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Rockwood (Classic Reprint): A Romance
Excerpt from Rockwood: A Romance
A Recent review in a leading journal of France bears testimony to the great popularity which has been obtained in that romance-reading nation by the writer of whom we are now to offer some account. The estimation in which he is held by his own countrymen is evinced by the large sale which each new production of his pen successively commands. In America his writings have been extensively read. They have all been translated into German, and some of them into Dutch and Spanish. Dramas have been founded upon them; their more striking passages have become as familiar as household words; and their subjects, in some important instances at least, are associated with the most memorable features of English history. The biography of a writer who has secured so prominent a position may be supposed calculated to awaken a more than ordinary curiosity; not merely with respect to those early dawnings of intellect, and those traits of personal character, to which a deep interest always attaches, but in relation to the family from which he has sprung. Happily, in the present instance, we are able to gratify the readers curiosity.
William Harbison Ainsworth unites in his own name the names of two families which in the eminent success of various members of them, had obtained celebrity long prior to the present generation.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
A Recent review in a leading journal of France bears testimony to the great popularity which has been obtained in that romance-reading nation by the writer of whom we are now to offer some account. The estimation in which he is held by his own countrymen is evinced by the large sale which each new production of his pen successively commands. In America his writings have been extensively read. They have all been translated into German, and some of them into Dutch and Spanish. Dramas have been founded upon them; their more striking passages have become as familiar as household words; and their subjects, in some important instances at least, are associated with the most memorable features of English history. The biography of a writer who has secured so prominent a position may be supposed calculated to awaken a more than ordinary curiosity; not merely with respect to those early dawnings of intellect, and those traits of personal character, to which a deep interest always attaches, but in relation to the family from which he has sprung. Happily, in the present instance, we are able to gratify the readers curiosity.
William Harbison Ainsworth unites in his own name the names of two families which in the eminent success of various members of them, had obtained celebrity long prior to the present generation.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
422 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1834
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366 people want to read
About the author
William Harrison Ainsworth
574 books50 followersWilliam Harrison Ainsworth was educated at Manchester Grammar School and later articled to a solicitor, deserting this profession for literature.
Among his best known novels are The Tower of London (1840), Old St. Paul's (1841), Windsor Castle (1843) and The Lancashire Witches (1848).
Among his best known novels are The Tower of London (1840), Old St. Paul's (1841), Windsor Castle (1843) and The Lancashire Witches (1848).
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 9, 2018
A real classic. I extremely enjoyed this book!
September 20, 2017
What a thrilling, ridiculous, overblown book this is.
First off, it is a genius idea to mix the Gothic and Newgate novels for the simple reason that they don’t have any reason belonging together. One is a phantom, arial text full of ghosts, curses and shifting reality whilst the other is a deeply earthy, earth-bound text with material worries, slang and moments of down and dirty life. The only thing that really connects the two is moonlight.
The Dick Turpin stuff invades the book, makes the Rookwood family drama stand and deliver and even makes off with it for the ride to York. If this is the story of the family history and struggle, then Turpin doesn’t need to be there. His owning of a marriage certificate becomes null and void when the lands don’t go with the title and his assistance of Luke is ultimately fruitless. There really is no need for him or the canting crew like the Knight of Malta - but that’s what makes it so fun, the gothic plot is already overloaded with high-blown ridiculousness, let’s have an earthy hero gallop in to mix stuff up. (Also, I am aware how strange it is that Ainsworth should decide that Dick Turpin of all people should be his gallant highwayman - he was more of a home invasion man at any rate).
I also adored the gothic stuff. As Dick Turpin was the Newgate face, then Peter Bradley was the gothic. As one had jolly songs of cheating death, the other revelled in it. I think the Rookwoods were under seven curses. There were at least three ghosts. There was a sarcophagus with a built in booby trap. Minor characters were struck by lightning as mood music. Desiccated human arms were liberally tossed about. People were married in caves where saints starved and whipped themselves to death. Many wives were murdered. Many revenges were attempted. And I loved it. The marriage scene in the underground vault being the most overdone and demented things I have ever read.
