Amazon.co.uk:Customer Reviews: Barnaby Rudge (BBC) Barnaby Rudge (BBC) 4.5 out of 5 stars 135 72 people found this helpful 5.0 out of 5 starsPossibly Dickens's least-known work. ByS. Hapgoodon 29 November 2003 "Barnaby Rudge" was the first commercial failure Dickens had. There were a number of reasons for this, mainly I suspect that it was published during a recession, but also because Dickens had by then made a big name for himself as an observer of his own times. That is very much the image he still has today, Dickens is synonymous with the mid-19th century, so going back to the end of the 18th century wasn't perhaps commercially a good move.

These days "Barnaby Rudge" has become overshadowed completely by Dickens's other historical novel, "A Tale Of Two Cities", not helped by the fact that both books cover more or less the same themes: the horrors of mob rule, a city plunged into anarchy, the storming of a prison, and what happens when innocent people get dragged into a cause that is being manipulated by people with dubious axes to grind, plus of course the perennial theme of love triumphing in the face of evil. Having said all that, "Barnaby Rudge" holds up strongly as a book in its own right. The anti-Catholic Gordon Riots are virtually unknown to us these days (I have to admit, somewhat shamefully, I had never heard of them before, it was quite an eye-opener to find that such a devestating thing had happened in London!), but its central core theme of people becoming divided and wrecking havoc and hatred on each other is as relevant now as ever. Barnaby himself is a mentally-handicapped young man, and it is heartbreaking to see him allowing himself to be adopted by the cause in the belief that he will make his mother proud of him.

It is also a delightful portrait of someone totally pure at heart caught up in a cynical, hate-filled world. I don't mean that to sound as though Dickens is preaching, (which would be off-putting to anyone just wanting a good read) because he isn't, nowhere does he allow that to happen. As you would expect with Dickens there is a whole cast of strong, eccentric characters: the vain, uptight spinster Miss Miggs who seems to delude herself that every man she meets is fatally smitten with her, the almost feral-like Hugh the ostler, Dennis the Hangman, enthusiastically keen to get a rope round everybody else's neck but not so keen to see it near his own, Gabriel Varden, the salt-of-the-earth locksmith and his insufferably neurotic wife, and the immensely slappable Sir John Chester. The younger characters pale by comparison, though I have a soft-spot for Joe Willett, bullied by his overbearing father so much he has to run away from home and join the army.

The central star-crossed love-story between Edward Chester (Protestant) and Emma Haredale (Catholic) virtually makes no impact at all, simply because the characters are so two-dimensional, and Dolly Varden is just a daft young flirt who realises, too late, that she's let a good bloke out of her grasp. Also much of the stuff surrounding Barnaby's mysterious father really doesn't make much impact at all. Rudge Snr simply doesn't come alive as a character. He's spent so long in the shadows that he seems to have become one! What makes this book worth reading are obviously the Riots themselves, and showing the devestation it has on the ordinary people caught up in it, and the comedy set around the 'Maypole Inn'. Most importantly though, the character of Barnaby himself, and his talking black crow, Grip. Here you get Dickens's love of humanity and his compassion worked to great effect. 9 people found this helpful 3.0 out of 5 starsVery disappointing ByHugh Sedonon 14 November 2011 I did not enjoy my limited exposure to Dickens at school.

Some fifty-odd years later, I decided to try again, commencing, rather oddly with hindsight, with his last, unfinished novel Edwin Drood. I liked this so much that I have since been working my way through his other books. Barnaby Rudge is my eleventh (plus three of the Christmas stories), and is the first that I have disliked. If this had been my first experience of Dickens in my old age, it is highly probable that I would not have persevered with his remaining works, and so would have missed out on some great books by probably the best English author of the 19th C. The first part of Barnaby Rudge, set in 1775, is typically Dickensian, with enjoyable narrative, characters and humour. Once the story moves to 1780, the time of the Gordon riots, it becomes disjointed, lacks continuity and, indeed, credibility. All sorts of unanswered questions arise: regarding Dennis, how did he find Hugh's hideout; why wasn't he arrested then (double agent?); what was his motivation. Again as regards Joe and Edward: how did they meet on the third night of the riots; and recognise each other; and find Mr.

Haredale; find the way into the resr of the Vintner's house (something that defeated the rioters); and find Emma and Dolly. Many more queries arise ad nauseum. The story is not helped by the lack of substance to the characters of Emma and Edward and the portrayal of Barnaby himself is not strong enough to hold the tale together. And Miggs and Sir John are simply unbelievable. Dicken's strengths are humour, sympathy for the poor and a keen observation of the hardships and depravities of his own time- definately not historical novels. Except for Tale of Two Cities, he wrote to these strengths thereafter. Format: Paperback | Verified Purchase "Barnaby Rudge" was the first commercial failure Dickens had. There were a number of reasons for this, mainly I suspect that it was published during a recession, but also because Dickens had by then made a big name for himself as an observer of his own times. That is very much the image he still has today, Dickens is synonymous with the mid-19th century, so going back to the end of the 18th century wasn't perhaps commercially a good move.

