The Pearl Necklace by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Perst

Review of the book “Sweeney Todd: The String of Pearls” by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest.

“Sweeney Todd, the Pearl Necklace” is a 19th-century gothic novel, written by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Perst, which tells the story of a barber who becomes a serial killer in the city of London. Originally published in 1846-1847, the novel became an immediate success and remains one of the most influential and famous works of Gothic literature.

In this article I am going to talk about one of the most famous and macabre works of the penny dreadfuls genre, that is, the horror serials that were published in installments in 19th century England. This is Sweeney Todd, the Pearl Necklace, by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Perst, a story that mixes horror, mystery, romance and black humor in a plot full of twists and surprises.

The story focuses on the character of Sweeney Todd, a barber who has his establishment on Fleet Street in London. Todd is an evil and bloodthirsty man who murders his clients with a knife and makes them disappear through a trapdoor that connects to the basement. There, the corpses are stripped of their belongings and handed over to Mrs. Lovett, a pastry chef who uses them as filling for her meat pies. The motive for these crimes is Todd’s greed, who seeks to get hold of a valuable pearl necklace that belonged to one of his first victims, the sailor Thornhill.

The plot complicates when other characters enter the scene seeking to solve the mystery of the disappearances and recover the pearl necklace. Among them are Johanna Oakley, the fiancee of Mark Ingestrie, a young man who was left for dead at sea and who turns out to be the true owner of the necklace; Colonel Jeffery, a friend of Thornhill who is suspicious of Todd; Tobias Ragg, the barber’s hapless apprentice who witnesses his atrocities; and Judge Turpin, a corrupt and lascivious magistrate who intends to marry Johanna by force.

The work was first published between 1846 and 1847 in penny dreadful format, that is, in weekly installments that cost one penny and had between eight and sixteen pages. Each installment ended with a cliffhanger or suspense that kept the reader in suspense until the next one. The authorship of the work is uncertain, but it is attributed to James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Perst, two prolific writers who dedicated themselves to writing these types of stories for popular publishers. Rymer is also known for being the author of Varney the Vampire, another classic of the genre.

Sweeney Todd, the Pearl Necklace is a work that has had a great influence on popular culture and has been adapted to theater, film, television and comics. One of the most famous versions is the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, released in 1979 and made into a film by Tim Burton in 2007. In these adaptations, elements are added such as the love between Todd and Lovett, revenge as the main motive of the barber and social criticism of the judicial system and Victorian society.

The original work is a fascinating and entertaining read that combines terror with humor and keeps the reader hooked until the end. It is an example of the ingenuity and imagination of the authors of the penny dreadfuls, who knew how to create shocking and memorable stories with few resources and a lot of inventiveness. Sweeney Todd, the Pearl Necklace is a must-have for lovers of the gothic and classic horror genre.

The plot of the novel follows Sweeney Todd, a barber who lives on Fleet Street and who, after suffering a great personal tragedy, goes crazy and begins to murder his clients. With the help of his accomplice, the baker Mrs. Lovett, Todd uses the corpses to make empanadas that become a big hit in the town. However, his dark secret is discovered by a young sailor, who tries to uncover the truth behind the strange events on Fleet Street.

The writing of the novel is dark and gloomy, reflecting the gloomy and desperate atmosphere of the city of London in the Victorian era. The authors use detailed, atmospheric prose to create a constant feeling of unease and horror in the reader. The plot is intricate and full of twists and turns that keep the reader in suspense until the end.

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is its focus on the figure of the serial killer. Sweeney Todd is a complex and fascinating character, whose motivations and actions are difficult to understand. The authors explore the themes of madness and obsession in the figure of Todd, which adds an additional layer of depth to the plot.

The novel also has a strong social component, as it reflects the inequalities and poverty that were experienced in the Victorian era in the city of London. The figure of Mrs. Lovett, the baker who helps Sweeney Todd, represents the fight for survival in a cruel and unfair world.

Overall, “Sweeney Todd’s Pearl Necklace” is a classic work of Gothic literature that is still relevant today. The plot is fascinating, the characters are complex, and the writing is detailed and atmospheric. The novel is essential reading for any lover of the horror genre and gothic literature in general.