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
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (2.6K)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon
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)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5I. The Strange Customer at Sweeney Todd's
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6II. The Spectacle Maker's Daughter
7III. The Dog and the Heat
8IV. The Pie-Shop in Bell Yard
9V. The Meeting in the Temple
10VI. The Conference, and the Fearful Narration in the Garden
11VII. The Barber and the Lapidiary
12VIII. The Thieves' Home
13IX. Johanna At Home, and the Resolution
14X. The Colonel and His Friend
15XI. The Stranger at Lovett's
16XII. The Resolution Come To By Johanna Oakley
17XIII. Johanna's Interview with Arabella Wilmot, and the Advice
18XIV. Tobias's Threat, and Its Consequences
19XV. The Second Interview Between Johanna and the Colonel in the Temple Gardens
20XVI. The Barber Makes Another Attempt To Sell the String of Pearls
21XVII. The Great Change in the Prospects for Sweeney Todd
22XVIII. Tobias's Adventures During the Absence of Sweeney Todd
23XIX. The Strange Odour in St. Dunstan's Church
24XX. Sweeney Todd's Proceedings Consequent Upon the Departure of Tobias
25XXI. The Misadventure of Tobias: The Madhouse on Peckham Rye
26XXII. The Madhouse Cell
27XXIII. The New Cook of Mrs. Lovett Gets Tired of His Situation
28XXIV. The Night at the Madhouse
29XXV. Mr. Fogg's Story at the Madhouse
30XXVI. Colonel Jeffrey Makes Another Effort to Come at Sweeney Todd's Secret
31XXVII. Tobias Makes an Attempt to Escape From the Madhouse
32XXVIII. The Madhouse Yard, and Tobias's New Friend
33XXIX. The Consultation of Colonel Jeffrey With the Magistrate
34XXX Tobias's Escape From Mr. Fogg's Establishment
35XXXI. The Rapid Journey of Tobias to London
36XXXII. The Announcement in Sweeney Todd's Window, Johanna Oakley's Adventure
37XXXIII. Discoveries in the Vaults of St. Dunstan's
38XXXIV. Johanna Alone, the Secret, Mr. Todd's Suspicions, the Mysterious Letter
39XXXV. Sweeney Todd Commences Clearing the Road to Retirement
40XXXVI. The Last Batch of Delicious Pies
41XXXVII. The Prisoner's Plan of Escape From the Pies
42XXXVIII. Sweeney Todd Shaves a Good Customer. The Arrest.
43XXXIX. The Conclusion
44Analysis
45Reflection
46Memorable Quotes
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