The last Dickens novel that I was missing to read (of those he was able to finish; "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" I still haven't read).

Although it is the fourteenth one I read, it was the fifth one he published, and it forms part of his initial, youthful stage, where he still didn't plan his plots from beginning to end.

Well, the fourteenth Dickens novel that I read... and I LOVED IT.

"Barnaby Rudge" is one of the least popular books of Dickens (in fact, finding the Spanish translated edition is completely impossible nowadays, unless you go to the library) and frankly, I don't understand why, because it is a wonderful novel.

Certainly it is not the best Dickens, and the book is not perfect, but the best Dickens (for me) has no rival, and the not so good Dickens (also for me) is still an extraordinary author.

And this is the case: together with "A Tale of Two Cities" it is said that they are the only two "historical" novels that the author wrote. I wouldn't qualify them as historical, according to the current meaning of the genre, especially when the events that Dickens narrates are only about 70 years apart from the date when he wrote the novel.

Just like in "A Tale of Two Cities" Dickens is interested in a revolutionary movement at the end of the 18th century, but while in the first one it was about the French Revolution, in this case it is about the Protestant revolt that took place in London and surroundings in 1780 against the Catholic population, known as the "Gordon" revolt.

And, as it couldn't be otherwise, since Dickens was a passionate about human condition, he can't show us a more refined picture, sometimes crude, but always presented with the brilliant style that characterized him, of how the masses are transformed in phenomena of this type: how they are dehumanized, how the individual "dissolves" to become part of a stronger entity than himself, which pushes him like a magnet and dehumanizes him.

Dickens is extraordinary when presenting us two time arcs: 1775 and 1780, and showing us how the same facts can bring out the best in some of the characters we have been following, and the worst in others... surprising us sometimes, with reactions that we didn't expect from some of them.

And then there is the mass, that unstoppable human mass of discontented people (many of them for very good reasons), a heterogeneous group of idealists, desperate, helpless and criminals who, moved by diametrically opposed motives (some with good faith and others with very very bad faith) end up leading to the same disastrous actions, which overcome them.

It is also very interesting the author's critical look towards religious fanaticism, which many times has more of a hypocritical pretext to unleash the desires of violence than of true faith. In this case the Protestant fanaticism.

And all of this full, as it couldn't be otherwise, when it comes to Dickens, of romances, forbidden loves, illegitimate children, lost and hanged mothers, dead people who rise again, ghosts that claim revenge, histrionic characters, bitter enemies, bad and hateful characters, absolutely endearing characters, executioners, executions, robberies... and a talking raven.

I love Dickens!

Certainly this time I think the plot didn't turn out as perfectly intertwined as in other occasions (although he leaves not a single loose end, -he never does-, the connections and convergence of stories turned out this time a bit more forced), and definitely it is the most ensemble novel of all. To the point that I couldn't say who the protagonist is (not even the adorable Barnaby Rudge who gives the title).

Maybe the protagonist is the mass phenomenon of the rebellion, and the consequences that derive from it (with which Dickens also shows himself very critical).

What I can say is that I loved that an author as Victorian as Dickens (besides "black-footed" Victorian, of those from the beginning) has developed such a wonderful and well-portrayed character as Barnaby Rudge: a person with a slight intellectual disability. Leaving aside the shock that it implies how he describes it, using a terminology that was common in the time, and that was not considered disrespectful at all, but the correct way to describe it, and that is true that with the current mentality it is very hard to the eyes (or ears), I focus on the important thing: in the description of the character, much more inclusive than in current goody-goody stories. Barnaby is not a victim, nor is he an executioner (which was the usual in the time, in the few occasions when they looked at people with disabilities). He is not completely good, but certainly not bad. He is like any good person: in general a decent and nice guy, but with some defect. And with all that, he treats him with respect (please, forgetting the language, that was not considered offensive) and with tenderness... that captivates you. And that tandem he makes with the raven Grip... I love them both.

