Publisher, Blackstone Audiobooks (April 2008)

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“Reader Robert Whitfield is an absolute joy, making this long and complex work accessible and entertaining. Whitfield distinguishes with charm and consistency among the huge cast of characters—emphasis on that last word. This is Dickens, after all. He becomes an arrogant pub owner of modest self-awareness; a soft-spoken young lover; a highborn landowner; a henpecked locksmith; a sneaky apprentice; a protective mother; her retarded son, Barnaby; and dozens of others. Clearly Whitfield enjoys reading this novel as much as we enjoy listening to it.” —AudioFile

“The challenge [Dickens] presents to the narrator, with his bounteous prose and talkative eccentrics, is met resourcefully by Britisher Robert Whitfield, whose unflagging energy, imagination, and finesse rank this among the best of audio Dickens.” —Library Journal

“Whitfield’s wide range of accents and voices perfectly catches the spirit of the various characters, making this particular audio rendition a delightful listening experience.” —KLIATT

Dickens's first historical novel is set in 1780s England at the time of the Gordon Riots. In a case of mistaken identification, Barnaby Rudge, a pale half-wit with long red hair who dresses all in green and carries a large raven on his back, is arrested as the leader of a mob of anti-Catholic rioters. He is condemned to death on the gallows, but an upright locksmith named Gabriel Varden comes to his aid.

Dickens provides another memorable cast of characters, including the dull-witted, tyrannical John Willet, Dennis the Hangman, and Hugh the savage ostler.

About the Author: Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was born in Landport, Portsea, England, the second of eight children in a family continually plagued by debt. A legacy brought release from the nightmare of debtors’ prison and child labor and afforded him two years of formal schooling. He worked as an attorney’s clerk and newspaper reporter until his early writings brought him the amazing success that was to be his for the remainder of his life.