Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

by Anonymous (Atributed to), Thomas Peckett Prest, James Malcolm Rymer

A sensational story of murder and pie-making, Sweeney Todd is a classic of British horror writing, widely adapted in print and on stage, most famously by Stephen Sondheim, whose unlikely "musical thriller" won eight Tony awards. This edition offers the original story with all its atmospheric Victorian trimmings. The story of Todd's murderous partnership with pie-maker Margery Lovett--at once inconceivably unpalatable and undeniably compelling--has subsequently set the table for a seemingly endless series of successful dramatic adaptations, popular songs and ballads, novellas, radio plays, graphic novels, ballets, films, and musicals. Both gleeful and ghoulish, the original tale of Sweeney Todd, first published under the title The String of Pearls, combines the story of Todd's grisly method of robbing and dispatching his victims--by way of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies--with a romantic sub-plot involving deception, disguise, and detective work, set against the backdrop of London's dark
and unsavory streets. Editor Robert Mack 'fleshes' out the story with a fascinating introduction touching on the origins of the tale, the growth of the legend, and a history of its many retellings. Mack also includes explanatory notes that point out interesting aspects, plus a full chronology of the many versions of Sweeney Todd.
Since Sweeney Todd first entered the public imagination in the mid-nineteenth-century, his exploits have chilled and fascinated audiences around the world. This new edition allows modern readers to savor the ghastly original in all its gruesome glory.

Genres: Horror, Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Gothic, Historical Fiction

300 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2007

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this story! I never knew there was so much history in it. This copy actually has the story of how it was narrative under the original title of The String of Pearls that appeared in The People's Periodical and Family Library in 1846 and became a phenomenon in Britain. This copy is also written in the original text of the narrative. So much history in books ❤️

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrary to the cover, this book is not the version of Sweeney Todd seen in the Tim Burton film or Stephen Sondheim stage musical. This is actually The String of Pearls, an entirely different portrait of Todd. There are many differences. So, sorry to disappoint, but if you're looking to read that version, this isn't it. However, I strongly suggest you read this book if you are a fan of Sweeney Todd. The story is well-written, and I loved the well-rounded characters, especially Tobias Ragg. If I hadn't already known the ending, this book would have definetly kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering if the gruesome hints dropped by the narrator about Mrs. Lovett's pies and Todd's disappearing customers could possibly mean what I thought they meant.

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 2 out of 5]

NEVER read the book if you liked the movie. There’s a reason if the cinematographic version was that good.

↠ 2 stars

[Kobe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sarah Main · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost four stars.
Very different from the musical, and so much darker. I got a tad scared near the end.