Together with Hugh (one of the many bad guys that populate this novel... but terribly sexy, I must say) I think they have been two of my favorite characters. Although there are many others that I loved: Dolly Varden, a complex female character (unusual in the novels of the first stage of Dickens, I must say), her father Gabriel Varden, the honest locksmith, Mr. Geoffrey Haredale (much more complex than it may seem), the sibilant Sir John Chester, the unbearable Miss Miggs or the hilarious (in spite of himself) Simon Tapperit, or characters that existed in reality, but that Dickens has fictionalized completely, like the executioner (psychopath) Ned Dennis or the very Lord George Gordon who gave name to the ill-fated revolt... all of them have fascinated me, for one reason or another.

If I always repeat myself but it's the truth, and I can only proclaim it to the four winds: I ADORE DICKENS

I truly liked the characters in the book. They seemed to have unique personalities and traits that intrigued me.

Also, the language used by the author was quite engaging. It was rich and descriptive, which added to the overall atmosphere of the story.

However, as I reached the 100-page mark, I found myself disappointed. To my surprise, nothing significant had happened yet. The plot seemed to be moving at a snail's pace, and I struggled to stay awake while reading it.

The lack of action and excitement made it difficult for me to maintain my interest. I was hoping for more thrilling events and twists to keep me on the edge of my seat.

Despite my initial enthusiasm for the characters and language, the slow progress of the story was a major drawback. I'm not sure if I'll continue reading it or move on to something more captivating.

Dickens is an outstanding descriptive writer.

However, this work might not be a favorite among readers. Perhaps it's because there isn't a central character that readers can wholeheartedly support. The title character feels more at ease with his pet raven than with humans. His mental faculties make him vulnerable to the excitement of the crowd. Joe Willett vanishes from the novel for the entire central part and then reappears as a worthy but maimed individual.

That being said, the novel reflects our own troubled times extremely well. Demagogues incite the people and cause them to rampage through London. Dickens had a profound understanding of this mentality, and the formula hasn't really changed much.

As he wrote, "To surround anything, however monstrous or ridiculous, with an air of mystery, is to invest it with a secret charm, and power of attraction which to the crowd is irresistible. False priests, false prophets, false doctors, false patriots, false prodigies of every kind, veiling their proceedings in mystery, have always addressed themselves at an immense advantage to the popular credulity.... But when vague rumours got abroad, that in this Protestant association a secret power was mustering against the government for undefined and mighty purposes.... when terrors and alarms which no man understood were perpetually broached, both in and out of Parliament, by one enthusiast who did not understand himself, and bygone bugbears which had lain quietly in their graves for centuries, were raised again to hound the ignorant and credulous; when all this was done, as it were, in the dark, and secret invitations to join.... together blindfold in resistance of they knew not what, they knew not why; -- then the mania spread indeed...."

Not much has altered since the 1780s. The fear of the "other" who might ascend still remains a potent force. It doesn't require much to agitate the ignorant and the fearful. The riots and chaos that Dickens describes endured for only a week before sanity and order prevailed. In our era, fear continues to wreak havoc, from the holocaust to the present nationalistic passions. When reading Barnaby Rudge, do we find solace, or are we more distressed, that this kind of turmoil didn't commence recently and seemingly won't conclude anytime soon?

In most surveys, Barnaby Rudge comes out as the least read of all Dickens's novels.

Yet his only other historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities, is one of his most popular.

His penultimate novel, it was written 18 years later and has a very different tone with little humour.

But Dickens's classic wit, his irony and eye for the absurd are what many people love about his writing.

And Barnaby Rudge has these in abundance.

So it is all the more puzzling that it is read so infrequently.

The scenes where Gabriel Varden's hypocritical wife and their sly servant Miggs gang up on the exasperated locksmith are some of the funniest in Dickens.

