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Barnaby Rudge (Penguin Classics) Paperback – April 29, 2003

by Charles Dickens (Author), Gordon W. Spence (Editor, Introduction)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 519 ratings
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'One of Dickens' most neglected, but most rewarding, novels' Peter Ackroyd

Charles Dickens's Barnaby Rudge is a vivid portrait of London's descent into anarchy, where 'King Mob' rules the streets, and innocent lives are swept up in the chaos. Set against the backdrop of the Gordon Riots of 1780, Barnaby Rudge is a story of mystery and suspense which begins with an unsolved double murder and goes on to involve conspiracy, blackmail, abduction and retribution. Through the course of the novel fathers and sons become opposed, apprentices plot against their masters and Protestants clash with Catholics on the streets. And, as London erupts into riot, Barnaby Rudge himself struggles to escape the curse of his own past. With its dramatic descriptions of public violence and private horror, its strange secrets and ghostly doublings, Barnaby Rudge is a powerful, disturbing blend of historical realism and Gothic melodrama. This edition is based on the one-volume publication of Barnaby Rudge, reproducing all the original illustrations by 'Phiz' and George Cattermole. Appendices include a map of London at the time of the Gordon Riots and the preface to the 1868 edition.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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  1. Print length
    768 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    April 29, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5.09 x 1.41 x 7.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140437282
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140437287
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Landport, Portsea, England. He died in Kent on June 9, 1870. The second of eight children of a family continually plagued by debt, the young Dickens came to know not only hunger and privation,but also the horror of the infamous debtors’ prison and the evils of child labor. A turn of fortune in the shape of a legacy brought release from the nightmare of prison and “slave” factories and afforded Dickens the opportunity of two years’ formal schooling at Wellington House Academy. He worked as an attorney’s clerk and newspaper reporter until his Sketches by Boz (1836) and The Pickwick Papers (1837) brought him the amazing and instant success that was to be his for the remainder of his life. In later years, the pressure of serial writing, editorial duties, lectures, and social commitments led to his separation from Catherine Hogarth after twenty-three years of marriage. It also hastened his death at the age of fifty-eight, when he was characteristically engaged in a multitude of work.

John Bowen teaches English at the University of Keele. He has written widely on Charles Dickens and is the author of Other Dickens: Pickwick to Dombey (OUP, 2000).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; Reissue edition (April 29, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 768 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140437282
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140437287
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.09 x 1.41 x 7.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 519 ratings

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  1. Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens

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    Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near Portsmouth where his father was a clerk in the navy pay office. The family moved to London in 1823, but their fortunes were severely impaired. Dickens was sent to work in a blacking-warehouse when his father was imprisoned for debt. Both experiences deeply affected the future novelist. In 1833 he began contributing stories to newspapers and magazines, and in 1836 started the serial publication of Pickwick Papers. Thereafter, Dickens published his major novels over the course of the next twenty years, from Nicholas Nickleby to Little Dorrit. He also edited the journals Household Words and All the Year Round. Dickens died in June 1870.

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  2. Hablot Knight Browne

    Hablot Knight Browne

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
519 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Paul Coppola, Washington, DC
5.0 out of 5 stars Barnaby Rudge--a historical novel classic!
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2013
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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.
12 people found this helpful
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G. Lafitte
4.0 out of 5 stars Barnaby Rudge: A Pleasant Surprise - from, G. Lafitte, a Dickens Fan Who Has Tried Them All
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2006
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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.
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Brimo
5.0 out of 5 stars Not Dickens' best Novel
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024
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The only Dickens novel I have not read three or more times. It is one of his "historical" novels but does not have the character interest as in, lets say, "A Tale of Two Cities."
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Eve Howard
5.0 out of 5 stars No punches pulled in this historical novel of the Gordon Riots.
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
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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.
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Rev. Dr. Roberts C. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Important Dickens work for today
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2010
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This year, 2010, the Riverside, CA Dicken's Festival has selected Barnaby Rudge as its featured work for its weekend-long presentation. In my view, nothing could be more timely.
Most people have not read this book which was never as popular as some of Dickens' other novels, such as Oliver Twist or David Copperfield. However, this historical novel of a tragic period in English history of the late 18th century, was early on a project Dickens wanted to present. Work on it predated his widely popular Pickwick Papers, on a much more serious subject.
It was the religious riots of 1780, precipitated by an unstable member of the House of Lords, Lord George Gordon, who wanted to suppress catholicism, even among members of his own monied class. The cause of "No Popery" was taken up by mob rule which resulted in a horrendous amount of death and loss of property among all the people of London, including the burning of Newgate prison, Bedlam, the hospital for the insane, and many houses of rich and poor alike.
As in all Dickens books, there is a cause that the author wants to present and explore. And this one seems to be an analysis of how mob rule occurs and how people who have little factual information destroy and disrupt both the rule of law and the faculty of common sense. If this were only a historical condition, the novel might be of interest. But, we can easily see how today around the world, the incitement of a few with dubious motives can destroy and disorient the lives of the many. Find a discussion group and read it together!
11 people found this helpful
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JOSE CARLOS GALLARIN MACIAS
5.0 out of 5 stars La atención y distribución
Reviewed in Spain on December 13, 2019
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Lo veo bien pues es para regalo
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5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in India on September 7, 2017
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Barnaby Rudge will be, I am sure, a satisfying novel for those who love Dickens.
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Didier
5.0 out of 5 stars 'The mob raged and roared, like a mad monster as it was'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2011
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This is now my fourth Dickens-novel, and not to beat about the bush: each has made me more and more of a Dickens-enthusiast. Intending to read Dickens' novels chronologically I should actually, after having finished  The Pickwick Papers (Oxford World's Classics) , Oliver Twist (Oxford World's Classics)  and  Nicholas Nickleby (Wordsworth Classics) , have read  The Old Curiosity Shop (Oxford World's Classics)  first but somehow I got the proper order mixed up and read 'Barnaby Rudge' first. Be that as it may, 'Barnaby Rudge' perhaps even more than the previous three novels impressed me with the sheer power of Dickens writing.

