Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, US & Canada Ed. by Robert Mack Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, US & Canada Ed.
Book Review: "I'll polish him off!"
Summary: 3 Stars
I rather with they had went with a better cover.
It's a movie tie-in book, but something that emphasized the fact that the story is actually called "A String of Pearls" would've been lovely. When I first saw this book in the fiction section, I wasn't quite sure: is this one of those cheesy movie adaptations that I always try to avoid?
Fortunately, it wasn't.
I'm sure that there's some disappointed people out there. It seems to be human nature these days to only go for the familiar -- deviations from the comfort zone in the realm of entertainment is rarely accepted. This book really has very little in common with the movie. Of course, as the introduction explains, the musical was based on another theatrical version of the story -- but, knowing how many people I've been acquainted with react, they would absolutely hate this.
Can I deal with trickery to get them to read a classic? Maybe.
Despite the lack of the book's title on the cover and over-emphasizing the movie tie-in, I do enjoy the edition. If only it were available in hardcover.
The introduction is a great history of Sweeney. I know the author wrote an extensive history of Sweeney Todd, but after reading that introduction, I'm not sure if I would want to read more. It seems that all I wanted to know was included in that introduction.
As for the annotations, I wish they were not in the back of the book. It's such a chore to go back that many pages when the bottom of the page would've worked just as well -- most of these annotations aren't so long that they wouldn't fit in a quarter page or less. I do disagree with the other reviewer on these annotations. Despite the sound, most of the annotations are rather helpful to the modern reader. Sure, there's a few that should be common sense (especially if you're old enough to be reading a book like this), but most of them actually do help -- and sometimes, the ones that explain plot points are rather helpful.
It's easy to get lost in what's happening at times. This was a "penny dreadful," so it was probably read by the middle to lower class citizens. Therefore, you really get the sense that it was written in a way to make the reader feel that they got the most words for their money. Dialog is often over-dramatic and repetitious. It's probably a bit of an acquired taste for this type of writing, but it does serve as a great historical curiosity.
That's one of the things that are the key to enjoying the work of all the writers that joined to create this story: historical appreciation.
Actually, I find Sweeney Todd to be the best-written character of the book. Reading his lines and actions, it's easy to see why Johnny Depp was a great choice. Other characters were hit or miss in characterizations.
As I said, the book has little to do with the movie. The book was in the 18th century, the movie in 19th century Victorian England. Sweeney Todd was a lot more sinister -- he was clearly a villain. Johanna has a mother and a father - neither were Sweeney Todd. Mrs. Lovett is quite a hike from Sweeney Todd's, not so conveniently below the shop.
Many modern readers who are only reading this because of Johnny Depp may be disappointed with other details. For example, Sweeney Todd, while being the focus of the story, doesn't play out as the main character. The story is about Johanna and her lost love, not Sweeney Todd (or his vengeance). They also may be disappointed in a lot of passages about sailing and other flashbacks that don't really move the plot along. Or numerous plot points that get started and never finished.
So, remember -- if you're not familiar with the book and why it's written the way it is, read the introduction first.
I am very happy that they didn't try to cheap out by merely giving us the text. Historical notes and essays are a must when it comes to works such as this.
Overall, I'm happy with the book. It's not going on my top list, but it does (usually) hold my interest. Since it was a serial, it's a great book to read when you don't have much time to read.
Book Review: A mediocre edition of a classic horror tale
Summary: 3 Stars
This novel is an example of the "penny dreadful" genre that was so popular in Victorian England, and it is an easy, fun, enjoyable read, even today, over 150 years after its first publication. I have never seen the musical version by Stephen Sondheim and don't know how close it is to this one, but whether you are a fan of the musical or not, you will likely enjoy this book.
I do have a few problems with this edition, though. First, the book's title is "The String of Pearls"; this edition calls it "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (presumably to capitalize on the musical's success). Also, the back cover and the introduction give away almost any surprise there might have been in the book for those not familiar with the story. If you do not already know the whole plot of the book, I suggest you avoid reading the introduction or back cover until you have finished the novel.
Finally, I found the edition's use of annotations rather annoying. These are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the text and are given in the back of the book. Some of them are absolutely asinine. For example, on page 148, "Hamlet's grave-digger" is annotated as follows: "a reference to Hamlet's exchange with the gravedigger in Hamlet." Thank you, Captain Obvious. Or, for the line "his month is up today, and I must get rid of him," the editor tells us, "Oakley has obviously engaged Sam to work in his shop as a mere employee, and for a trial period." For "cacchinatory", we have, "i.e. cachinnatory"; "tip-top" is given as "excellent"; and fortunately we are notified that "Madagascar" is an "island located off the south-eastern coast of Africa."
Not that the idea of endnotes in general is bad, but there are too many unnecessary ones here, which interfere unnecessarily with an otherwise great read.
Book Review: I hope the movie can match up!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a huge Tim Burton and Johnny fan and can't wait for the movie to come out, and a friend of mine said the book was worth checking out.
The Verdict? The book was really spellbinding. The plot twists kept me guessing and I was anxious for the next page - and there was some lively humor in there too. It had a rich Gothic mood, like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, yet was thrilling and a fast read. And unlike some 19th century stories, the book is not a chore for the modern reader.
I hope the movie can match up!
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