[Nikolas Banos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Διεθνής Έκθεση Βιβλίου Θεσσαλονίκης, 2008. Λίγο πριν την εκπνοή του έτους, τρείς φερέλπιδες και φιλόδοξοι βιβλιοθηκονόμοι παρακολουθούσαμε μεγάλους εκδότες, βιβλιοθηκονόμους και διευθυντές βιβλιοθηκών να δίνουν διαλέξεις, μέσα στους χώρους της Δ.Ε.Θ, και χάσκαμε, μιας και κόσμος του βιβλίου μας άνοιγε τις αγκάλες του για πρώτη φορά. Που να ξέραμε τότε; (!) Τιμώμενη χώρα η Γερμανία, αλλά εγώ είχα ήδη διαβάσει το «Διαβάζοντας στην Χάνα» ή – όπως είναι ο πρωτότυπος τίτλος – «Der Vorleser» και κάπως εξατμίστηκε η όρεξή μου για την γερμανική λογοτεχνία. Αφού ακούσαμε τον κύριο Δαρδανό να μας μιλά για την παρακμή των σχολικών (και όχι μόνο) βιβλιοθηκών, φύγαμε με το «Οι παπαγάλοι δεν διαβάζουν βιβλία» του ιδίου, ανά χείρας, και οι δρόμοι μας χώρισαν.
Γοητευμένος από την μεγάλη φιέστα, όντας χωριατόπαιδό, και μη έχοντας δει ξανά τόσα βιβλία μαζεμένα, έμεινα να χαζεύω τους πάγκους με τα βιβλία. Εκεί ήρθα για πρώτη φορά σε επαφή με αυτό που αργότερα ανακάλυψα πως λέγεται «Penny Dreadful». Ιστορίες που δημοσιεύτηκαν, τμηματικά, στις εφημερίδες του βικτωριανού Λονδίνου, προς τέρψη κάθε εξαθλιωμένου πολίτη. Το ελάχιστα οικείο θέμα και μια αχνή ανάμνηση της ταινίας του φονικού κουρέα με ώθησαν να αγοράσω το «Ο Φονικός Κουρέας της Οδού Φλιτ» από τις εκδόσεις «Ηλέκτρα».
Η ιστορία διόλου ξένη σε μένα, πόσο μάλλον στο κοινό του Λονδίνου του 19ου αιώνα. O Sweeney Todd (γνωστός στη αρχή με το όνομα Benjamin Barker) είχε αυτά που ονειρευόταν ο μέσος Λονδρέζος τον 19ο αιώνα. Μια γυναίκα, ένα παιδί, μια εργασία και η ζωή κυλούσε μαγικά σε μια ομιχλώδη και ημίβιομηχανοποιημένη πόλη της βόρειας Ευρώπης. Αυτό, όμως, το παραμύθι δεν έχει ευτυχισμένο τέλος. Τουλάχιστον όχι έτσι όπως το νομίζουν οι πολλοί το ευτυχισμένο τέλος. Ο πρωταγωνιστής διώκεται ποινικά και η δικαιοσύνη ούσα τυφλή και ατελής, με εκπρόσωπο τον δικαστή Τάρπιν, καταδικάζει τον δύστυχο Benjamin σε μια εξορία δεκαπέντε χρόνων, στερώντας του όλες τις «πηγές φωτός» της ζωής του.

Read More Here: https://nikolasinbookland.wordpress.c...

[Marta Livros Araújo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quando iniciei este livro, o primeiro pensamento foi: "Não vou conseguir ler, não consigo afastar da mente as imagens icónicas do filme..." Não podia estar mais errada! À medida que a leitura ía fluíndo, percebi que o filme em quase nada se assemelha ao livro! Conclusão: adoro os dois!
Um livro sombrio. Tem como temas principais a corrupção, a justiça, ou falta dela, canibalismo. Uma escrita gótica, típica do século IXX, o que me agrada bastante!
Somos apresentados ao vilão Sweeney Todd, carismático, símbolo do mal; Mrs. Lovett, mulher sinistra, retratada com humor negro; Tobias e Johanna, personificam o bem e a inocência.
Devo apontar as repetições excessivas como pontos fracos, o que leva a ser uma leitura mais difícil, mas temos que ter em mente que foi escrito entre 1846-1847 e que era distribuído em folhetos e não em livro.
Aconselho a quem gosta do gótico, macabro, sangrento, a quem gosta do horror clássico. Um livro que nos faz lembrar um pouco do mundo literário de Edgar Allan Poe.
Leiam! Mantenham a mente aberta e vão de certeza gostar deste clássico.

[Juushika · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Victorian England, a customer steps into Sweeney Todd's barber shop and appears never to step back out. Edited and standardized, this volume presents The String of Pearls, a 1846-7 penny dreadful which was the literary debut of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Don't let the movie tie-in cover fool you into thinking this is a film novelization or a quick and dirty imprint. It's a classic text, and while it may aim to feed off the popularity of Burton's version of Sondheim's play, it's edited by a Sweeney Todd scholar and offers an introduction and footnotes which make it accessible and informative. It's a fine imprint, and of interest therefore to those that want to explore earlier versions of Sweeney Todd's story.

And while fans of the Burton or Sondheim productions may be disappointed to find different plot and characterization, The String of Pearls a.k.a. Sweeney Todd remains an enjoyable tale in its own right. The book, aided by the footnotes, stands the test of time and is accessible to a modern audience. There is one drawback: readers will doubtless be familiar with the secret of Todd's practice and Lovett's pies, but the book depends upon the shock of these revelations—and so the climax, and the end of the book, is somewhat deadened. It's a tolerable disappointment, but a disappointment nonetheless. Still, Sweeney Todd offers just the sort of fearful pleasure that a penny dreadful promises. Todd's characterization is menacing and vibrant, the story moves at a rapid pace while still indulging in the gothic joys of atmosphere and suspense, there's gleeful horror and morbidity (and plenty of delicious pie puns), and while the writing may not be brilliant it is consistently good. Simply said, this is a fun read: sometimes delightfully dark, occasionally authentically creepy, morbid and vivid, accessible and entertaining, interesting both as a classic text and an engaging story, and a surprisingly good edition to boot. It may not be as complex or popular as modern reinterpretations of Todd's story, but it remains a pleasure to read. Whatever aspects draw you to this text, I recommend it.