While not as good a writer as Dickens, Ainsworth can spin a tidy phrase and find a telling detail. He can also overload with details (often at some unusual times) yet somehow I found it often working. I was never unclear with this book, that’s for certain.
I can’t wait to see if his other books are quite so fun.
First off, it is a genius idea to mix the Gothic and Newgate novels for the simple reason that they don’t have any reason belonging together. One is a phantom, arial text full of ghosts, curses and shifting reality whilst the other is a deeply earthy, earth-bound text with material worries, slang and moments of down and dirty life. The only thing that really connects the two is moonlight.
The Dick Turpin stuff invades the book, makes the Rookwood family drama stand and deliver and even makes off with it for the ride to York. If this is the story of the family history and struggle, then Turpin doesn’t need to be there. His owning of a marriage certificate becomes null and void when the lands don’t go with the title and his assistance of Luke is ultimately fruitless. There really is no need for him or the canting crew like the Knight of Malta - but that’s what makes it so fun, the gothic plot is already overloaded with high-blown ridiculousness, let’s have an earthy hero gallop in to mix stuff up. (Also, I am aware how strange it is that Ainsworth should decide that Dick Turpin of all people should be his gallant highwayman - he was more of a home invasion man at any rate).
I also adored the gothic stuff. As Dick Turpin was the Newgate face, then Peter Bradley was the gothic. As one had jolly songs of cheating death, the other revelled in it. I think the Rookwoods were under seven curses. There were at least three ghosts. There was a sarcophagus with a built in booby trap. Minor characters were struck by lightning as mood music. Desiccated human arms were liberally tossed about. People were married in caves where saints starved and whipped themselves to death. Many wives were murdered. Many revenges were attempted. And I loved it. The marriage scene in the underground vault being the most overdone and demented things I have ever read.
While not as good a writer as Dickens, Ainsworth can spin a tidy phrase and find a telling detail. He can also overload with details (often at some unusual times) yet somehow I found it often working. I was never unclear with this book, that’s for certain.
I can’t wait to see if his other books are quite so fun.
March 22, 2016
In between the cheesier pulp fiction that I really love, I thought it a good idea to soak up some classics via Librivox or Audible while I'm doing mundane work around the house. So far it has worked out splendidly. I'm not sure if this book is a classic. It's largely been forgotton and most likely not great literature, but it's certainly outside of my comfort zone -- from another time, place and mindset altogether. What a strange amalgamation it is!
I confess I would probably never have finished such a rambling tome if left to reading it on my own, but somehow listening to the audio is far more palatable. It's a huge help listening to a talented volunteer Librivox reader full of enthusiasm for the work and with a highly skilled delivery far better than my own mental reading voice.
The story has lots of elements you've seen elsewhere: the obligatory forced marriage of course, a ghost maybe, a family curse, a disinherited son, lots of skullduggery, intrigue and chase scenes, and best of all a notorious wise cracking highwayman who must surely have been the inspiration for Monty Python's Dennis Moore skits. Oh - and song! All the characters break into song about once every two or three pages it seems, not too dissimilar from Tolkien in that respect, though most of the songs here are borderline silly with improbable rhyme schemes a la Gilbert and Sullivan.
So this is an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink bit of variety entertainment. I wonder if it is typical of novels written in the early 19th century. I can see why it was so popular in its time, trying as it does to pack many genres and even other forms of entertainment in all at once. So if one part Edgar Allen Poe, one part Daphne du Maurier, one part Hammer Horror, two parts Errol Flynn, two parts Sir Walter Scott, two more parts Lerner and Loewe, and one part Monty Python sounds appealing you might give this genre-bender a try.
