Jack Sheppard (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Historical NovelBy William Harrison Ainsworth
Length19h 18m
About this audiobook
William Harrison Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard (1839) is a vivid Newgate novel that transforms the career of the celebrated eighteenth-century housebreaker into a fast-paced romance of crime, confinement, and spectacular escape. Drawing on criminal biography, popular theatre, and Gothic melodrama, Ainsworth stages London's underworld with theatrical energy, setting the agile, charismatic Sheppard against the sinister thief-taker Jonathan Wild. Its episodic structure, bold contrasts, and sensational incidents place it firmly within Victorian debates about popular fiction and the moral dangers of glamorizing transgression. Ainsworth, a novelist with antiquarian tastes and a keen instinct for public appetite, was fascinated by the drama of historical personalities and the imaginative power of place. Following the success of Rookwood, he turned to Sheppard's legend at a moment when serialized fiction and urban crime narratives commanded enormous attention, shaping a work that reflects both his archival interests and his flair for spectacle. This book is recommended to readers interested in Victorian popular culture, crime fiction's origins, and the uneasy boundary between historical reconstruction and sensational entertainment.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreHistorical Fiction, Mystery and Thriller
Length19 hrs 18 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 26, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
36Chapter 2. The Burglary at Dollis Hill.
2Introduction
37Chapter 3. Jack Sheppard’s Quarrel with Jonathan Wild.
3Synopsis
38Chapter 4. Jack Sheppard’s Escape from the New Prison.
4Historical Context
39Chapter 5. The Disguise.
5Jack Sheppard
40Chapter 6. Winifred receives two Proposals.
Show all chaptersShow less
6EPOCH THE FIRST. 1703. JONATHAN WILD.
41Chapter 7. Jack Sheppard warns Thames Darrell.
7Chapter 1. The Widow and her Child.
42Chapter 8. Old Bedlam.
8Chapter 2. The Old Mint.
43Chapter 9. Old Newgate.
9Chapter 3. The Master of the Mint.
44Chapter 10. How Jack Sheppard got out of the Condemned Hold.
10Chapter 4. The Roof and the Window.
45Chapter 11. Dollis Hill revisited.
11Chapter 5. The Denunciation.
46Chapter 12. The Well Hole.
12Chapter 6. The Storm.
47Chapter 13. The Supper at Mr. Kneebone’s.
13Chapter 7. Old London Bridge.
48Chapter 14. How Jack Sheppard was again captured.
14EPOCH THE SECOND. 1715. THAMES DARRELL.
49Chapter 15. How Blueskin underwent the Peine Forte et Dure.
15Chapter 1. The Idle Apprentice.
50Chapter 16. How Jack Sheppard’s Portrait was painted.
16Chapter 2. Thames Darrell.
51Chapter 17. The Iron Bar.
17Chapter 3. The Jacobite.
52Chapter 18. The Red Room.
18Chapter 4. Mr. Kneebone and his Friends.
53Chapter 19. The Chapel.
19Chapter 5. Hawk and Buzzard.
54Chapter 20. The Leads.
20Chapter 6. The first Step towards the Ladder.
55Chapter 21. What befell Jack Sheppard in the Turner’s House.
21Chapter 7. Brother and Sister.
56Chapter 22. Fast and Loose.
22Chapter 8. Miching Mallecho.
57Chapter 23. The last Meeting between Jack Sheppard and his Mother.
23Chapter 9. Consequences of the Theft.
58Chapter 24. The Pursuit.
24Chapter 10. Mother and Son.
59Chapter 25. How Jack Sheppard got rid of his Irons.
25Chapter 11. The Mohocks.
60Chapter 26. How Jack Sheppard attended his Mother’s Funeral.
26Chapter 12. Saint Giles’s Round-house.
61Chapter 27. How Jack Sheppard was brought back to Newgate.
27Chapter 13. The Magdalene.
62Chapter 28. What happened at Dollis Hill.
28Chapter 14. The Flash Ken.
63Chapter 29. How Jack Sheppard was taken to Westminster Hall.
29Chapter 15. The Robbery in Willesden Church.
64Chapter 30. How Jonathan Wild’s House was burnt down.
30Chapter 16. Jonathan Wild’s House in the Old Bailey.
65Chapter 31. The Procession to Tyburn.
31Chapter 17. The Night-Cellar.
66Chapter 32. The Closing Scene.
32Chapter 18. How Jack Sheppard broke out of the Cage at Willesden.
67Analysis
33Chapter 19. Good and Evil.
68Reflection
34EPOCH THE THIRD. 1724. THE PRISON-BREAKER.
69Memorable Quotes
35Chapter 1. The Return.
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