Her moodiness is said to be the result of being spoiled by wealth.

Their preening apprentice Sim Tappertit, with his powerful eye and short but beautiful legs, comes a close second.

He is the "noble captain" of a risible secret society.

The ponderous publican Joe Willett, with his slow-witted philosophies, is an easy third.

So many characters in this novel make us smile with their eccentricities.

Barnaby Rudge was intended to be Dickens's first serious work of literature, inspired by Sir Walter Scott's historical novels.

Yet he couldn't resist creating these absurd characters that his readers love.

The most unusual "character" is Grip, Barnaby's pet raven.

He is self-willed, displays eccentric behaviour, and has learned a whole catalogue of phrases.

He is a gift of a character to an absurdist like Dickens.

The reader may well find themselves laughing out loud at Grip's inappropriate contributions.

Dickens shows a keen eye for observing the raven's behaviour.

He explains in his preface that Grip is based on a pet raven he himself had.

His own raven died in March 1841, ironically in the middle of him writing this novel.

Dickens had it stuffed and it is still on public view in a museum in Philadelphia.

Grip was also the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, The Raven.

This is Dickens's fifth novel, written when he was 29 years old.

It was published in weekly instalments between February and November 1841.

By now he had become very popular, with a public dinner held in his honour in Edinburgh.

He had originally signed a contract to write a book called Gabriel Varden - The Locksmith of London, but later bought back the contract.

The novel was subsequently published by Chapman and Hall in Master Humphrey's Clock and illustrated by Phiz and George Cattermole.

Many of his letters to these two artists survive, showing how detailed and specific his descriptions were for the engravings.

The first half of the novel is set in the time leading up to the Gordon Riots in London in 1780.

The Catholic Relief Act of 1778 allowed Roman Catholics to own property, inherit land, and join the army, among other things.

This is the underlying scenario to the novel, with tensions and uncertainty in the times.

The novel starts in the Maypole Inn in Chigwell, an area of Essex notorious for its highwaymen.

The description of the inn belies the dark, brooding atmosphere that follows.

Right at the start, there is an unresolved mystery, a grisly and ghostly tale of murder and intrigue.

Solomon Daisy, one of a group of eccentric old-timers, tells the story.

His name gives a clear indication of the foreboding in the novel.

Among this group, a mysterious traveller arrives, followed by another more threatening stranger.

This is followed by exciting horse chases in the pitch black across the wilds of Essex.

There is an attack on a young gentleman by unknown foes.

Throughout, there is a feeling of unease and change, a brewing of disturbance just under the surface.

There are also various tensions between fathers and sons, employers and workers.

One concerns two feuding families, the Chesters and the Haredales, reminiscent of Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets.

The suave, charming but manipulative Sir Edward Chester is a Protestant, while the bluff Haredale is a Catholic.

Their enmity dates from childhood and there may be a sinister element underlying it.

Interestingly, Edward Chester is based on Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield.

As well as the family tensions, there are many episodes of comic domestic disharmony and budding romances.

Dolly Varden, a vain coquette, is one of the characters.

Dickens shows a keen eye for the folly and vanity of youth.

Yet the reader expects that love will not run smoothly.

By the middle of the novel, the reader may be puzzled as to its name.

There are many themes, but the title's subheading, A Tale of the Riots of Eighty, seems inexplicable.

The character of Barnaby Rudge pops in and out of the story seemingly at random.

He is a simple soul, often called "silly" by himself and his neighbours.

He loves nature, has a close relationship with his raven, and dreams of making his fortune to help his mother.

There is a change of direction in the second half, and Barnaby becomes involved with a new set of characters.

Lord George Gordon is presented as a well-meaning but deluded fool, goaded by his henchmen into increasingly bold measures.

The villain of the piece is his secretary, Gashford, who is based on Robert Watson.

Gashford plots and schemes to cause as much chaos as possible.

Another evil character is the self-seeking hangman Dennis.