I confess I would probably never have finished such a rambling tome if left to reading it on my own, but somehow listening to the audio is far more palatable. It's a huge help listening to a talented volunteer Librivox reader full of enthusiasm for the work and with a highly skilled delivery far better than my own mental reading voice.
The story has lots of elements you've seen elsewhere: the obligatory forced marriage of course, a ghost maybe, a family curse, a disinherited son, lots of skullduggery, intrigue and chase scenes, and best of all a notorious wise cracking highwayman who must surely have been the inspiration for Monty Python's Dennis Moore skits. Oh - and song! All the characters break into song about once every two or three pages it seems, not too dissimilar from Tolkien in that respect, though most of the songs here are borderline silly with improbable rhyme schemes a la Gilbert and Sullivan.
So this is an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink bit of variety entertainment. I wonder if it is typical of novels written in the early 19th century. I can see why it was so popular in its time, trying as it does to pack many genres and even other forms of entertainment in all at once. So if one part Edgar Allen Poe, one part Daphne du Maurier, one part Hammer Horror, two parts Errol Flynn, two parts Sir Walter Scott, two more parts Lerner and Loewe, and one part Monty Python sounds appealing you might give this genre-bender a try.
March 15, 2013
Qua sera sera ..... First published in 1834, Rookwood is the first novel of the little known but reasonably prolific author William Harrison Ainsworth. I have never read a book that serves as a better example of the evolution of the written novel. In the 19th Century fewer people were literate but those that were had a better command and fuller vocabulary than a century later. In this, as in all novels of this time, the author paints intricate and exacting portraits with a copious perfusion of descriptive adjectives as opposed to those of today that tend to paint in broad and bold strokes of explicit language and action.
Rookwood is an old and distinguished English dynasty and also the name of the family manor. The inherent rights of Luke Bradley haven’t been honored. Ainsworth introduces a cavalcade of characters which include a mummified mother, Jack Palmer, Ronald Rookwood and a score of other minor characters with no single protagonist to take the lead. If I would have to choose a heroine it would undoubtedly be Black Bess (Dick Turpin’s trusty steed). Now that I have mentioned that well known highwayman I think many history and historical fiction lovers would cringe at the poetic license exercised by the author. Many fictions feats of daring are attributed to this criminal of note. The reader encounters a copious libation of prose, song and poetry that serves well to slow down the action and confuse the story. Despite these criticisms I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to all readers interested in Victorian literature and aren’t overly concerned with accuracy.
Rookwood is an old and distinguished English dynasty and also the name of the family manor. The inherent rights of Luke Bradley haven’t been honored. Ainsworth introduces a cavalcade of characters which include a mummified mother, Jack Palmer, Ronald Rookwood and a score of other minor characters with no single protagonist to take the lead. If I would have to choose a heroine it would undoubtedly be Black Bess (Dick Turpin’s trusty steed). Now that I have mentioned that well known highwayman I think many history and historical fiction lovers would cringe at the poetic license exercised by the author. Many fictions feats of daring are attributed to this criminal of note. The reader encounters a copious libation of prose, song and poetry that serves well to slow down the action and confuse the story. Despite these criticisms I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to all readers interested in Victorian literature and aren’t overly concerned with accuracy.
May 28, 2010
[These notes were made in 1986; I read this in the Routledge, 1898 edition:]. One of the earliest of Ainsworth's productions, and - in its genre, that of the Radcliffean Romance - certainly one of his best. Mind you, it's a Radcliffean romance with a distinctly Ainsworthian twist, since Dick Turpin plays a major part in the action. His only concession to the prevailing gloom-and-shivers atmosphere is to conceal his identity for a while, and his attitude to the inevitable highwayman's end, a cheery bravado, is in distinct contrast to the horror of death evinced by other characters. The main characters - a lucky hero and a doomed one - are not only brothers but entwined in an amazingly contorted set of family relationships, family secrets and family crimes for generations past - there being a curse of wife-murder on the whole lot of them. The book opens spectacularly enough with a charnel-house scene, during which Luke Rookwood, our doomed hero, takes to carrying around his dead mother's hand! Luke is eventually caught between a fair lady (Eleanor) and a dark lady (a gypsy named Sybil), and the dark lady dies - and so does Luke, by kissing a poisoned lock of her hair! Ranulph, the 'good' hero, ends up with Eleanor, the curse of the house apparently removed, and all of his pesky blood-relatives conveniently removed from the scene by melodramatic deaths. I greatly enjoyed this one - it was fun. The highwayman's cant was a little tedious, but otherwise the thing was very well-written.
