«‘It is a bad sign of the wickedness of these times, . . . that those who cling to the truth and support the right cause, are set down as mad.’» (Chapter XLVIII) ~ «‘Why, how much better to be silly, than as wise as you! . . . I lead a merrier life than you, with all your cleverness. You're the dull men. We're the bright ones. Ha! ha! I'll not change with you, clever as you are,—not I!’» (Ch. X) ~ #Finished: #BarnabyRudge by #CharlesDickens. • Rating: 8/10 • About the anti-Catholic #GordonRiots of 1780 intertwined with a story of unsolved murders from the past and a feud between two patriarchs, this #novel portrays multiple dysfunctional and interesting father-son relationships. A couple of cunning schemers, like the voluptuary snob #SirJohnChester and the renegade #MrGashford, not really caring about the religion other than using it for their own purposes, covertly manipulate and provoke the gullible #GeorgeGordon and, significantly, mobs, whose destructive power when provoked is appalling; leading to the riots that indirectly unfold the murderer's identity. My favourite characters are #MissMiggs, #SirJohnChester, #SimonTappertit, #MarthaVarden, #GabrielVarden, #JoeWillet, as well as the manipulated #Barnaby—not so protagonistic as the title implies—and his iconic pet raven #Grip. However, characters in this aren't so well-developed or complex as the other Dickens characters, except Sir John, #Dennis and #Hugh, all villainous and deserving their ends. Also, the riots parts were at first truly captivating and had a cinematic feel, but were so lengthened and repetitive that they lost their interestingness after a while. The usage of shorter chapters compared to other #Dickens novels, makes reading this novel easier and more exciting. ~ «‘If we part now, it is only that we may meet again in happiness and honour…’» (Ch. LXX) ~ «Poverty has its whims and shows of taste, as wealth has.» (Ch. XLIV) ~ «… great men are urged on to the abuse of power (when they need urging, which is not often), by their flatterers and dependents…» (Ch. XXX) ~ #englishnovel #victoriannovel #book #books #bookstagram #literature #bibliophile #reading #read #bookworm #instabook #classics https://www.instagram.com/p/CVN7LJQo2r5/?utm_medium=tumblr
