Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Reviewed by Amber Stults
Don’t be fooled by the pictures of Johnny Depp from Tim Burton’s movie Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on the front and back covers of this book. Though it is mentioned in the chronology section this isn’t an opportunistic movie tie-in. The contents don’t correspond much with the movie. A darker story is contained within the pages.
It is The String of Pearls: A Romance which was originally published as an eighteen-part penny blood serial from November 1846 to March 1847. Before the final part appeared in print, a stage version of Sweeney Todd’s story was already being performed. Over a century later, the many stage, print, television and movie versions of the story made the name Sweeney Todd part of the cultural lexicon. The untamable hedge of hair and unnatural, disturbing laugh are but a few of Todd’s characteristics that have caught the public’s attention.
The title refers to the interrupted romance of Johanna Oakley and Mark Ingestrie and a missing string of valuable pearls. Before Mark left London to make his fortune, he promised to return to Johanna in two years time with news. Someone would communicate Mark’s fate to Johanna. The possible outcomes were that he would have set aside enough money to marry her or he would have died in the effort. The date arrives and the messenger, Mr. Thornhill, carries a valuable string of pearls and news of Mark. Thornhill’s loyal companion and friends notice his absence after an impromptu visit to the barber. He never makes it to Johanna’s house. It is Sweeney
Todd’s involvement that brings him and eventually his partner, Mrs. Lovett, to the attention of the authorities.
As the investigation into Thornhill’s disappearance continues and discrete inquiries are made, the reader becomes more acquainted with Todd and his criminal activities. The romance takes a back seat. Unlike contemporary conventions that often require our villains to have some childhood trauma to account for their motivations, greed is Todd’s main reason for murder. The actions he takes to tie up loose ends are calculated and not without risk.
Some of the chapters are filler; they don’t add much to the overall storyline but were probably included to extend the length of the serial or meet the penny bloods reading audience’s expectations of shocking exploits and murder. For example, several chapters take place in a madhouse which do tie into the activities of Todd. Todd’s apprentice, Tobias, is told the story of how one of the asylum’s residents came to be there. Once the chapters set in the madhouse are over, there is no mention of her again.
The ending does nicely explain the methods in which Todd executes his victims, Mrs. Lovett’s motivations and whatever became of Mark. The
String of Pearls: A Romance is not told in a bloody or violent manner and most of the information about the crimes is relayed after they occur. Despite the macabre subject matter, instances of humor are spread throughout.
This edition includes an introduction about the tale, the possible origins of the Sweeney
Todd character, notes about this edition and further reading recommendations. As expected with scholarly works, asterisks periodically appear indicating explanatory notes are available in the back. The notes themselves are easy to follow. A reader not familiar with the gist of the story may want to stay away from the introduction until after the book has been read as it gives away key plot points.
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