January 23, 2019
I don't have much to say about the merits of this book that hasn't been said elsewhere. It's a little goofy and unfocused, but it's a good time. Read it if you're an aficionado of atmospheric Gothic adventure stories (or if you're looking for a first taste of the genre); skip it otherwise.
What I am curious about, however, is the extent to which this might have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Several aspects of Rookwood struck me as reminiscent of Tolkien's works, and this seemed like a book that Tolkien might have read. The narrative tone, in which the reader is occasionally familiarly addressed by the narrator, reminded me of The Hobbit, and the inclusion of numerous songs and poems was similar to Tolkien's technique. More specifically, the descent into the Gypsies' camp reminded me of the descent into Rivendell in The Hobbit, and there's a horse that is not unlike Shadowfax. And the word "Bagshot" appears a few times. I couldn't find any references to anyone else having made these connections, so maybe it's all in my mind. Or maybe not.
Concept 81/100. Execution 74/100.
What I am curious about, however, is the extent to which this might have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Several aspects of Rookwood struck me as reminiscent of Tolkien's works, and this seemed like a book that Tolkien might have read. The narrative tone, in which the reader is occasionally familiarly addressed by the narrator, reminded me of The Hobbit, and the inclusion of numerous songs and poems was similar to Tolkien's technique. More specifically, the descent into the Gypsies' camp reminded me of the descent into Rivendell in The Hobbit, and there's a horse that is not unlike Shadowfax. And the word "Bagshot" appears a few times. I couldn't find any references to anyone else having made these connections, so maybe it's all in my mind. Or maybe not.
Concept 81/100. Execution 74/100.
September 20, 2016
It took me a while to get into this, mainly because I wasn't expecting it to be quite so ridiculous. The plot centres on schemes of various parties as they lay claim to a large inheritance. Most of the characters are hilariously awful people, and a much romanticised Dick Turpin features heavily, because of course he does. The narrator was excellent, but Hainsworth's fussy and overly wordy style didn't grab me.
February 8, 2014
'orrible load of wordy nonsense. I lasted 40 pages before giving up.
March 27, 2014
The best of ainsworth. This is the one where he invents black bess, the famous horse of Dick Turpin that everyone thinks is genuine. Great thumping read, especially the ride to York.
November 22, 2015
This book is just too fucking long and meandering, and life is too short.
March 23, 2018
Jeg startede forfra på bogen, hvor jeg har lyttet og læst med i bogen. Det er åbenbart denne måde, hvorpå, at læsningen forløber lidt lettere for mig i tiden.
Kort anmeldelse af bogen:
Romanens handling tager afsæt i familien Rookwoods tragiske familieskæbne, hvor en forbandelse hærger over de mandlige familiemedlemmer. Det er nemlig spået, at den første kone i hvert led, skal dø en grusom død. Om det så er ægtemændene, som dræber deres koner, eller hvordan de dør er et mysterium for alle. En uægte søn, Luke, dukker op, og kræver sin retmæssige plads i familien, men Lady Rookwood er slet ikke begejstret. Snart følger romanens plot vilde veje, hvor den berømte landevejsrøver Dick Turpin på dristigste vis hjælper Luke flere gange gennem historien, hvor jeg bliver taget med til en sigøjnerlejer, hvor magi og mystik hersker.
