Before the Broadway musical, before the film, there was the novel. Now you can listen to this original tale for yourself, and trace the origins of the mythic, and gruesome, Barber of Fleet Street.

From November 1846 to March 1847, this story was published in eighteen weekly parts, initially under the title The String of Pearls: A Romance. This was part of the "penny dreadful" genre of literature, cheap, lurid, and sensationalistic fiction, aimed at a popular audience, at an affordable price. These would be sold for a penny in cigar shops and other such places, while a "legitimate" work, such as those by Charles Dickens, novel cost twelve.

Enjoy this Victorian tale as the Victorians themselves did. Thrill and gawk at the chilling adventure!

Credit music: "Freedom in Isolation," by Darren Curtis.