The solid John Grueby is Gordon's only true friend, but he abhors the violence that results.

The reader knows that events will escalate terrifyingly.

References are made to "Bloody Mary", and the atrocities committed against Protestants during her reign became a rallying cry during the Gordon Riots.

Dickens describes in great detail how the mob was whipped up into a frenzy.

The tension and horror build relentlessly.

In real life, the mob terrorized London for several days, burning Catholic churches, businesses, and homes.

Dickens describes all the events, including the burning of prisons and the terror of the prisoners.

The Lord Mayor did nothing when appealed to, and they then appealed to the magistrate Sir John Fielding.

Dickens had a clear grasp of mob mentality.

Eventually, George III ordered his troops to quell the riots.

Nearly 300 rioters were killed, and many more were taken prisoner.

Lord George Gordon was tried and found not guilty of treason.

The reader follows the progress of Barnaby Rudge and Hugh the Hostler, who have been caught up in the riots.

We read with horror as some of the pleasant scenes in the beginning are wrecked and amiable characters are savagely treated.

In the end, those who have committed evil acts get their comeuppance.

Some are hanged, while others receive a lesser punishment.

Dickens describes the public executions at Newgate prison, which he hated.

He was in Broadstairs for two months writing these parts, but then had to have painful surgery and convalesce for a month.

Nevertheless, he was determined to complete the novel on time.

So why the change of name from Gabriel Varden - The Locksmith of London?

Gabriel Varden is a worthy character, but by retitling the novel, Dickens makes the readers focus more on Barnaby Rudge.

The choice of a simple-minded man as the focus character is inspired.

It points up the ridiculousness of the situation and the deliberate manipulation of such innocent joy in life.

The descriptions of the riots are powerful and intense, yet there is also humour in the detail.

The Gordon Riots may not have a "hook" like the French Revolution, which could explain why this novel is neglected.

But it is still a powerful piece, more controlled and better planned than some of his earlier novels.

And it is well worth reading.

I have come to the profound realisation that my feelings towards Dickens' writing are rather extreme. It's as if there is no middle ground. I either find myself completely and utterly in love with his works, marvelling at his vivid descriptions, complex characters, and masterful storytelling. Or, on the other hand, I passionately despise his writing, perhaps due to its density or the way it sometimes seems to drag. Barnaby Rudge, unfortunately, falls into the latter category for me.

I had high hopes when I picked up this particular novel. I was期待ing to be swept away by Dickens' charm and his ability to create a world that comes alive on the page. However, from the very beginning, I struggled to engage with the story. The characters didn't seem to leap out at me as they have in some of his other works. The plot felt convoluted and difficult to follow, and I found myself losing interest more often than not.

Despite my initial disappointment, I did try to persevere. I told myself that perhaps I just needed to give the book more time, that it would eventually reveal its true beauty. But alas, as I neared the end, I still couldn't find it within myself to appreciate Barnaby Rudge. It's a shame really, because I know that Dickens is a literary giant, and many people consider this to be one of his great works. But for me, it simply didn't click.

The introduction by John Bowen in the Penguin Classics edition of Barnaby Rudge that I read makes an interesting point. It states that when Dickens first considered writing an historical novel five years prior as a struggling hack author, it seemed to offer the possibility of both literary respectability and popular success. However, by the time it was finally published, the literary culture had been transformed by his own work.

The introduction also presents several other arguments and suggestions as to why Barnaby Rudge might be Dickens' least popular novel. While I liked the book, I did sometimes feel that it didn't quite have the same Dickensian charm. The story and dialogue occasionally seemed a bit constrained and stilted.

Despite this, I still believe that even the lesser Dickens novels are works of genius and well worth reading. The subtitle of Barnaby Rudge is “A Tale of the Riots of ‘Eighty’”. The Gordon Riots of 1780 were relatively recent history for Dickens when he was writing in 1840, and there were likely still people alive who had firsthand experience of the riots during his childhood and youth. These anti-Catholic riots in London were extremely violent and destructive, and they form the central focus of the story.

