Set against the backdrop of the 1780 Gordon Riots in London, this 19th-century historical fiction follows the intertwined fates of several families caught up in religious and political upheaval. Dickens weaves together mystery, romance, and social commentary as the simple-minded Barnaby becomes entangled in the violent anti-Catholic riots that consumed the city.
In the year 1775, there stood upon the borders of Epping Forest, at a distance of about twelve miles from London--measuring from the Standard in Cornhill, or rather from the spot on or near to which the Standard used to be in days of yore--a house of public entertainment called the Maypole; which fact was demonstrated to all such travellers as could neither read nor write (and at that time a vast number both of travellers and stay-at-homes were in this condition) by the emblem reared on the roadside over against the house, which, if not of those goodly proportions that Maypoles were wont to present in olden times, was a fair young ash, thirty feet in height, and straight as any arrow that ever English yeoman drew. The Maypole--by which term from henceforth is meant the house, and not its sign--the Maypole was an old building, with more gable ends than a lazy man would care to count on a …Continue reading →
Born in 1812, this Victorian master transformed literature through vivid portrayals of London's poor and working class. His serialized novels like Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol exposed social injustices while entertaining millions of readers. His compassionate storytelling and memorable characters made him one of England's most beloved authors until his death in 1870. All works by Charles Dickens →
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