Af at romanen er skrevet i 1830’erne så er det en god bog med mange twist, forbrydelser, vilde jagter over store afstande efter Turpin, kidnapninger og mange mord. At Ainsworths roman fik lablen Newgate roman er ikke undrende, da Ainsworh giver et spændende syn på livet som landevejsrøver og indlejrer kriminelle elementer i sin roman på en sådan måde, som det ikke tidligere er set i konteksten. “Rookwood” er en af de første romaner i den engelsksprogede litteratur, som skildre livet som kriminel og forbrydelser set i forhold til moderne litteratur. “Roodwood” var, det vi i dag vil kalde, en krimi-bestsellerroman i konteksten.
Set med moderne øjne er romanen til tider lige lang nok, og det kan være lidt aften opgave, at holde styr på de mange karakterer, som får plads i romanenes handling.
Kort anmeldelse af bogen:
Romanens handling tager afsæt i familien Rookwoods tragiske familieskæbne, hvor en forbandelse hærger over de mandlige familiemedlemmer. Det er nemlig spået, at den første kone i hvert led, skal dø en grusom død. Om det så er ægtemændene, som dræber deres koner, eller hvordan de dør er et mysterium for alle. En uægte søn, Luke, dukker op, og kræver sin retmæssige plads i familien, men Lady Rookwood er slet ikke begejstret. Snart følger romanens plot vilde veje, hvor den berømte landevejsrøver Dick Turpin på dristigste vis hjælper Luke flere gange gennem historien, hvor jeg bliver taget med til en sigøjnerlejer, hvor magi og mystik hersker.
Af at romanen er skrevet i 1830’erne så er det en god bog med mange twist, forbrydelser, vilde jagter over store afstande efter Turpin, kidnapninger og mange mord. At Ainsworths roman fik lablen Newgate roman er ikke undrende, da Ainsworh giver et spændende syn på livet som landevejsrøver og indlejrer kriminelle elementer i sin roman på en sådan måde, som det ikke tidligere er set i konteksten. “Rookwood” er en af de første romaner i den engelsksprogede litteratur, som skildre livet som kriminel og forbrydelser set i forhold til moderne litteratur. “Roodwood” var, det vi i dag vil kalde, en krimi-bestsellerroman i konteksten.
Set med moderne øjne er romanen til tider lige lang nok, og det kan være lidt aften opgave, at holde styr på de mange karakterer, som får plads i romanenes handling.
January 3, 2018
Ridiculous, but fun, and not without its charms. Ainsworth's "melodrama" (as he himself describes it) is often tempered by the writer's sense of humor and seeming awareness of some of its quirks. For example, by the fourth or fifth time a dismal character is invited to sing a cheerful song and ends up spouting a morbid verse about being buried alive, the other characters in the scene begin to react with an almost modern [.....]
All in all, the story focuses more on plot and less on characters, though it can be argued that the many curses running through the narrative achieve their power by compelling characters to fulfill them. Curse fulfillment or prophecy fulfillment is often laughed off--"I would never do that!" etc.--only to end up being realized, perhaps through the agency of the curse itself, which could save this story from being too frustrating in terms of character behavior.
Interestingly, there are few true villains here, and I often found myself wondering who I should be rooting for, since the group supporting the only truly "good" characters often serves as antagonists to the highwayman Dick Turpin, whose glorified criminal career the writer fully embraces, even so far as to jokingly ask why the second sons of modern (~1830s) families don't attempt a cushy career as a highwayman and return criminality to its former gentlemanly nature.
All in all, the story focuses more on plot and less on characters, though it can be argued that the many curses running through the narrative achieve their power by compelling characters to fulfill them. Curse fulfillment or prophecy fulfillment is often laughed off--"I would never do that!" etc.--only to end up being realized, perhaps through the agency of the curse itself, which could save this story from being too frustrating in terms of character behavior.