These days "Barnaby Rudge" has become overshadowed completely by Dickens's other historical novel, "A Tale Of Two Cities", not helped by the fact that both books cover more or less the same themes: the horrors of mob rule, a city plunged into anarchy, the storming of a prison, and what happens when innocent people get dragged into a cause that is being manipulated by people with dubious axes to grind, plus of course the perennial theme of love triumphing in the face of evil. Having said all that, "Barnaby Rudge" holds up strongly as a book in its own right. The anti-Catholic Gordon Riots are virtually unknown to us these days (I have to admit, somewhat shamefully, I had never heard of them before, it was quite an eye-opener to find that such a devestating thing had happened in London!), but its central core theme of people becoming divided and wrecking havoc and hatred on each other is as relevant now as ever. Barnaby himself is a mentally-handicapped young man, and it is heartbreaking to see him allowing himself to be adopted by the cause in the belief that he will make his mother proud of him.

It is also a delightful portrait of someone totally pure at heart caught up in a cynical, hate-filled world. I don't mean that to sound as though Dickens is preaching, (which would be off-putting to anyone just wanting a good read) because he isn't, nowhere does he allow that to happen. As you would expect with Dickens there is a whole cast of strong, eccentric characters: the vain, uptight spinster Miss Miggs who seems to delude herself that every man she meets is fatally smitten with her, the almost feral-like Hugh the ostler, Dennis the Hangman, enthusiastically keen to get a rope round everybody else's neck but not so keen to see it near his own, Gabriel Varden, the salt-of-the-earth locksmith and his insufferably neurotic wife, and the immensely slappable Sir John Chester. The younger characters pale by comparison, though I have a soft-spot for Joe Willett, bullied by his overbearing father so much he has to run away from home and join the army.

The central star-crossed love-story between Edward Chester (Protestant) and Emma Haredale (Catholic) virtually makes no impact at all, simply because the characters are so two-dimensional, and Dolly Varden is just a daft young flirt who realises, too late, that she's let a good bloke out of her grasp. Also much of the stuff surrounding Barnaby's mysterious father really doesn't make much impact at all. Rudge Snr simply doesn't come alive as a character. He's spent so long in the shadows that he seems to have become one! What makes this book worth reading are obviously the Riots themselves, and showing the devestation it has on the ordinary people caught up in it, and the comedy set around the 'Maypole Inn'. Most importantly though, the character of Barnaby himself, and his talking black crow, Grip. Here you get Dickens's love of humanity and his compassion worked to great effect. Format: Paperback The neccessity of the Higher English "Specialist Study" caused me to be drawn to this novel. I could not have hoped for better material.

Underrated and almost forgotten, I had no pre-conceived ideas about "Barnaby Rudge", and was therefore pleasently surprised by how enjoyable I found it. The mentally impared title character is a charming one - the very personification of the purity Dickens attempted to capture in many of his novles. The plot, inspired by the Gordon riots of 1780, is a patchwork of inter-twining and enthralling adventures, sufficiently mysterious so as to both confound and delight the reader. The formidible stock of characters are all delightfully and vividly brought to life, and one cannot help but share in their joy and pain - I for one found myself cheering, weeping and smiling rediculously in the course of the book. If there is one annoyance it is the lack of a substantial villian - in this novel, Dickens presents not one or two wholly evil creatures, but instead a handful of "baddies", each causing turmoil in their own way. Although all are thourghly detestably, none command the raw hatred felt for some of Dickens's more famous bad guys, such as Bill Sikes or Uriah Heep.

Nonetheless, "Barnaby Rudge" is still a brilliantly conceived novel and, flowing as it does from the pen of the master story-teller, cannot help but captivate the reader. 0Comment | 28 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Format: Audio CD | Verified Purchase As I approach retirement, disappointed by decades of appalling Christmas presents, and haunted by the golden memories of childhood gifts, I have decided to buy myself each year an unabridged Dickens audio book for the Christmas tree. This year it's Barnaby Rudge, and I have been listening to it while commuting to work for most of January and February. The book is in two parts - the first recognizable Dickens, the second something else altogether - a fiery historical narrative of the Gordon Riots, centring on characters set up in the first half of the book. The novel feels very up to date and the reader is so wonderful that I should prostrate myself before him. Thank you, God, for creating and developing Naxos audiobooks.

0Comment | 11 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Format: Mass Market Paperback Barnaby Rudge is not currently one of Dickens's favourite books, although in its time it was a wild success. The heroine, Dolly Varden, gave name to a type of hat and to a trout, among other things. But for several reasons (among which one can surely count the difficulty of enacting the riots for film or TV, which is nowadays the way in which most people seem to get to know Dickens) it is seen as far less successful than his other experiment in historical fiction ("A Tale of Two Cities", placed during the French Revolution and the Terror).

It deals with a little-remembered episode from the Georgian era: the "No-Popery" riots led by MP George Gordon in 1780 to repeal the Catholic Relief Act of 1778 (the riots succeeded in delaying Catholic Emancipation in the United Kingdom by half a century and tarnished the reputation of the greatest parlamentarian and cripto-catholic Irishman of the age, Edmund Burke). Dickens's portrayal of the riots is masterful and his grim sense of humour unleashes itself on the many likely subjects that such a situation naturally affords. Among the weaknesses of the book one must count its chief heroes and villains. The eponymous Mr Rudge is not one of the most appealing of Dickens's heroes, since he is merely a simpleton, and the evil Lord Chester and Mr Gashford do not attain the magnificence of an Uriah Heep or a Seth Pecksniff. Willet the elder is an appealing character, although the son seems too generic. Some of the other characters are brilliant, particularly Mr. Dennis the Hangman, who voices some of the most lugubriously funny sentiments Dickens has ever allowed himself to vent.