Typical of Dickens, the novel weaves together the stories of various characters and ties them all up neatly by the end. It is a unique blend of a ghost story, a love story, a revenge story, and a historical romance. The eponymous character, Barnaby, is an unlikely hero. In Victorian times, he was called “a natural,” and today he would probably be diagnosed as developmentally disabled. He is cheerful and loving, especially with animals, but he is also easily influenced, and the instigators of the riot take advantage of this.

Barnaby Rudge may be the most violent Dickens novel I have read (even more so than A Tale of Two Cities). Of course, it is full of wonderful characters, such as the good locksmith Gabriel Varden, the annoying lady's maid Miggs, and the lethargic John Willets. However, the character who really stood out to me was Hugh. Despite being a villain, I found him strangely sympathetic.

3.5 stars.

This is an interesting historical fiction novel that is set in London during 1775 and 1780.

The highlight of the book is indeed the vivid description of the London riots of 1780. These riots had a significant impact on a number of the characters within this novel.

Just like in Dickens novels, there are several memorable characters. One such character is Barnaby Rudge, a young man with intellectual disabilities. Barnaby's pet bird, a raven, which can speak a few words, is always by his side.

I particularly liked Gabriel Vardan, a locksmith. He is a brave man of principle.

For readers who are new to Dickens, it is advisable to begin with 'Great Expectations' or 'A Christmas Carol'. These two works are considered some of Dickens' most classic and accessible novels, which can provide a good introduction to his writing style and the world he creates.

Reshi in such a way that a person reads some books that he has been keeping in reserve for a long time and is disappointed.

Barnaby Rudge, for me, was the last unread Dickens novel, and I had been saving this reading for I don't even know how many years. And then, whoops, nothing.

Well, part of the disappointment, a smaller part, stems from the fact that I once somehow misconnected some data (what data?) and for decades I was convinced that Barnaby from the novel was a Thames mudlark who pulls corpses out of the river and has a beautiful daughter. I have no idea what I mixed it up with, but, let's be realistic, it was surely something better.

The real Dickens' Barnaby is a gentle and good boy with special needs, a pet raven that talks, and a tender mother who keeps a terrible secret. And a supporting character in the book. The main character is actually a London mob that caused the so-called Gordon Riots and rampaged through London in the late eighteenth century. Dickens garnishes this central event with some unfortunately not very appealing love stories, two or three plot twists, and one like a mysterious murder from the past. And none of that is on the level of Dickens' best, nor his generally strongest sides, social criticism, comedy, and rhetorical flights. There are some moments towards the end - the last hours of the death row inmates - but everything is, in fact, much better executed in his other novels, and poor Barnaby is rightfully pushed into oblivion today.

Barnaby Rudge, Charles Dickens

Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty is a historical novel penned by the renowned British novelist Charles Dickens. It holds the distinction of being Dickens' first foray into historical fiction. His only other work in this genre is the much later A Tale of Two Cities, which is also set during revolutionary times. However, Barnaby Rudge is one of his less popular novels and has seldom been adapted for film or television.

On a foul weather evening in 1775, at the Maypole Inn in the village of Chigwell, John Willet, the proprietor of the inn, and his three cronies are gathered around the fire. One of the three, Solomon Daisy, regales an ill-kempt stranger at the inn with a well-known local tale. The tale is about the murder of Reuben Haredale, which took place exactly 22 years earlier on that very day. Reuben had been the owner of the Warren, a local estate that is now the residence of Geoffrey, the deceased Reuben's brother, and Geoffrey's niece, Reuben's daughter Emma Haredale.