Interestingly, there are few true villains here, and I often found myself wondering who I should be rooting for, since the group supporting the only truly "good" characters often serves as antagonists to the highwayman Dick Turpin, whose glorified criminal career the writer fully embraces, even so far as to jokingly ask why the second sons of modern (~1830s) families don't attempt a cushy career as a highwayman and return criminality to its former gentlemanly nature.
July 3, 2017
A typical Gothic fiction, Rookwood is a good read if you can stomach the songs, the poetry and the flowery language. It features underground vaults, mummified corpses tumbling out of tombs, paranormal summons, damsels in great distress, a sinister gypsy crone, adultery, death by lightening and creepy prophecies.
As for the characters, I liked and wanted Luke Bradley to acquire the Rookwood title, but when he discarded Sybil without a thought (because Eleanor was prettier), I detested him. From a naive lovesick boy, he rapidly turned into a typical villainous person. Dick Turpin (turns out that he did exist) and his cronies were annoying. Turpin himself was all too eager to fall in with Luke's schemes, which was not very believable. The female characters acted foolishly, for most part.
3.5 stars.
As for the characters, I liked and wanted Luke Bradley to acquire the Rookwood title, but when he discarded Sybil without a thought (because Eleanor was prettier), I detested him. From a naive lovesick boy, he rapidly turned into a typical villainous person. Dick Turpin (turns out that he did exist) and his cronies were annoying. Turpin himself was all too eager to fall in with Luke's schemes, which was not very believable. The female characters acted foolishly, for most part.
3.5 stars.
August 21, 2020
“Which whoso finedth in the tomb
Shall clutch until the hour of doom;
And when ‘tis grasped by hand of clay,
The curse of blood shall pass away”.
Ainsworth’s novel ‘Rookwood’ has elements of the classic gothic novel that would make Radcliffe proud. Intrigue, mystery, adventure, brought to you by Dick Turpin and Black Bess, and romance. William Harrison Ainsworth, forgotten now, but in his lifetime known as the English Scott for his historical romances, has written a novel that deserves a larger audience.
Shall clutch until the hour of doom;
And when ‘tis grasped by hand of clay,
The curse of blood shall pass away”.
Ainsworth’s novel ‘Rookwood’ has elements of the classic gothic novel that would make Radcliffe proud. Intrigue, mystery, adventure, brought to you by Dick Turpin and Black Bess, and romance. William Harrison Ainsworth, forgotten now, but in his lifetime known as the English Scott for his historical romances, has written a novel that deserves a larger audience.
July 14, 2017
Fantastically performed audio book – but very much a Gothic pulp fiction romance.
April 30, 2021
This book is terrible
May 21, 2010
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1441403.html
This sprawling, verbose epic was written, according to the author, in 24 hours - NaNoWriMo-ers, eath your hearts out. It is a tale of family secrets, skullduggery and revenge, with added Dick Turpin, and the highlight is Turpin's epic ride from London to York near the end of the book, which is told rather well even though it barely fits with the rest of the plot.
The most annoying thing about the book is the habit most of the characters have of bursting into song or reciting poetry without the slightest provocation. The second most annoying thing is the unbelievable verbosity of style - the river Don is described as "lutulent" when Turpin crosses it, and I have no idea what that word means. (NB this is the river Don of Doncaster rather than Aberdeen, Toronto or Rostov-na-Donu.)
Ainsworth says in his introduction that he wanted to write a Mrs Radcliffe novel; I haven't read any of those, though I did rather bounce off Northanger Abbey which was a send-up of the genre. I was struck by the uneasy handling of heroism, virtue and social order. It begins with young Peter Bradley discovering that he is really the heir to the Rookwood estate, and appparently being set up as the hero; but he slips rather casually into the role of villain as the book progresses, without any decent signalling of the transition. The gypsies are individually quaint but collectively sinister. Ainsworth wants Turpin and the highwaymen to be heroes, and his pursuers buffoons, but can't quite deliver. The book's one memorable line is when Turpin and friends are drinking in a London tavern just before the ride to York. Turpin proclaims, "May each of us meet with the success he deserves," to which one of his fellow-highwaymen replies, "Egad! I hope not! I'm afraid, in that case, the chances would be against us."
