Rudge Reviews

Having ploughed through the vast majority of Dickens's novels, I thought there were several things to say in favour of "Barnaby Rudge".

Firstly, it's unusual in being an historical novel by Dickens, set (mostly) in 1775, and in 1780 during the anti-Catholic "Gordon Riots" in London - the only other Dickens historical novel I could recall was "A Tale of Two Cities".

Secondly, it's (mercifully) shorter, less self-indulgent and meandering than many of his other novels. Having said that, it's still very uneven in pace - I found the descriptions of the riots far better than the thin sub-plots which ran through the novel (these tended to be pretty much run-of-the-mill stuff - young couple wanting to marry despite parental opposition, mysterious stranger flitting about, and so on).

Thirdly, there are some very well-observed vignettes, such as the landowner who wants to buy Barnaby's raven, Grip (this type, believe me, still exists).

But I found my usual problems with Dickens were still there, albeit in microcosm as the book is relatively short: for example, Dickens's descriptions of women are no better than they are elsewhere, and are only less nauseating because they are shorter. The characters are the usual two-dimensional bunch, and there's the usual nineteenth-century outrageous use of coincidence as a plot device.

No doubt Dickens aficionados will enjoy "Barnaby Rudge", others should, I think, enjoy its good bits and be grateful for its brevity.

Dickens' first historical fiction, "Barnaby Rudge" is not a big favorite either with Dickens fans or with critics, largely because of its curious lack of the divinely memorable characters for which Dickens is usually known. (There are some good characters, but not the all-star cast we come to expect from the master.) Be this as it may, there's no denying that the buildup and eruption of the Gordon riots in London offer us some of Dickens' most compelling writing. Once the riots finally begin, they sweep us along in a torrent of demonic energy that is suitably appalling to the reader. For this reason, "Barnaby Rudge" is certainly worth reading. Even "A Tale of Two Cities" does not conjure the same breathless chaos as "Rudge" does. Also, though it is one of Dickens' earlier books, it has much more evidence of structured planning than do more improvised works such as "Pickwick Papers" and "The Old Curiosity Shop." Dickens would not truly master the art of creating a well-rounded novel in serial installments until "Dombey and Son," but he is clearly on the right track here.

I'm reading this book for the second time after about twenty years. Dickens is a writer to be read slowly so that you can enjoy the feast of language, atmosphere, characters and plot. If its not Dickens' greatest, so what?

I'm glad I found this book !!! Unlike many other books of similar titles, this is one that I can really understand. Not too heavy dosage of biological terms. Provides good linkage between the biological science and engineering applications. Good for students who had chemical engineering backgrounds and wanted to venture into bioseparaions. The addional chapter on plant design and economics is also very beneficial.

I was encouraged to buy another set of audio cassetes after listening to "Death in Holy Orders", which made our long trips in the car more enjoyable. Charles Dickens audio collection even more interesting. The only problem that we had is when characters' speech went too fast and it was hard to understand it. But for native English speakers it should be OK.

The photographs alone lead one down a yellow brick road withcreative garden keepers who like to combine handwork with the naturalart of plant. The projects include step by step instructions by the craftsman as well as practical information about where to place your project and how it will hold by to wind and rain. These are not " a trip to the crafts store and one hour of time " projects. They will require you to work with supplies such as glass or wire but the result will be something that personalizes your garden space in a substancial manner.

Anne Conover's biography of Olga Rudge and Ezra Pound is nearly incomprehensible in three or four languages. Conover's style seems to be to write a topic sentence, then devote the rest of the paragraph to an extended quote, in English, French, Italian or perhaps in Pound's eccentric prose, from her research. The reseach, indeed, is wonderful and, I'm sure, of great benefit to Pound scholars.

But should we not expect from a biographer the ability to string together a cogent narrative, to take the reader smoothly from point to point? In the early chapters, for example, Conover shoves the reader from the point where Pound and Rudge meet to Rudge expecting Pound's child in a few disjointed, ungainful leaps. The story is difficult to follow, with facts and (historical) figures introduced almost at random, like paint thrown carelessly on a canvas.

This reader, for one, was disappointed that such interesting and valuable research has been so badly mugged. Shame on Yale for publishing this without taking time to edit it in a professional way, or at least to provide some guidance to a novice biographer.