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Absorbing and Still Politically Relevant
I had read most of the Dickens novels, some more than once, but I'd always overlooked Barnaby Rudge. When I finally read it I was amazed it had taken me so long. It even turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected. Like all Dickens' novels, the characters are drawn to show the nature of human beings, and he does it so well, the characters could be set in modern day and the story would still work. We see the shifty lecherous rogue who covets the beautiful young lady, the dedicated hangman, and the patriotic family man. We see troubled family relationships: mother and son, father and daughter, and father and son. Most important of all, we see the title character, a golden-hearted idiot whose simple-minded exuberance makes him a ready-made pawn for the devious and evil manipulators who stand to profit from division and resentment between Catholics and Protestants. Perhaps the most timeless thing about this novel is the willful manufacturing of resentment between the two primary social political groups of the time. You could simply replace the terms Catholic and Protestant with Liberal and Conservative and you'd be telling our modern story. Turn on the nightly news and you will see a modern-day Barnaby Rudge there enthusiastically reciting the talking points of some divisive talk-show host, all the while completely oblivious that he is but a pawn dutifully serving a sinister master. I'm glad I waited until now to read this tale of Dickens because it's such a timely reminder of human impulse toward the mob mentality. Barnaby Rudge is an ever present reminder that if we lose our ability to think to think critically, we our own identity and our values will be consumed to serve the desires of someone else.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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RalphtheReader
Posted September 9, 2011
highly recommended
one of Dickens' lesser known stories, its historical accuracies are illuminating of the time period
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