My actual reason for reading Rookwood is that it appears in Jacqueline Rayner's Doctor Who audio play, The Doomwood Curse, in which the Sixth Doctor and Charley Pollard are drawn into a world which seems to be based on Ainsworth's novel - particularly recommended because of India Fisher's bravura performance, and you don't need to know anything at all about Rookwood to enjoy the play.
This sprawling, verbose epic was written, according to the author, in 24 hours - NaNoWriMo-ers, eath your hearts out. It is a tale of family secrets, skullduggery and revenge, with added Dick Turpin, and the highlight is Turpin's epic ride from London to York near the end of the book, which is told rather well even though it barely fits with the rest of the plot.
The most annoying thing about the book is the habit most of the characters have of bursting into song or reciting poetry without the slightest provocation. The second most annoying thing is the unbelievable verbosity of style - the river Don is described as "lutulent" when Turpin crosses it, and I have no idea what that word means. (NB this is the river Don of Doncaster rather than Aberdeen, Toronto or Rostov-na-Donu.)
Ainsworth says in his introduction that he wanted to write a Mrs Radcliffe novel; I haven't read any of those, though I did rather bounce off Northanger Abbey which was a send-up of the genre. I was struck by the uneasy handling of heroism, virtue and social order. It begins with young Peter Bradley discovering that he is really the heir to the Rookwood estate, and appparently being set up as the hero; but he slips rather casually into the role of villain as the book progresses, without any decent signalling of the transition. The gypsies are individually quaint but collectively sinister. Ainsworth wants Turpin and the highwaymen to be heroes, and his pursuers buffoons, but can't quite deliver. The book's one memorable line is when Turpin and friends are drinking in a London tavern just before the ride to York. Turpin proclaims, "May each of us meet with the success he deserves," to which one of his fellow-highwaymen replies, "Egad! I hope not! I'm afraid, in that case, the chances would be against us."
My actual reason for reading Rookwood is that it appears in Jacqueline Rayner's Doctor Who audio play, The Doomwood Curse, in which the Sixth Doctor and Charley Pollard are drawn into a world which seems to be based on Ainsworth's novel - particularly recommended because of India Fisher's bravura performance, and you don't need to know anything at all about Rookwood to enjoy the play.
February 20, 2008
Sometimes I'm in the mood for a good, old-fashioned gothic story, and this is one that I picked up based on a recommendation from someone. It's more like gothic romance (see wikipedia for the definition of "romance" under literary genres if you don't know what I mean...not to be confused with the "bucaneer gets the broad" type romance). There are actually 2 stories at work here that mesh...the first is the gothic part, the story of the Rookwoods, a noble family which seems destined for nothing but doom. Young Luke is the grandson of the sexton, whose daughter had a dalliance with the Rookwood lord who has just died at the beginning of the story. Lord Rookwood left behind a wife and a son, but Luke's grandfather passes on to Luke that his mother had actually at one point been married to the last lord. Luke wants to claim his title and marry Sybil, a gypsy girl. But wait! Piers Rookwood's son, Ranulph, is home from the continent, where he has fallen in love with a fair beauty, Eleanor Mowbray. The plot thickens as Lady Rookwood tries to keep the legal evidence of Luke's claim from falling into his hands. The second story (which I read someplace had actually been published as a separate adventure) concerns the highwayman Dick Turpin, who outwits his pursuers through clever use of disguise and the speed of his black steed, Bess. The story of his ride to York is amazing...a definite no-miss. Very much a glorification of the criminal -- Turpin's sense of honor and fairness makes him somewhat of a hero even though he's got a price on his head.
Part ghost story, part gothic, part romance, this book does not have a dull moment and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this genre.
Part ghost story, part gothic, part romance, this book does not have a dull moment and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this genre.