This is a flawed work, but it comes from a master novelist, and it is a masterwork. 0Comment | 18 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Format: Paperback Focused primarily on the "anti-popery" riots in London in1780, and filled with wild scenes of carnage involving a large cast of characters from all levels of society, Barnaby Rudge is Dickens's first historical novel, and it includes the real Lord George Gordon, a virulent anti-Catholic who whipped the populace into a frenzy. The author sets the scene for the tumult by first painting a picture of quiet village society in Chigwell in 1775, five years earlier, often using humor to depict the numerous characters. Geoffrey Haredale, a Catholic, has inherited the estate of his brother Reuben, who was murdered twenty-two years before. He has brought up his niece Emma, who is in love with the kindly Edward Chester, a Protestant, the son of the odious Lord John Chester, who lives nearby.

Dozens of characters populate the book--including Barnaby Rudge (the developmentally disabled son of Mary Rudge, who works on an estate), the Willetts (who run the Maypole Inn), Gabriel Varden (a locksmith) and his daughter Dolly (who eventually works for Emma Haredale), mysterious strangers, ghosts, a sinister blind man, and even Grip, Barnaby's talking raven. The action takes off when the time shifts from 1775 to 1780, and the focus changes from village life and the sometimes amusing domestic concerns of the people to the growing anti-Catholic sentiment being stirred up in London. The humor, which has been a big part of the first part of the book, ends, and Dickens concentrates on the growing hatred and the battles spawned by that hatred, with good people being drawn into brutality that they would otherwise avoid. Violence and several deaths take place, the populace becomes a mob, and rioting leads to the burning of properties. The love stories, which have been a large part of the first section of the book, are put on the back burner for the major part of the book.

Written in 1841, this is Dickens's fifth novel, one which suffers from its original serialization and loss of focus. Though the atmosphere and some of the characters rank among Dickens's best, and some of the humor in the first part is delightful, the tone is inconsistent, changing with the riots and ensuing action. As is always the case with Dickens, all mysteries are cleared up at the end, with Reuben Haredale's murder solved and the whereabouts revealed of several characters who disappeared between 1775 and 1780. With hints of some of the greatness to come, this novel precedes David Copperfield, Bleak House, and A Tale of Two Cities, and shows Dickens experimenting with his themes and ideas. Mary Whipple 0Comment | 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Format: Paperback Definitely my favourite Dickens book.

It's not as well known as say Nicholas Nickleby or Oliver Twist, and is one of only two historical novels that Dickens wrote (the other being A Tale of Two Cities), but it's always been, and remains, my favourite. The characters are tremendous - Joseph Willett and his cronies, Miss Miggs who is hilarious, and Hugh; and Barnaby himself. While there may be no standout villains or heroines as are in some other Dickens books, I think that's actually a good point in Barnaby Rudge's favour. The story is well balanced between a gothic mystery, historical political and religious fervour, and characters who attempt to make sense of the times they live in. Sir John Chester and Mr Haredale are exellent foils (both flawed, yet both so sure they are right); and Hugh and Dennis, Lord George Gordon and Gashford are excellently written. I think this novel benefits from not having a simpering heroine or dashing hero to overpower the strengths of the other characters. I've read and re-read Dickens' books I don't know how many times; and Barnaby Rudge is still the one I remember most fondly. I'm glad I've read it again.

0Comment | 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Format: Paperback | Verified Purchase Dickens’ least known novel, but possibly my favourite, except perhaps for ‘A Christmas Carol’, a different kind of book not easy to compare. 'Barnaby Rudge' is set 60 to 65 years before Dickens wrote it. The advantage of this for us is that Dickens explains things about those times that his nineteenth century readers (and we) might not know. When writing of his own time, Dickens probably left many things unexplained that he assumed his audience knew, but which we today may not. E.g. ‘Barnaby Rudge’ contains a vivid passage about London at night before gas or electric lighting, when pedestrians paid ‘link boys’ to light their way through the streets with lighted tapers. Likewise, Dickens description of Clerkenwell, by his own time a thoroughly urban district, but at the time of the novel on the very edge of London, near farms and country lanes.

As usual Dickens creates vivid and remarkable characters, especially, as often with him, among the supporting cast, e.g. -Mr Dennis the hangman, who loves his work, until sentenced to the gallows himself; - Sir John Chester, callous and calculating under a veneer of charm; who we would now call a sociopath; -Hugh: thug, thief and molester, but who we have to respect at the end; -Lord George Gordon, ‘the poor, crazy lord who died in Newgate' prison. A real historical figure. He led 40,000 protestors to march on Parliament, but could not control what he started, and had not one friend or follower left a week later, when he was arrested, after days of riots. -Grip, the talking raven, who Dickens tells us in an introduction is based on a pet raven that he once owned. Although the book is named after him, “Barnaby Rudge” is not necessarily the main character. He is a young man who we would now say had ‘learning difficulties’ or ‘special needs’ but would then have been called a ‘simpleton’ or an idiot. He views events through naïve, child-like eyes.

It is not necessary to know the history of the period to appreciate the story, although reading this novel has made me want to learn more about it. The first third of the novel, set in 1775, mainly concerns the private lives, loves, quarrels and secrets of various individuals, especially members of two extended households: the Vardens, locksmiths of Clerkenwell, and the Willets, who keep the Maypole Inn in Essex, but also two gentry families, the Protestant Chesters and the Roman Catholic Haredales, and Barnaby Rudge and his mother. The narrative then jumps 5 years. The last two-thirds of the book are set in 1780, when most of these individuals are caught up in the ‘Gordon Riots’ in London. These were a real historical event, when the authorities effectively lost control of the capital for a week, prisons were destroyed, their inmates released and Catholic chapels and homes looted and wrecked. Hundreds died in the riots and accompanying fires. Order was finally restored by troops firing volleys into the crowds. A number of rioters were prosecuted and some were hanged.

