Barnaby Rudge (Oxford World's Classics) - Softcover

Dickens, Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192840568 ISBN 13: 9780192840561

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2003

Synopsis

Written at a time of social unrest in Victorian Britain and set in London at the time of the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots, Dickens's brooding novel of mayhem and murder in the eighteenth century explores the relationship between repression and liberation in private and public life. Barnaby Rudge tells a story of individuals caught up in the mindless violence of the mob. Lord George Gordon's dangerous appeal to old religious prejudices is interwoven with the murder mystery surrounding the father of the simple-minded Barnaby. The discovery of the murderer and his involvement in the riots put Barnaby's life in jeopardy. Culminating in the terrifying destruction of Newgate prison by the rampaging hordes, the brilliant descriptions of the riots are among Dickens's most powerful. Barnaby Rudge looks forward to the dark complexities of Dickens's later novels, whose characters also seek refuge from a chaotic and unstable world. This edition includes all the original illustrations, plus an illuminating Introduction and notes.

About this title

From the Publisher:

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From the Inside Flap:

Dickens' magnificent tale of private lives and public events takes place in the seething unrest of 1780's London.  With a cast of characters as richly diverse and comically grotesque as ever, he expertly weaves the complex themes of public authority and rebellion with the private conflicts of fathers and sons in a spellbinding fictional recreation of the historical facts of the Gordon riots.
Despite their implacable enmity, the upright and honest Geoffrey Haredale forges a strange alliance with the duplicitous John Chester to thwart the marriage between his niece and Chester's honorable son Edward.  But family concerns are eclipsed when brooding tensions erupt into the Gordon riots.  As the simple-minded Barnaby is thrust to the forefront of violent dissent, Edward is driven to an act of desperate heroism in order to save his lover and her uncle.  And in the aftermath of chaos, the shadowy figure behind the private tragedies of murder, blackmail and terrible neglect finally comes to light.

Originally produced for BBC broadcast by the world's most talented creators of radio entertainment, this audio presentation of Dickens' classic is brought magically to life.  Complete with stirring music and sound effects, Barnaby Rudge contains all the charm of a radio broadcast, and all the excitement of a theater performance.  Listeners of all ages will be delighted by this extraordinary production and will treasure it for years to come.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0192840568
• ISBN 13: 9780192840561
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 752
• Editor: Hurst Clive