[Faranak Bakhshipour · Rating 3 out of 5]

فیلمش را دیدم ...
تقریبا نزدیک به نود درصد مکالماتشان شعر و ترانه بود ... میشود گفت یک فیلم موزیکال .
داستان در شهر لندن قرن 18 جریان دارد. مرد آرایشگری به نام سوینی تاد بازن زیبا و دختر نوزادش در شهر به خوبی زندگی میکرد. به گفته خودش تمام دلیل زیستنش همسر زیبایش بود اما قاضی ناعادل شهر عاشق همسر تاد میشود و او را به تبعید میفرستد و زن و فرزندش را در اختیار میگیرد.
تاد که جانی دپ (هنرپیشه مورد علاقه من) نقشش را بازی کرده بعد از 15 سال برمیگردد. با دلی پر کینه که هدفی جز انتقام ندارد. خانم لاوت یکی از آشنایان قدیمش به او میگوید که زنش زهر خورده و خودکشی کرده و او را برای گرفتن انتقام راسختر میکند. نقشه ای که میکشند بیش از حد شیطانیست. مردانی که برای اصلاح به نزد تاد میآیند کشته میشوند و از گوشت تنشان کلوچه گوشتی درست میکنند. به سرعت آوازه قنادی خانم تاد در تمام شهر میپیچد و مردم برای خوردن کلوچه گوشتی مخصوص خانم تاد سرودست میشکنند. غذایی که از گوشت همشهریان خودشان تهیه شده.
این نکته برایم خیلی تکان دهنده بود. شاید طعنه ظریفی در آن وجود داشت که بیشتر آزارم میداد. براستی همین حالا ما هم در حال
خوردن کلوچه گوشتی هموطنان خود نیستسم؟؟؟
نکته جالب دیگری که در فیلم بود وجود نداشتن بد مطلق در کل جریان بود. به تمام نقشهای بد فیلم بعدی عاطفی داده بود که شاید توجیهی برای کارهای شیطانیش باشد.
یک نقطه ضعف بزرگ هم فیلم داشت. وجود سرگردان و بی سرنوشت دختر تاد. در تمام جریان تاد فقط به زنش فکر میکند و آخر سر زنش را که در این مدت نمرده و در شهر گدایی میکرد اشتباها میکشد. اما دخترش همینطور بین هوا و زمین میماند و سرانجامش با بیحوصلگی رها میشود.
.
با تمام این اوصاف فیلم به یکبار دیدنش می ارزد.

[Meg]

OK - I think this book has tons of potential, however, I am having a hard time getting stuck in. It is definitely getting more interesting as I continue but I am having difficulty wading through the extremely verbose language - like 10 pages of text to say that Joahanna is sad....but I am going to keep plodding along as I really do like the history behind the legend.

UPDATE! I finally finished it. It did pick up a bit but I have to admit that skimming is of great importance when reading this story otherwise the sheer quantity of words/thought will bog you down. It was such a dark tale but I enjoyed how it all tied back together and could really understand how people would get drawn into it especially if they were only printing a chapter at a time in the weekly newspaper.

[Samah Allawi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie this time was waaaaay better,watched it like seven times in a row *_*
the humanity concept imbodies in this none_human receiving too much love and care and transforming into an idol who holds love.. Care.. Simplicity.. Politeness..
A human of which you consider and re_think of yourself as a person.

The relationship between sweeney
And his new family got me.. It's not easy to accept the idea of a totally stranger semi-alien freak and new guy among a family!
Though they all spent so much effort to make him adjust.

worth reading (u'll find your self facing two versions if u comare the book with the movie ), not horrifying as much.

[Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm cleansing my mind of the filth that I encountered yesterday with some blood. This is the original story, which was first published in serial form under the title "The String of Pearls". Good subway book, especially with the Johnny Depp cover, which keeps people from talking to me. Or maybe it's just that I look really excited by what I'm reading.

[Mahsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

آرزوهاي ما درست پيش روي ماهستند ولي ما نمي بينيمشان !ما چيزي را مي بينيم كه تصور مي كنيم حقيقت دارد ولي خشم و نا اميدي چنان انسان را كور مي كند كه حتي يك قدمي خودش را هم نمي بيند . فلسفه خيلي جالبي داشت ولي مطمئن نيستم كه اينهمه صحنه خشن واقعابراي فيلمش لازم بوده باشد !

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://commeparenchantements.wordpre...

Un chef d’oeuvre du XIXe siècle ! Je l’ai lu dans le cours de l’année mais je me suis dit que c’était le moment idéal pour vous faire ma chronique (car oui, elle s’est faite attendre, encore pardon). Alors pour commencer, sachez que ce n’est PAS le film ! J’ai découvert cette histoire avec l’adaptation de Tim Burton en 2007 au cinéma. Et croyez le ou non, je me souviens encore de ce jour. C’est vraiment un film qui m’a marqué ! Et quand je pense que ce film a déjà 10 ans !! Le temps passe trop vite ! Bref, après l’avoir vu encore et encore et encore… je me suis dit qu’il était peut-être temps de lire le roman.

Et je ne suis absolument pas déçue. J’aurai certes pu attendre la période d’Halloween pour le lire, mais il était dans ma bibliothèque et me tendait les bras. Il n’a rien à voir avec le film. Tout change. Car Tim Burton s’est plus basé sur la comédie musicale que sur le roman. Mais sérieusement, il est incroyable ! On est complètement happée par l’histoire, les personnages, l’ambiance et l’horreur de tout cela ! C’est top. J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à le lire. Je ne voulais plus le lâcher. Et quand on pense que l’histoire est basée sur des faits réels, ça fait vraiment froid dans le dos.

Le personnage de Sweeney Todd est très différent du film, son caractère est tout autre. Mais on retrouve clairement son esprit de vengeance et ses idées horrifiques. Il est tout aussi fou et démoniaque ! Et j’adore sa description physique, et celle de son rire ! Vraiment, on a l’impression de le voir juste en face de nous ! En fait, je suis complètement fan. Et j’ai vraiment accrochée avec le style de l’auteur. J’ai passé un super moment de lecture en compagnie de tout ces personnages, dans un Londres des plus sinistres. Si vous aimez les romans d’horreur, n’attendez plus ! Il est parfait ! ♥

[Fifi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I review this book I want to compare it with its musical adaptation.

I love the Sweeney Todd musical and equally loved the book it's based on despite its differences. While the musical follows the same plot of Todd murdering customers and Mrs Lovett turning them into meat pies there are quite a few differences.

For instance, Judge Turpin, Beadle Banford, Singor Pirelli and Anthony only appear in the musical. However, Mark Ingestrie is the equivalent of Anthony in the book.While Johanna is in the book, the entire plot line with her being Todd's daughter, her mother being raped by Turpin and driven mad and Todd being falsely imprisoned by Turpin all only appear in the musical not the book.

The book follows Sweeney Todd, a cruel and horrid barber who kills his victims and sends their bodies to Mrs Lovett to be made into meat pies. Meanwhile, the subplot follows Johanna Oakley, a young woman trying to discover the truth of her missing suitor.

I really enjoyed this book despite how different it is from the musical. I found myself really engrossed in the story and the twists genuinely shocked me, especially the one at the end with Mrs Lovett's cook.

The only issue I had with this book is that I wish we were given more background as to why and how Todd and Lovett came up with their plan. In the musical we see the coggs turning in Mrs Lovett's head about how to dispose of Signor Pirelli's corpse. Her pie shop is failing and so as to not waste the meat and also to dispose of the bodies, Pirelli and all of Todd's future victims are turned into pies. In the book Mrs Lovett's pie shop is already a huge success, and it would have been nice to see them formulating their plan and how this leads to the popularity of the pie shop.

Despite this, I would highly encourage any fans of the musical to read this book as it is still just as enjoyable as the musical!