March 22, 2024
I read this book by accident. I am pleased that I read it. It ended up in my Kindle library because I had read Ohio Town: A Portrait of Xenia by Helen Hooven Santmyer. There is a chapter in her book that describes the Carnegie Library that was in the town center. She listed and described all the wonderful books that she enjoyed reading, so I put the books she mentioned on a reading list. In one part of her book, she described going to a bookstore and buying Rookwood for her mother. I misread that to mean she bought a book of that title, but what she really bought was Rookwood Pottery (made in Ohio) for her mother as a gift! So when I started reading the book, I began wondering if young people really were reading such a meticulously descriptive and challenging novel. So I went back and discovered my error. I enjoyed the story and the writing was intriguing. It's valuable historical writing. I think the book could be made more popular by the publication of an annotated version. This is because it was written so long ago that the author's references to what was well-known during the early 1800's has been lost to many of today's readers. The action takes place in England and the vocabulary may not be understandable to American English readers. And there is also some 1800's slang used, which may be challenging to look up. The footnotes included with the text are very helpful. I took notes and began writing down the characters so that I could keep them straight, and found that it made the reading much easier; there are at least 20 characters and some of them have multiple names. The story includes genres of gothic, superstition, gypsy life, highwaymen, romance, death, and a family curse.
Locations/Settings: [England: Chesterfield, Cuckfield Place in Sussex]
Locations/Settings: [England: Chesterfield, Cuckfield Place in Sussex]
November 20, 2010
This was a grab-bag of characters - no main protagonist here. It's gothic alright, people trapped in sepulchers, girls being forced into marriage with bad men, nasty aristocrats, battles over inheritance, family secrets - and those weren't the good parts! The stuff about the highwaymen was the best. Real highwaymen, as it turns out (Ainsworth wrote about real life criminals) - Dick Turpin and Thom King. And, contrary to some of the other reviewers, I loved all the ballads and songs. A lot of credit for my enjoyment should go to Paul Curran, the reader for Librivox, who was excellent, and read the book with all the enthusiasm and relish with which it was so obviously written. Ainsworth didn't go halfway. It's no wonder he was so popular in his day - apparently he outsold "Oliver Twist" for a bit. "Dick Turpin's Wild Ride" was my favorite by far, and I recommend that chapter to anyone who loves a rollicking, brash character set loose. I enjoyed "Rookwood" very much - thanks Mr. Curran, I don't think it would have been as good without you.
December 23, 2008
This is a true 'romance' in the classical sense of the word; love is a lynchpin of the plot, but moreso the travails and curses upon the doomed family of Rookwood. Interspersed with their dealings are the adventures of noble highwayman, Dick Turpin, who becomes the most compelling and lovable character among the lot. The descriptions and sense of poetry within the book are gorgeous, the language verbose and florid but not stifling. GOOD stuff.
December 21, 2023
This gothic novel is over-the-top and has entirely too much going on. I’m amazed to know it was such a success in its time (pre-dating Dickens’s first book by just two years). However, I was entertained at the start and through some of the middle, and it was more of a research project than anything else—context for Zadie Smith’s The Fraud, wherein Ainsworth’s house and family, and this novel, play an important part.
April 12, 2014
Un lindo paseo por las aventuras del forajido justiciero y querido por todo el mundo.
Dick Turpin es una de esas figuras que convence con su vida en búsqueda de la justicia y los valores.
Apenas para los tiempos que corren.
Dick Turpin es una de esas figuras que convence con su vida en búsqueda de la justicia y los valores.
Apenas para los tiempos que corren.
July 12, 2008
Paul Curren's recording of Rookwood brings this book alive. A remarkable adventure-romance... humorous, touching, exhilarating.
December 3, 2015
I read this book as part of my Forgotten Fiction series. My raking and following review say it all: http://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/4...
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April 15, 20221834
April 6, 2024
Not my taste.
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