After the murder, Reuben's gardener and steward vanished and were suspected of the crime. A body was later discovered and identified as that of the steward, leading to the assumption that the gardener was the murderer. The mystery surrounding the murder and the fate of the gardener continue to intrigue the villagers. Meanwhile, the story unfolds with various characters and their complex relationships, set against the backdrop of historical events and social unrest.

When a rather witless young man and his extremely witty pet raven find themselves unexpectedly swept into the intense furor of the Gordon "no-Popery" riots that took place in the London of 1780, one can be certain that they are reading the works of Dickens.

This particular piece is his very first historical novel. It is quite evident how it paves the way for his other renowned work, _A Tale of Two Cities_.

The raven, named Grip, managed to capture the attention of Edgar Alan Poe and most likely served as the inspiration for his famous poem, "The Raven."

I have a suspicion that _Barnaby Rudge_ might have also been the source of inspiration for Poe's "The Bells." The vivid descriptions and the unique characters in Dickens' novel could have easily sparked Poe's creative imagination, leading to the creation of these remarkable literary works.

Overall, _Barnaby Rudge_ is not only an important novel in Dickens' oeuvre but also has had a significant influence on other great writers like Poe.

The most disappointing books for me are those where I can sense the author's deep love for what they are writing, which generates a passion that is both wonderful and terrible. However, they just don't really resonate with me on a personal level. To be honest, I wish I could reach Dickens's level here, but apart from some fleeting moments and sequences, I simply wasn't there.

Part of the issue is that Dickens is writing a historical novel and combining it with his typical Dickensian style. Individually, these two elements work quite well. The fact that the endings of certain characters align with my old college theory of "The Dickensian Ending" is good enough for me and helps me appreciate those characters more than I did before their fates were revealed. This speaks to what I love so much about "standard Dickens". In fact, the characters of Gabriel Varden and the titular Barnaby Rudge are as delightful and well-developed as any I've seen from Dickens so far. They made me laugh and broke my heart, which was truly wonderful.

Then there is the historical aspect: Dickens's portrayal of the Gordon Riots of 1780. I had never heard of these riots before, but Dickens does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the riots, both the lead-up and the actual events. True to his style, Dickens conveys the human nature of a mob, the pain, the suffering, and the fire. It's a horrifying portrait of truly awful events, with the added sting of Dickens providing his own commentary on the waste of property and human life.

Unfortunately, I didn't find these two elements blended together very well. The novel is at its most thrilling when it conveys the actual dynamics and horrors of the riots themselves, but getting there is a laborious process. Half of the novel is spent setting up characters and establishing relationships, and only half of them really connected with me or stayed in my memory.

In that sense, this is a misfire. A young and ambitious Charles Dickens, in my opinion, bit off more than he could chew.

3.5 Stars

The Annual Dickens Rankings
1. Hard Times
2. Barnaby Rudge

This is Dickens' fifth novel, and it marks his first foray into writing an historical novel, inspired by the works of Walter Scott. In the opening chapters, Dickens描绘s the Maypole and introduces a cast of main characters, including Gabriel Varden with his wife and daughter, Simon Tappertit, John and Joe Willet, Solomon Daisy, the Haredales, the Rudges, and a mysterious stranger.

The Maypole Inn in the village of Chigwell is vividly described. A hint of mystery is inserted through the Haredale murder, and a black raven adds a gothic touch to the narrative, as it holds a special meaning in literature. It seems that "Barnaby Rudge" was first published in Dickens' weekly journal, Master Humphrey's Clock, in 1841. In some editions, the original title of this book was "Gabriel Vardon, the Locksmith of London."

Once you start reading the description of the Gordon Riots, you'll be hooked. The historical description of the Gordon Riots can be found on various websites, such as the Victorian Web, Wikipedia, A Web of English History, and the Charles Dickens Page. A TV series was also made based on this magnificent book. Additionally, an interesting historical reference is "The Gordon Riots: Politics, Culture and Insurrection in Late Eighteenth-Century Britain" by Ian Haywood and John Seed.