Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens

Barnaby Rudge is one of those long classic novels most people today would not even think about reading. I do like them though. I had once set a goal of reading all Charles Dickens books, and I am well on my way to having accomplished that. Barnaby Rudge is one of his books, too. It is not so widely known and celebrated as the rest, and I think I understand why: the story involves a religious conflict that today probably would be thought irrelevant. Also, the book has its share of sentimentality and somewhat nave, idealistic perceptions. Nevertheless, I found the story to be very interesting, in its own way. It may not be perfect by today's standards, but it portrays some noteworthy characters and gives a lot to ponder about. Barnaby, a child-minded but honest young man, is impossible not to like and not to sympathize with. His father had committed a murder, and we are given to understand that the shock of it had resulted into Barnaby's mother giving birth to an "idiot son," as she once calls him. Yet she herself understands that a "normal" son perhaps would not have been such a great support to her in her troubles.

I would not recommend this book to anyone, but if you have a taste for classic literature, check it out.