The most dramatic passages, the last one-third of the book, describe the riots themselves and their aftermath. They make me wish Dickens had written of great historical events more often. They are reminiscent of Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables’, about an uprising in Paris in 1830. However, good though Hugo’s novel (and the modern musical of it) are, some readers will be relieved that Barnaby Rudge is not as long as Les Miserables (although at around 640 pages in this edition, ‘Barnaby Rudge’ is itself a minor epic) and that Dickens keeps discussion of politics and religion to a minimum. His main interest throughout is in individuals and what happens to them. Except that one character is described as having lost an arm in the war “in America”, Dickens does not mention that Britain was then fighting American rebels and their allies in the American War of Independence (or Revolution, as Americans now call it). At various points in the novel Dickens expresses sympathy for the mentally handicapped, the mentally ill, persecuted religious minorities, the poor and even criminals facing the harsh punishments of the law in those days. He surely hoped that his readers would come away with sympathy for such people too.

However, Dickens does not pretend that the poor and disadvantaged as all innocent victims, nor that the wealthy and what we would now call ‘establishment’ characters all exploiters or oppressors. There are good and bad, wise and foolish, and weak and courageous people in every class. The Gordon Riots were exploited by yobs to smash things up and steal things. However, they grew out of sincere, if misguided, protests by militant Protestants, led by the mentally unbalanced Lord George Gordon, against a law to reduce discrimination against Roman Catholics. This is probably why the Gordon Riots are almost forgotten as, except in Ulster and Glasgow, differences of Protestants and Catholics are less important to most people now. Had the Riots been about the rights of black people or women, they would probably have a prominent place in history courses today. Yet they were a major event in their time. Their story can tell us quite a lot about what this country was like nine or ten generations ago, and perhaps also about what people are capable of when law and order break down.

(There is a good book about them 'King Mob' written in 1958 by Christopher Hibbert) Incidentally, the ‘Maypole’ Inn, which in the novel is kept by old John Willetts, where many of the scenes are set, was based on a real Tudor Inn ‘Ye Olde Kings Arms’ in Chigwell, Essex, that Dickens used to visit on excursions into the country. I do not know what Dickens or John Willetts would make of the facts that today Chigwell is a London suburb on the Central Line, the Inn is owned by Lord Sugar of television's ’The Apprentice’ and is now a Turkish restaurant, although Dickens and Willetts would probably both have liked a charcoal grilled meat kebab. Format: Paperback | Verified Purchase I did not enjoy my limited exposure to Dickens at school. Some fifty-odd years later, I decided to try again, commencing, rather oddly with hindsight, with his last, unfinished novel Edwin Drood. I liked this so much that I have since been working my way through his other books. Barnaby Rudge is my eleventh (plus three of the Christmas stories), and is the first that I have disliked.

If this had been my first experience of Dickens in my old age, it is highly probable that I would not have persevered with his remaining works, and so would have missed out on some great books by probably the best English author of the 19th C. The first part of Barnaby Rudge, set in 1775, is typically Dickensian, with enjoyable narrative, characters and humour. Once the story moves to 1780, the time of the Gordon riots, it becomes disjointed, lacks continuity and, indeed, credibility. All sorts of unanswered questions arise: regarding Dennis, how did he find Hugh's hideout; why wasn't he arrested then (double agent?); what was his motivation. Again as regards Joe and Edward: how did they meet on the third night of the riots; and recognise each other; and find Mr. Haredale; find the way into the resr of the Vintner's house (something that defeated the rioters); and find Emma and Dolly. Many more queries arise ad nauseum. The story is not helped by the lack of substance to the characters of Emma and Edward and the portrayal of Barnaby himself is not strong enough to hold the tale together.

And Miggs and Sir John are simply unbelievable. Dicken's strengths are humour, sympathy for the poor and a keen observation of the hardships and depravities of his own time- definately not historical novels. Except for Tale of Two Cities, he wrote to these strengths thereafter. 0Comment | 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Having struggled with the frankly turgid "A tale of Two Cities" I stumbled upon this with some trepidation. I was rewarded with an absolutely marvellous read. Characters I cared about, though I concede the eponymous hero was not one of them, and a number of top notch villains - Hugh leading the way. A good central story with interesting subplots and storylines. All in all - highly recommended. 0Comment | 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later.

Format: Paperback As an ardent fan of Dickens,(surely the finest writer in the English language)I am aware that many would say that Great Expectations or David Copperfield were his greatest achievements. While they are both great works of literature, for me Barnaby Rudge was his greatest work. He is often described as "a painter with words", nowhere does this description apply more appropriately than in Barnaby Rudge. The characters are so real you can almost imagine yourself being there with them. It sweeps you along in an ever expanding plot which culminates in an explosive ending. Highly recommended for anyone new to the work of the undoubted master of English Literature and this Wordsworth Version is affordable with the added bonus of the original illustrations. If you need a comfort blanket of a book, this is it 0Comment | 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Please write at least one word You must purchase at least one item from Amazon to post a comment A problem occurred while submitting your comment. Please try again later. Barnaby Rudge: BBC: Amazon.ca: Charles Dickens, Dramatization: Books Charles Dickens No Kindle device required.

Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. Apple To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. or Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Product Details Publisher: Random House Audio (July 1 1998) Language: English Product Dimensions: 18.1 x 11.1 x 2 cm Shipping Weight: 159 g Product Description 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. Review "One of Dickens's most neglected, but most rewarding, novels." --Peter Ackroyd "I would always prefer to go get another Dickens off the shelf than pick up a new book by someone I've not read yet." --Donna Tartt "Nothing seems more quintessentially British than Charles Dickens." --The Times "Charles Dickens is one of the giants of English literature." --Sunday Express By Robert Taylor on Nov.

8 2003 Format: Paperback This book is probably the most overlooked of Dickens' major efforts. It lacks the silly slapstick and joy of Pickwick Papers, and is missing the biting social commentary (at least not as biting) of Little Dorrit and Hard Times. Also, it is always listed in the "about the author" section as being somewhat of a commercial letdown at the time. The truth is that it is a great book. It has enough silliness to let you know that it is Dickens, but is accompanied by a good bit of darkness. In fact, it's almost macabre at times. In the end, this is a great story from a master storyteller. Isn't this the true benchmark of a classic? For all the ingenius stylism of "The Sound and the Fury" would we love it half as much (if at all) if the styling didn't accent a most captivating tale? Well, "Barnaby Rudge" is just that....a thoroughly captivating tale in the classic Dickens style. 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again.

By Russael on Nov. 23 2001 Format: Mass Market 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. One person found this helpful.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again. By Pierre Gauthier on May 14 2011 Format: Audio CD This novel is not rated among Dickens' best works. Sadly the reader quickly grasps why. In general, it is difficult to identify or even sympathize with any character. In particular, many of the characters are just strange. Barnaby Rudge himself is, as Dickens puts it, an "idiot boy". His pet is a raven ... who actually speaks sentences, though admittedly with a croaky voice. Readers also encounter a brutal hangman and a blind beggar who manages to travel by foot through the 18th century English countryside. This very long historical novel is set in the context of little known anti-Catholic riots. The plot is convoluted and very difficult to follow. Unexpectedly from Dickens, much violence is described in detail, mostly against property but also against human beings. The narrator sides with reason against prejudice but the reader still feels uneasy. Definitely, this work is recommended only to die-hard Dickens fans. One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again. By Edward on Dec 20 2000 Format: Mass Market Paperback When one says "Charles Dickens" and "historical novel" in the same sentence, the immediate impression is of the French Revolution adventure "A Tale of Two Cities". But Dickens wrote another historical novel 18 years before, in 1841, the complex and colorful "Barnaby Rudge", set during London's anti-Papal riots of June 1780, when there was a reaction against the Catholic influence in Parliament. Populated by a large cast and activated by a plot of intrigue and danger, it is one of the best of Dickens in his early period. In fact, it is perhaps Dickens' most under-rated work. As usual with Dickens, the characters find themselves in a labyrinth of relationships. Sir John Chester is an impoverished habitué who tells his handsome son he expects the young man to insure the family fortune in the time-honored tradition of decadent nobility: by marrying money. "With regard to our circumstances, Ned, you may set your mind at rest upon that score.

They are desperate." His son is appalled, the more so as he is in love with Emma, the daughter of a country gentleman, Geoffrey Haredale, Sir John's moral opposite. Running parallel to this love story is that of Joe Willet, the good-hearted son of John Willet, the proprietor of the Maypole Inn, where much of the action takes place. Joe is courting the daughter of Gabriel Varden, an honest, hard-working locksmith, a proletarian hero. (Originally he was the book's title character.) Gabriel's daughter Dolly, Joe's inamorata, is one of those human cookies so adored by Victorian England. (All through the 19th Century articles of clothing were named after her: the Dolly Varden bonnet, the Dolly Varden cape, etc. Read more › Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again. By A Customer on Oct. 11 1999 Format: Mass Market 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. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again. Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Barnaby Rudge (Penguin Classics) Barnaby Rudge (Penguin Classics) 4.3 out of 5 stars 96 Price:$9.33+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime Your rating( Clear )Rate this item 5.0 out of 5 starsNo punches pulled in this historical novel of the Gordon Riots.

ByEve Howardon December 14, 2016 For anyone who formerly thought Dickens' heroines were a bit bland - here is Dolly, the flirtiest flirt of them all. But this book has more surprises, including the incredible description of the Gordon Riots, and a hero who is a poetical simpleton. This is a very timely book, which will resonate with modern readers still struggling to understand the nature of prejudice and how it is manipulated by an unconscious mob who "know not what they do" or even why. This is a harsh, hard hitting book that pulls no punches. Yet, all of the humor and pathos common to Dickens is present in abundance, with a fabulous cast of unique characters, such as Dennis the jolly hang man and the real historical character of Lord George Gordon, the hapless enthusiast who is the catalyst to the chaos. Well worth reading and masterfully read by Simon Vance. One person found this helpful 3.0 out of 5 starsI am a huge Dickens's fan. This book, ... ByJamie W.on November 21, 2015 I am a huge Dickens's fan. This book, though, is not one of my favorites.

Lots of threads to follow through the novel, and not all of them are tied up at the end. Format: Audio CD | Verified Purchase For anyone who formerly thought Dickens' heroines were a bit bland - here is Dolly, the flirtiest flirt of them all. But this book has more surprises, including the incredible description of the Gordon Riots, and a hero who is a poetical simpleton. This is a very timely book, which will resonate with modern readers still struggling to understand the nature of prejudice and how it is manipulated by an unconscious mob who "know not what they do" or even why. This is a harsh, hard hitting book that pulls no punches. Yet, all of the humor and pathos common to Dickens is present in abundance, with a fabulous cast of unique characters, such as Dennis the jolly hang man and the real historical character of Lord George Gordon, the hapless enthusiast who is the catalyst to the chaos. Well worth reading and masterfully read by Simon Vance. Format: Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase For being one Dickens' lower rung novels, it is still quite a good action/adventure novel.

