Barnaby Rudge: Unabridged edition - Paperback

by Charles Dickens (Author)

Barnaby Rudge is the first historical novel by Charles Dickens (the other one being A Tale of Two Cities) and is largely set during the Gordon Riots of 1780. It is one of Dickens lesser known novels, but one of the most rewarding ones to read. It is a thrilling tale of murder, treachery and forbidden love and with vividly described rioting mob scenes. When Barnaby and his mother are harassed by a mysterious stranger, they flee to the capital, where they unwittingly become embroiled in an anti-Catholic protest that quickly becomes political. Swept up by events, Barnaby is imprisoned, rescued, betrayed, and sentenced to die. As is typical for Dickens the novel contains with many interesting sub-plots that are all intertwined. Barnaby Rudge, a simpleton, wanders in and out of the story with his pet raven, Grip. Grip the raven later inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write his most famous poem, "The Raven."

Author Biography

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity. Growing up in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms. A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, The Old Curiosity Shop and Bleak House are among his most famous and popular works.