Actually, the story starts quite innocently, so to speak on a domestic scale with the tale of several families all of whom are loosely connected to each other: there's sir Haredale who - ever since his brother Reuben and his trusted secretary Barnaby Rudge were murdered 20 years before, a murder that has never been solved - has raised his niece Emma as his ward. Emma has fallen in love with Edward Chester, but Sir Haredale and Edward's father, Sir John Chester, are and have been for decades sworn enemies. John Willet, a tenant of Sir Haredale and landlord of the Maypole Inn, has perpetual discussions with his adolescent son Joe (whom he still considers a young boy), whereas Joe himself has fallen in love with Dolly Varden, the daughter of the locksmith Gabriel Varden who is a regular customer of the Maypole Inn. Lastly, we are introduced to Barnaby Rudge's widow and her weak-minded son Barnaby, and the Maypole's ostler Hugh whose mother was hung at Tyburn when he was a mere infant.

Bu then, after introducing these characters (and colourful characters they are too, Dickens never fails in that respect), the action moves on 5 years to the eve of the Gordon Riots in London in which all characters will find themselves sucked as into an apocalyptic vortex. Lord George Gordon - aided by his secretary Gashford - has appealed to all his followers to assemble in London to support him in his opposition to the proposed Catholic Relief Act. It is perhaps for the descriptions of the havoc wreaked by the London mob that this novel is most known, and they are indeed incredibly powerful scenes. But there is a lot more than that to 'Barnaby Rudge'. As is pointed out in the excellent introduction by John Mee, a recurring theme in the novel is the difference between perception and reality. There are constant references to the eyes and eyesight, and virtually all characters are taken in by what they see and fail to discern the reality beneath the surface appearances of things: Sir Haredale fails to see the true love between his niece and Edward Chester, Gabriel Varden does not see the frustration at work inside his apprentice Sim Tappertit, Dolly Varden is blind to the merits of Joe Willet, while Joe's father is blind to the fact that his son has become a grown man and will no longer accept being treated as a boy, and Lord Gordon is duped by his scheming secretary Gashford, ...

Also, 'Barnaby Rudge' is very interesting novel as Dickens' first attempt at a historical novel, a genre made respectable shortly before by Sir Walter Scott, and expressing Dickens' view on history and the lessons it has to teach us for the present and future (being written at a time of social unrest in England, just as the period it describes). One can sense in Dickens' writing a very real fear of social unrest and the mindless fury of 'the mob', embodied by Hugh the ostler who seems, as he tirelessly whips up the mob's energy, a sort of primal force of nature purely bent on destruction.

In these respects 'Barnaby Rudge' differs radically from Dickens' earlier novels, but in others it is out and out Dickensian: there is the familiar mix of humour and drama / tragedy, the unequalled capacity of Dickens to create unforgettable characters, and his ability to give each of these a voice of their own. All in all I immensely enjoyed 'Barnaby Rudge' as it contains aspects of Dickens by now familiar to me and powerfully introduces new ones. So now it's on to  The Old Curiosity Shop (Oxford World's Classics) !
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Kneale Grainger
4.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile read but a long one.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2023
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The first two-thirds of the book were splendid, fast moving, funny and suspenseful.
Then came the descriptions of the Gordon Riots. These were excellent. They were vivid, but went on far too long.
The ending chapters were largely predictable and at times maudlin.
Anyone who likes Dickens but who hasn't read this (a sizable number, probably) should give this a go.
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Bad Edition/....
Reviewed in India on July 3, 2016
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Like other Vintage Dickens edition ,this edition is also not satisfactory.Pages are very old and thin .Printing is hazy.Complete waste of money.
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