There's character development and backstory in the first third of it but then that all fades away into an exciting adventure novel (no different than most stories like that). Dickens never stops amazing me. I read through the long description of the mob burning down Mr Haredale's house twice to myself and then once out loud to a friend because it was just that breathtaking. I would recommend this to people who enjoyed Gary Paulsen books when they were teens. Format: Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase This is a little read Dickens. It perhaps lacks the larger-than-life characters that the earlier Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist boasted, and Dickens hasn't yet reached his magisterial ability to analyse an aspect of society in enormous depth, as he does with the later Bleak House and Little Dorrit. In Barnaby Rudge he also drives the plot by the similar sort of unlikely coincidence that peppers his earlier works. So the book in some ways falls between two stools. Nevertheless, it is distinctive in that it is one of only two historical novels that Dickens wrote, the other being the very late Tale of Two Cities.

The historical background, which isn't dealt with until the second half of the book, is the period of the Gordon Riots, a violent mob protest against Catholicism that occurred in 1780. These riots and the politics of the mob that surround them are brilliantly imagined by Dickens, and the book is worth reading for that alone. Format: Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase This is one of two historical novels that Dickens wrote--the other one being the Tale of Two Cities. Dickens does a masterful job. The story takes place during the anti-Catholic riots of 1780 in London. The riots were brutal and savage based on pure prejudice. Many Catholics had their houses burned down. The rioters even burned down the London jail when some of their fellow rioters were imprisoned. As usual, Dickens takes the side of the underdog Catholics who are being savagely abused. Dickens weaves in two love stories which both end happily. One of the protagonists is Barnaby Rudge, a boy with down's syndrome. He personifies the goodness that is in all people. His pet Raven has much to say in repeating what he hears.

In one of the ironies in the book, the hangman of London ends up being hanged because he is one of the instigators of the riots. I wonder why this book has not garnered more attention. It is quite good. Dickens shows how a mob can get out of control. The riot scenes are quite graphic. This is not one of the prouder moments of the history of London. Format: Hardcover | Verified Purchase I began to read Charles Dickens when I was in my teen years. There is very few authors with such incite in to human character, and the ability to paint a scene that puts our current crop of authors to shame. The present day secular media from film, and books can never compete with a genius for the true art of literature. There are some authors today that might present a popular novel but they usually fall flat and unfulfilling once the book is read. There are always a few whose talent trancend politics, sensuality, and sensationalism. When you get tired of popularism Dickens is the author that fills your mind with memorable scenes and characters who go beyond the present politically correct novel. Dickens brings to life the morality, nobleness, and virtues that an author who lives beyond his century passes on.

This novel is one of those that will be one that you will read again, maybe even more than a couple of times. G.K. Chesterton wrote the most profound and honest critisms of Dickens works. I suggest reading Chesterton for incite into Dickens. Barnaby Rudge could be a good start for a reading habit of honestly absorbing and entertaining literature. Put Patterson or Clancy aside and learn to enjoy the talent that will out live both of them. 0Comment | 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Comment Format: Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens This is not one of Dickens' better known works. It is his first historical novel (the other being A Tale of Two Cities). It has been rarely adapted to TV or movies, perhaps due to its Catholic intolerance as described in the London anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780. The riots are almost the background story involving the main character, Barnaby Rudge, a simple minded dupe. There is a murder mystery intertwined along with such interestingly named Dickens cast such as Tappertit, Miggs, Stagg, and Long Phil.

There is even a talking raven named Grip who some say inspired Edgar Allan Poe's bird of poetry. While this may not be at the top of your Dickens read list, it definitely deserves attention from its historical content and character development. Format: Paperback | Verified Purchase Admittedly a lesser known work by Dickens, I found it a great read. Sure, it's a bit slow in the early chapters, but what part of any Dickens work doesn't have its moments. The cast of characters is diverse, as usual, and bring different social circumstances to the Gordon Riots in 1780 England. The chapters devoted to the Riot itself are packed with action that kept me reading far past my normal quitting time. More importantly, Dickens paints a vivid picture of both religious persecution and the irrational and unpredictable quality of a widespread riot. With brief references to the War for Independence, the novel serves as a solid insight into some of the thinking that led our Founding Fathers to enshrine fundamental liberties in the Bill of Rights. The academic review that precedes the novel is a waste of time for any reader for enjoyment and a perfect example of the horrid quality of writing in academia today.

The reviewer needs to spend less time assembling critical comment and spend some time learning how to write like Dickens. 0Comment | 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Comment Format: Paperback | Verified Purchase This is the last of all the Dickens's novels (including the five shorter Christmas Books) that I have either read or attempted. I had saved it until the last because it has not been held in very high esteem either by the critics or the reading public. I was pleasantly surprised. Whereas there are several Dickens novels that I was unable to finish (namely, The Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewit, Dombey and Son, Little Dorrit, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and all the Christmas Books except A Christmas Carol), Barnaby Rudge never dragged even though it is one of Dickens's longer novels. Barnaby Rudge is as filled with memorable characters (especially the secondary ones - Miss Miggs, the Vardens, the Chesters, Hugh, Mr. Tappertitt, Dennis the hangman, etc.); places (the Maypole Inn, the locksmith's shop) and incident (the Gordon Riots) as any of his greater novels.

