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Barnaby Rudge
- The Audible Dickens Collection
- Narrated by: Jason Watkins
- Length: 31 hrs and 26 mins
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Barnaby Rudge
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Summary
Jason Watkins, the award-winning stage and screen actor best known for his roles in The Lost Honour and A Very English Scandal, masterfully performs this brand-new recording of Barnaby Rudge; first published in 1841, it was Dickens’ fifth title and his first historical novel.
Set against the backdrop of the Gordon Riots of 1780, Barnaby Rudge reflects back on a time of revolt against the British parliament, following the Catholic Relief Act of 1778.
Leading to the death of hundreds and the total destruction of Newgate Prison as well as various Catholic chapels, Dickens was deeply disturbed by this violent moment in British history. Paired with his continuing brushes with poverty and disaster, he decided to instil within the novel, both a sense out outrage at the politicians who recklessly endangered the lives of so many as well as a powerful and progressive moral code for future generations.
About the book
Barnaby Rudge follows the lives of three very different characters: the eponymous Barnaby, a kind albeit slow-witted young man; the romantic and overly idealistic Joe Willet; and the nobleman, son of a leading London politician, Edward Chester.
Their lives, as well as the lives of those they love and despise, are interconnected in this thrilling, mysterious and wholly romantic Dickensian adventure.
Opening with the threat of an unsolved double murder, the narrative quickly turns to blackmail, conspiracy, abduction and revenge. Set against the politically charged backdrop of the late 1700s, the three protagonists weave in and out of poignant historical events seamlessly, and the listener is taken on a dark, gothic and electrifying journey.
About the author
With his father incarcerated, Charles Dickens had to abandon his studies at a young age and set to work in a factory so as to support himself. Despite his short-lived education, Dickens went on to write 15 novels and various articles, novellas and short stories. These include Hard Times, Bleak House, Oliver Twist, Martin Chuzzlewit, Little Dorrit and A Tale of Two Cities. He lectured and led campaigns for children's rights and education and arguably became the ultimate self-made man.
About the narrator
Jason Watkins is a BAFTA award-winning and Olivier Award nominated stage, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the lead role in two-part drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor of 2015.
He recently appeared in A Very English Scandal, Line of Duty and Inside No 9. He played Simon Harwood in W1A, Herrick in Being Human, Gavin in Trollied and Gordon Shakespeare in the Nativity! film series. He plays Harold Wilson in the forthcoming Series 3 of The Crown.
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What listeners say about Barnaby Rudge
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ancass
- 06-03-22
A masterpiece!
Still listening to it but just wanted to say that this is an awe inspiring narration by Jason Watkins. He is a genius and if CD was alive today he would give Jason a standing ovation as I do. Bravo!!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Norman
- 25-12-19
Dickens at his best
Wonderful narrative and a real good yarn. Well worth the 31 hours of listening. All enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Katharine
- 21-03-23
Who knew?
Who knew this was such a good story? i didn't. it isn't one that springs to mind when you think of Dickens' works but it should. This is well plotted and intricate and it taught me about the 'Apprentice (or 'No Popery' ) Riots' whuch are conveniently removed from our curriculum.
Jason Watkins is an excellent reader and I'm sure Dickens himself would approve of his delivery.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs T.
- 30-10-21
Fantastic listen.
One of Dickens lesser known novels/stories but excellent. Enjoyed the narration that brought the characters to life. Really enjoyed. A must for fans of Dickens.
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- Ian
- 12-07-21
Brilliant reading of a less-well-known masterpiece
Barnaby Rudge is the very epitome of Henry James' "large, loose, baggy monsters", but is still one of my favourite Dickens novels. Be warned - it does take the equivalent of a good 1-2 small, tight, un-baggy novels'-length of preamble before it really gets going, so you do need both patience and a reasonable life expectancy to justify embarking upon this, but it is well worth the investment. Beautifully read by Jason Watkins.
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- Lsta
- 14-02-22
Simply wonderful
I am a Dickens convert! Although I am not sure I would have made it all the way through if I was reading it, the excellent narration from Jason Watkins saw me through!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ange
- 01-03-23
Magnificent!
This was one of the few Dickens novels I hadn't read, and I am so pleased I got to know it through the extraordinary and utterly spellbinding narration of Jason Watkins. It is a testament to his natural gifts as an actor that the listener very quickly becomes completely immersed in this lesser-known work of Dickens. It is a compelling story with a long and winding, but also fascinating narrative. With some sort of vocal magic, Jason Watkins manages to create a distinctly separate voice for each and every character. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook and will definitely listen to it again in the future. Superb and highly recommended. My next task is to find some more audiobooks narrated by Jason Watkins!
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- Caroline Crossland
- 01-12-22
Wonderful narration of a remarkable book!
Jason Watkins has done a masterful job of bringing Barnaby Rudge to life. I couldn’t have imagined a better rendition! Highly recommend!!
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- bev
- 30-03-20
Thank you, Jason Watkins
Well, at long last I have reached the end of 'Barnaby Rudge' after several abortive attempts to read it over the last sixty or so years and it's all thanks to Jason Watkins. I have long found it more mannered than some of the other novels, though the 'historical' storyline of the Gordon Riots is very worthy and quite graphically written.
It is certainly the interpretation by Jason Watkins which carries the day; his narrative voice is very carefully worked out and he never loses the reader in the mass of Dickens' sub clauses and oratory as might be the case with some other readers. The character voices ,too, are an absolute delight: parody where there should be parody and sensitivity in the portrayal of the naïve Barnaby...as for Miggs, well, what an absolute delight; a fantastic portrayal of hypocrisy, delivered even better than Terry Jones's Python 'ladies'.
Jason Watkins is as good a narrator as he is an actor.
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22 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 04-01-20
Great
Narration of the highest quality Probably the best I have come across. Reccomened without hesitation
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7 people found this helpful