Barnaby Rudge is the first historical novel Dickens wrote. The other is A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens wrote only two historical novels and Barnaby Rudge is the first and the gloomier of the two. It is his fifth published novel. The story is set during the Gordon Riots and a significant proportion of the book details the riots. In that dark and dismal setting, Dickens tells us a story of love and loyalty, and a story of unresolved mystery.
The story of Barnaby Rudge is grim. One may say it is because the story is set on the backdrop of Gordon riots. But I feel that that is not the case. It is a deliberate act by Dickens. In choosing the setting, in choosing more villains than one can stomach, in allocating a considerable portion to violence, Dickens has taken upon himself the task of creating a dark ambiance. The reading journey through such a bleak environment is neither easy nor pleasant. And it was a struggle for me to push past certain segments.
The story has three separate threads: the riots, two love stories, and a mystery. Each thread generates an interest of its own in the reader. But the merging of these separate stories into one storyline was not quite up to the mark. At some points, the knots that tied these separate threads were loosened and the story felt disjointed. It was something surprisingly new to me. Dickens always managed to tie one coherent knot on all his separate threads. It is sheer negiligence on the part of Dickens. Instead of caring for the combined effect of different storylines, Dickens had happily enjoyed weaving his separate stories. Still, Dickens is a good storyteller and he engages enough reader attention to his tale. The fact that the story is fast moving also helps secure the reader’s interest.
Dickens has employed more villains in Barnaby Rudge than in any other novel of his that I’ve read. I wasn’t ready to meet so many villains at one novel. It wasn’t a very pleasant. There were good characters. But except for the characters Gabriel Varden and George Haredale, the other good guys were of feeble temperament to drown the villainy of the bad guys. Though the good guys win at the end, the evil vibes of the bad ones dominated the story, effecting an uncomfortable reading atmosphere.
Despite these imperfections, Dicekns writing style is unaffected. His customary devotion of description ensures that he brings to life the ins and outs of the characters, the setting, and the intensity of the actions with precision. Dickens didn’t disappoint me there. It is this precise description of characters, incidents and events that made the story so intense and real which at times was unbearable and revolting. However, there were some lose ends that Dickens had missed to tie up, some questions unanswered. That surprised me since Dickens always ended things neatly.
Barnaby Rudge is the darkest Dickens novel I’ve read. It’s filled with violent events, has more villains and offer less content to cheer the reader. It wasn’t a pleasant read but I enjoyed some parts of it. In my opinion, Barnaby Rudge is not a portrayal of Dickens at his best. To me, it’s one of his weakest novels. But if any one is interested in its historical settings, please don’t let my review stop you from proceeding.
Rating: 3/5