Stylistically, Barnaby Rudge is akin to Dickens's earlier picaresque novels (Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby). After those early successes of the 1830s, Dickens was struggling to find his mature style in my opinion. Most of the longer and shorter novels I was unable to finish come from the 1840s. (The Mystery of Edwin Drood is Dickens's last novel, but it was only half-finished at his death so it is really not fair to blame Dickens for my failure to respond to it.) Even though The Old Curiosity Shop comes between Nicholas Nickelby and Barnaby Rudge, Barnaby Rudge demonstrates all the strengths of Nicholas Nickelby and avoids the weaknesses of The Old Curiosity Shop. Barnaby Rudge is still early Dickens in my opinion. G. K. Chesterton described a taste for early Dickens as similar to a taste for new potatoes as opposed to mature potatoes. Some people prefer new potatoes. Barnaby Rudge is not Dickens at his greatest. (I reserve that description for David Copperfield, Great Expectations and Bleak House.

Along with the three novels of the 1830s already mentioned, I place Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities and Our Mutual Friend and now, Barnaby Rudge, on the second tier of Dickens's novels.) We must remember, that Dickens at his worst is better than most writers at their best. If Barnaby Rudge were a newly discovered work by an otherwise unknown author, or by one of Dickens's contemporaries, it would be hailed as a masterpiece. As it is, Barnaby Rudge is an eminently enjoyable and readable effort by a great writer. 0Comment | 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse Comment Barnaby Rudge | Charles Dickens Info Charles Dickens Info Barnaby Rudge Barnaby Rudge Barnaby Rudge was the 5th novel by Charles Dickens. The novel was published in installments during 1841. Dickens’s Life When Writing Barnaby Rudge Dickens first gets the idea for the plot of Barnaby Rudge in 1836. Dickens begins to write Barnaby Rudge in 1839. 1840 marks the publication of The Old Curiosity Shop .

In June and July of 1841 Dickens and Catherine tour Scotland. Also that year their son, Walter , is born and Barnaby Rudge is published. In 1842 Charles and Catherine travel to America. Reviews of Barnaby Rudge Barnaby Rudge was actually the first novel that Dickens planned on writing. In 1836 he was going to call it Gabriel Vardon, the Locksmith of London. Circumstances forced him to put off writing it until later. When the novel was eventually published it wasn’t very well received. John Forrester, a good friend of Dickens, said the novel was structurally flawed. Norrie Espstein, author of The Friendly Dickens , states, “Barnaby Rudge must be the least-read — and least-attractive — novel in the Dickens canon.” Grip One of the people who read Barnaby Rudge and seemed to like it was Edgar Allan Poe. However Poe did have a few suggestions about Grip, Barnaby’s pet raven. He didn’t think that the raven should be so playful. A few years later Poe wrote about a very solemn raven in his famous poem The Raven. Was Grip the inspiration for the poem?

We’ll never know, but some historians believe so. Gordon Riots Barnaby Rudge is an historical novel that deals with the Gordon Riots of 1780. In 1778 the British parliament passed the Catholic Relief Act. The act replaced anti-Catholic legislation. However it was not a universally popular change. On June 2nd of 1780 Lord George Gordon lead a group of like-minded people to parliament. They wanted the Catholic Relief Act repealed. Violence broke out and spread. Peace wasn’t restored until June 9th. By that time Catholic chapels had been broken into, Newgate Prison was burned and hundreds of people were killed. Dickens only wrote one other historical novel. A Tale of Two Cities deals with the French revolution. Theme of Barnaby Rudge Dickens first developed the plot for Barnaby Rudge when he was in his early twenties. He was coming into his own and developing a life apart from his family. It was a life without the constant brushes with poverty and disaster that were his father’s hallmarks. Perhaps this is why the novel is filled with disastrous relationships between fathers and sons. Both Barnaby and Maypole Hugh are abandoned by their fathers.

Maypole’s brother, Edward, is not abandoned by their father, Sir John Chester. However their relationship is not a good one as Sir John firmly discourages Edward from pursuing a relationship with Emma Haredale. Another troubled relationship between father and son can be found between John Willet and his son Joe. John refuses to see Joe as an adult. Barnaby Rudge Information Barnaby Rudge Characters - eNotes.com Barnaby Rudge Characters link Link Barnaby Rudge Barnaby Rudge, the title character but a figure of lesser importance than a number of other personages in the novel. Born on the night of his father’s supposed murder, he is, in his twenties, half-witted, physically strong, and grotesque, almost unearthly, in appearance because of his shock of red hair. At the same time, his sensitivity to beauty, his near idolatry of Hugh, the hostler at the Maypole Inn, and his devotion to Grip, his tame, talking raven, reveal his simple, good nature. Pardoned after being arrested and condemned to death for rioting, he becomes his mother’s stay and comfort in later years. Mrs. Rudge Mrs.

