criminal (il)literacy, its extended life through popular theatrical adaptations, and the ensuing controversy over its possible influence. This edition will help students and general readers to understand why Ainsworth was so successful in his historical moment." (Simon Joyce )

"This is a first-rate edition, with a highly informative introduction that focuses on the issue of 'carcerality' (imprisonment), and the relationship between Ainsworth's novel, Scott's version of the Historical Novel, and the 1830s subgenre known as the Newgate Novel. The appendices also give modern readers excerpts from J.B. Buckstone's dramatic adaptation, Cruikshank's original illustrations, contemporary critical responses and reviews, and even some of the 18th-century documents that served as Ainsworth's sources. Altogether, the editors have done their work well, giving us a readable text and a plethora of paratextual material to help us understand the novel as the early Victorians might have done." (Philip V. Allingham ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

In London Labour and the London Poor (1861) Henry Mayhew wrote, "Of all books, perhaps none has ever had so baneful effect upon the young mind, taste, and principles" as Jack Sheppard. An historical novel based on the exploits of John Sheppard, a thief who was executed in 1724, Jack Sheppard was blamed for inciting working-class crime and vagrancy for decades after its 1839 publication. The fast-paced narrative of Sheppard's repeated prison escapes and his struggles against the evil thief-catcher Jonathan Wild was immensely popular, as well as controversial, in its own time, and is now available for the first time in a fully annotated edition. This Broadview edition includes the original George Cruikshank illustrations, as well as a rich selection of contemporary reviews of the novel and material on the historical Jack Sheppard, Victorian urban street culture, and the novel's popular theatrical adaptations. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (January 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141191899
• ISBN-13: 978-0141191898
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,716,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo Broadview Press!!!! An amazing edition of a thrilling old book, February 19, 2008

By 

Ibsen Freak "GothGuy" (PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Sheppard (Broadview Editions) (Paperback)

Three cheers for Broadview press! This edition of a totally thrilling victorian novel is perfect in every way- This is one of those great old novels that you will not put down- no wonder the victorians were suspitious of Crime Fiction- who wants to work when we can get lost in a great book? This book is a riot- and a blast to teach too- If you like Sensation fiction like "East Lynne" or Penny Dreadfuls like "Varney the Vampire" then Jack Sheppard is a great book to turn to- Who knew reading could be this much fun!