The String of Pearls (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Tale of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Horror Classic)By James Malcolm Rymer
Length13h 26m
About this audiobook
The String of Pearls is a seminal Victorian penny dreadful, first serialized in 1846–47, whose lurid plot introduced Sweeney Todd, the murderous Fleet Street barber, and Mrs. Lovett, his grotesquely practical accomplice in the pie trade. Combining melodrama, urban Gothic, crime narrative, and sensational social satire, the work turns London into a labyrinth of appetite, commerce, and hidden violence. Its brisk, episodic style reflects the demands of serial publication, while its macabre imagination places it among the most enduring popular fictions of the nineteenth century. James Malcolm Rymer was a prolific writer for the cheap serial press, working in a literary marketplace hungry for suspense, horror, and moral excitement. Though authorship of The String of Pearls has sometimes been debated, Rymer's association with penny fiction, theatrical pacing, and sensational plotting makes him central to its legacy. His experience writing for mass readerships helped shape a narrative designed to seize attention week after week. This book is recommended to readers interested in Victorian popular culture, Gothic crime, and the origins of modern horror icons. It is both a thrilling entertainment and a revealing document of urban anxiety, class tension, and commercial imagination.
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
GenreHorror, Mystery and Thriller
Length13 hrs 26 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateOct 23, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The String of Pearls (Annotated)
24XX. Sweeney Todd's Proceedings Consequent Upon the Departure of Tobias
2Introduction
25XXI. The Misadventure of Tobias: The Madhouse on Peckham Rye
3Synopsis
26XXII. The Madhouse Cell
4Historical Context
27XXIII. The New Cook of Mrs. Lovett Gets Tired of His Situation
5I. The Strange Customer at Sweeney Todd's
28XXIV. The Night at the Madhouse
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6II. The Spectacle Maker's Daughter
29XXV. Mr. Fogg's Story at the Madhouse
7III. The Dog and the Heat
30XXVI. Colonel Jeffrey Makes Another Effort to Come at Sweeney Todd's Secret
8IV. The Pie-Shop in Bell Yard
31XXVII. Tobias Makes an Attempt to Escape From the Madhouse
9V. The Meeting in the Temple
32XXVIII. The Madhouse Yard, and Tobias's New Friend
10VI. The Conference, and the Fearful Narration in the Garden
33XXIX. The Consultation of Colonel Jeffrey With the Magistrate
11VII. The Barber and the Lapidiary
34XXX Tobias's Escape From Mr. Fogg's Establishment
12VIII. The Thieves' Home
35XXXI. The Rapid Journey of Tobias to London
13IX. Johanna At Home, and the Resolution
36XXXII. The Announcement in Sweeney Todd's Window, Johanna Oakley's Adventure
14X. The Colonel and His Friend
37XXXIII. Discoveries in the Vaults of St. Dunstan's
15XI. The Stranger at Lovett's
38XXXIV. Johanna Alone, the Secret, Mr. Todd's Suspicions, the Mysterious Letter
16XII. The Resolution Come To By Johanna Oakley
39XXXV. Sweeney Todd Commences Clearing the Road to Retirement
17XIII. Johanna's Interview with Arabella Wilmot, and the Advice
40XXXVI. The Last Batch of Delicious Pies
18XIV. Tobias's Threat, and Its Consequences
41XXXVII. The Prisoner's Plan of Escape From the Pies
19XV. The Second Interview Between Johanna and the Colonel in the Temple Gardens
42XXXVIII. Sweeney Todd Shaves a Good Customer. The Arrest.
20XVI. The Barber Makes Another Attempt To Sell the String of Pearls
43XXXIX. The Conclusion
21XVII. The Great Change in the Prospects for Sweeney Todd
44Analysis
22XVIII. Tobias's Adventures During the Absence of Sweeney Todd
45Reflection
23XIX. The Strange Odour in St. Dunstan's Church
46Memorable Quotes
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