The String of Pearls: Or, Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- ISBN-10
- 9187611120
- ISBN-13
- 9789187611124
- Series
- The String of Pearls
- Pages
- 278
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2018-03-03
- Publisher
- Timaios Press
- Authors
- James Malcolm Rymer, Thomas Peckett Prest
Description
This is the mystery novel that started it all: The gruesome legend about the "demon barber of Fleet Street." Many people still believe that Sweeney Todd and his aide, the pie-baking Mrs Lovett next door, were real people living at the turn of the century 1800, the time period in which the story is set, but The String of Pearls is in fact pure fantasy, based on a French myth which has been traced down to the 17th century, "The bloody legend about the barber and the patissier." The earliest known version of this myth can be found in a book from 1612, written by the priest Jaques du Breul. However, The String of Pearls is a very thrilling and suspenseful story in its own right. The novel was published anonymously as a serial in the penny magazine The People's Periodical and Family Library, in 1846-47. It was written by either James Malcolm Rymer (1814-84) or Thomas Peckett Prest (probably 1810-59), but presumably by both in collaboration. Rymer and Prest were the kings of "penny dreadful," also responsible for Varney the Vampyre (1845-47), the most successful penny dreadful ever and a precursor to Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
String of Pearls
By Michele Lowe"Michele Lowe's radiant new play explores the possibilities that open up in the lives of an array of women as they come into contact with a certain strand of pearls.
-
The String of Pearls
By Thomas PrestBook Excerpt: truth, or your last hour is come!
-
The String of Pearls
By Joseph RothWhile visiting Vienna, the Shah of Persia falls for a beautiful countess. The Austrian officials arrange for him to spend the night with the countess, but unbeknown to the Shah...
-
Sweeney Todd, The Barber of Fleet-Street; Vol. 1: Original Title: The String of Pearls
By James Malcolm Rymer, Thomas Preskett PrestLovett. This edition is lightly footnoted to help the modern reader catch literary and pop-cultural references as well as slang terms that were familiar to 1840s Londoners, but are more obscure today. This is Volume 1 of a 2-volume set.
-
A String of Pearls
By Marion H YoungquistOne morning a phantom character, a little girl who lived during the Depression, came into my consciousness.
-
In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants
By Matt CandeiasBecause of this, pandas now occupy a mere fraction of their former range. Despite considerable success in the captive breeding of pandas, there is not enough habitat left to support their recovery in the wild.
-
A String of Pearls Unstrung: A Theological Journey Into Believers' Baptism
By Fred A. MaloneThis title is not intended to be a definitive work on baptism. Originally written in 1977, it is simply a journal the author narrated for his friends who were interested in understanding why he moved from a paedobaptist position.
-
108 Insights Into Tai Chi Chuan: A String of Pearls
By Michael Gilman108 Insights into Tai Chi Chuan-A String of Pearls, focuses on important elements of Tai Chi: health, breathing, posture, body mechanics, visualization, Chi flow, Pushing Hands, and more. 108 Insights...
-
Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts
By Amy Sue Landau"This publication accompanies the exhibition Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts.
-
String of Pearls: Stories about Cross-dressing
By Tony AyresThe stories are both provocative and subtle, skirting around sexual ambiguities, clothing as fetish, uniform as ritual and disguise as a vehicle for unveiling hidden truths.