Overall,

⭐⭐⭐⭐
OR
🥧🥧🥧🥧
OR
💈💈💈💈

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the highly sensational cover, which is taking advantage of the new movie and Johnny Depp's popularity, this book is from the Oxford University Press and it shows. This is not the story from Sondheim's musical, but the original 18th Century romance in which Sweeney Todd first made his appearance. True to form, Mack includes a fairly lengthy introduction discussing the history of Sweeney Todd, up to and including Sondheim and the new movie. The text itself is also heavily annotated. Most of the notes are reasonably helpful and deal with languages differences, but there are also a large number of notes that deal with the actual geography of London, in the areas that the story takes place. These notes, and the inclusion of the map at the beginning of the text shows a deep interest in the geography on the part of the editor, but didn't really add anything concrete to the story for me, maybe because I am just not that familiar with present day London. There are also extensive suggestions for further reading, so if you are very interested in the 18th century romances, Sweeney Todd in general, or even Sondheim, this is a good place to start.

[Margot Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little worried about the content of this story and began my reading in trepidation, but there was very little to turn my stomach until the very end.
The movie is rated 'R' but I would rate the book at a PG as far as gory detail goes. The main character Sweeney Todd was evil yet comical at the same time. The other characters in the book also had an element of comedy to them and were a bit laughable even in their earnestness. The book was easy to read, entertaining, and compelling. The cover of the book is much more dark and ominous than the story itself which is quite lighthearted in spite of the theme.

[Christina Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mack includes at the commencing of this book an introduction of the written version of the story of Sweeney Todd. He also describes how the story evolved into a play and a musical, with storylines much different from the original story published in an 18 part serial, much the same way Dickens published his works.

Admittedly, I enjoy the modern play and musical storyline better, as the characters boast more depth and the story is more intriguing. But this grew on me the more I read on.

[emilia borg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve never been so close to not finishing a book. Holy shit, this book dragged on forever and ever and for what?? The ending was way too fast, like literally 3 pages right at the end of the book. Not worth reading honestly. The concept is very interesting and I’m sure the movie is good, but this book was a total waste of time.

[Mallory mower · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was an absolute thrill to read! i enjoyed the movie so much that i quickly went to my local bookstore to keep the story going. And this book sure did it! i cant say enough about this, i absolutely loved it. the writing so simply to 'die' for. ;)

[Carlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old English text, but really got into it after the third chapter.Can't wait to compare and contrast with the movie...which is a musical version of the tale, and I am pretty sure explains why Sweeney Todd is so crazy.

[Jilliene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The demon barber of fleet street, Sweeney Todd. An amazing barber who tries and escapes his past, but ends up going back to the past that he wanted to forget. SPOILER ALERT... everyone but, one person dies as the ending of the book. Quite odd, but a good book and musical.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, Dreary, Brilliant...

[Maicie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to polish off (pun intended) this novel. Loved the movie, adored the book.

[Jamie Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was so scary when I read it as a kid. It was fun to re-read and it's still a fairly unsettling tale, even compared to today's gruesome stories.

[Wednesday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good
There's many versions. A good read

[Tom Lucitor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não fluiu muito bem essa leitura pra mim, porque
demorei muito pra me acostumar com o tipo de
leitura dessas Penny dreadfulls do século 18,
muitos diálogos expositivos e reações exageradas
mesmo o livro entregando tudo desde o início,
mas gostei do livro ser bem diferente do filme, do
Sweeny Todd ser realmente um vilão detestável,
sem nada pra ser apreciado, e da maioria dos
personagens também, ser tão diferente do filme foi
o que me fez gostar mais e querer ler mais

[Kimey Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I am not much into reading. This book was super slow and I had such a hard time getting myself to read it because of that. However, I had already seen the Tim Burton movie and I LOVE that so I wanted to see where it came from. Honestly, I'd say that this story, which was originally published as a penny dreadful serial called The String of Pearls, is way better the way it was intended to be! Would DEFINITELY read again.

[Luxembourg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was sensationalist as expected. Some parts felt very drawn out and completely unecessary whilst others way too short, and appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Interesting set up but it was innervating already knowing what happened because the book itself kept telling you and yet having to read it also pretend it's a mystery.

[Sean Hannifin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see how the character was first portrayed very differently from today's popular version. Yet a very sloppy meandering poorly-paced story on its own. The Christopher Bond play along with Sondheim's musical are much better versions of the story.