Rudge, his mother, whose life has been one of hardship and sorrow. Her efforts to support her mentally disordered son and to protect him from the tribulations that befall the weak-minded are rewarded after the riots, when she and Barnaby go to live at the restored Maypole Inn under the protection of kindhearted Joe Willet and his wife Dolly. Rudge Rudge, a savage, violent man, the former steward at the Warren. He becomes a fugitive from justice after murdering his employer, Reuben Haredale, and a gardener, whose mutilated body is mistaken for Rudge’s. Returning twenty-two years later, he lives a life of skulking and crime, his identity known only to his wife. Recognized while taking part in anti-Catholic riots, he is sentenced to death and hanged. Before his death, his wife makes futile efforts to get him to repent. Emma Haredale Emma Haredale, the daughter of the murdered Reuben Haredale. She is the victim of an agreement between her guardian-uncle and her fiancé’s father that she shall not marry Edward Chester, because of their different religious beliefs and because John Chester desires a grander alliance for his son.

Eventually, she and Edward are married, and he rebuilds the Warren, which is looted and burned by rioters. Geoffrey Haredale Geoffrey Haredale, a Roman Catholic country squire, Emma Haredale’s uncle and guardian, and a victim of mob violence during the riots. A kind-hearted man, he is especially solicitous for the welfare of Barnaby Rudge and his mother. Planning to leave England, he revisits the ruins of the Warren. There, he encounters Sir John Chester and kills him in a duel. Haredale dies several years later in a religious establishment in Italy. Edward Chester Edward Chester, Emma Haredale’s finance, who defies his father’s wishes that he marry a Protestant heiress. Disowned, he goes to the Indies. He returns to become a hero at the time of the riots, saves Emma from her abductors, and marries her after her uncle withdraws his objection to the match. John Chester John Chester, later Sir John, an egocentric man completely lacking in compassion and concerned only with his own importance and advancement. His career of...

(The entire section is 1221 words.) Get Free Access Start your free trial with eNotes for complete access to this resource and thousands more. 30,000+ Study Guides Save time with thousands of teacher-approved book and topic summaries. Get Homework Help Ask real teachers questions on any subject or search 300,000+ answers. On the Go Access Oxford Illustrated Dickens: Barnaby Rudge The Oxford Illustrated Dickens by Charles Dickens (1987, Hardcover) | eBay Oxford Illustrated Dickens: Barnaby Rudge The Oxford Illustrated Dickens by Charles Dickens (1987, Hardcover) Condition Very Good A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. Sold by bellwetherbooks_usa ( 111936 )99.9% Positive Feedback Delivery Est.

Jan 19 - Feb 1From Multiple Returns All listings for this product Pre-owned Best Selling in Fiction & Literature Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. TRENDING PRICE $16.98New $22.47New $18.64Used TRENDING PRICE $12.56New Synopsis Synopsis A young man's innocent involvement in a revolt serves as the basis for Dickens's historical novel about the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780.,Set at the time of the Gordon anti-Catholic riots of 1780, Barnaby Rudge is Dicken's powerful, atmospheric novel of madness, murder, and lurid mob violence. It is also a tale of love thwarted by the designs of Geoffrey Haredale and the villain Sir John Chester, and the heroism of Edward Chester in rescuing the innocent Emma. Other characters include Lord George Gordon himself, and Grip, the raven who inspired Edgar Allan Poe's poem.

Product Identifiers Barnaby Rudge (Everyman Dickens): Amazon.es: Charles Dickens: Libros en idiomas extranjeros Libros en idiomas extranjeros + EUR 2,99 de gastos de envÃ­o De 2Âª mano: Muy bueno | Detalles Vendido por worldofbooks-es Estado: De 2Âª mano: Muy bueno Comentario: The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. AÃ±adir a la cesta AÃ±adir a la Lista de deseos Â¿Tienes uno para vender? Volver atrÃ¡s Ir adelante Escuchar Reproduciendo... Interrumpido EstÃ¡s escuchando una muestra de la ediciÃ³n de audio Audible.

Barnaby Rudge (Everyman Dickens) (InglÃ©s) Tapa blanda – 5 ago 1996 de Tapa blanda, 5 ago 1996 — DescripciÃ³n del producto Reseña del editor Published in 1841 as part of MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK,the journal founded by Dickens,BARNABY RUDGE is the earlier of Dickens's two historical novels(the other being A TALE OF TWO CITIES).It is set in the period of the Gordon anti-popery riotof 1780 and contains powerful evocations of mob violence,culminating in the sackof Newgate.The main story is a romantic one about the troubled love affair of Emma Haredale,whose father has been mysteriously murdered,and Edward Chester,sonof Sir John Chester,a villain who helps to instigate the riots. Biografía del autor Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. In 1824, his father was imprisoned for debt, so Charles was sent to work in a shoe-dye factory.

He later became a clerk in a law firm, a shorthand reporter in the courts, and a parliamentary and newspaper reporter. In 1833, Dickens began to contribute short stories and essays to periodicals, heralding the start of a glittering and prolific literary career. He married Catherine Hogarth in 1836, with whom he had nine surviving children before they separated in 1858. Dickens died suddenly at home on June 9, 1870, leaving behind an internationally acclaimed canon of work, including Oliver Twist (1837), Nicholas Nickleby (1838), David Copperfield (1849-50), Bleak House (1852-53), Little Dorrit (1855-57), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1860-61) and Our Mutual Friend (1864-65). He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Michael Slater is Professor of Victorian Literature at Birkbeck College in the University of London.

He was editor of The Dickensian (1968-77) and President of the International Dickens Fellowship (1988-90). He has published many books and articles on Dickens. No es necesario ningÃºn dispositivo Kindle. DescÃ¡rgate una de las apps de Kindle gratuitas para comenzar a leer libros Kindle en tu smartphone, tablet u ordenador. Apple

Question: Which of Dicken's' novels features 'Sir John and Edward Chester'?
Answer: 'BARNABY RUDGE'