BROADCASTS.com

The String of Pearls

by UNKNOWN ( - )

34 - Johanna Alone. The Secret. Mr. Todd's Suspicions. The Mysterious Letter

The tale of Sweeney Todd has had many incarnations, most famously the stage and movie musical by Stephen Sondheim. But it all started in 1846 with a serialized telling of the story titled “The String of Pearls” in the weekly magazine “The People's Periodical and Family Library”. Called by some a romance, by others a horror story, it is one of the earliest murder mysteries. In “The String of Pearls”, Sweeney Todd is less sympathetic than in some of his later incarnations – a perfect villain, totally self-seeking with no redeeming qualities. How the deeds of Todd are uncovered and how he is brought to justice make a most intriguing tale, but one probably not suited for the very young and certainly not for the squeamish. (Summary by John Lieder).

---

Listen next episodes of The String of Pearls:
35 - Sweeney Todd Commences Clearing the Road to Retirement , 36 - The Last Batch of the Delicious Pies , 37 - The Prisoner's Plan of Escape from the Pies , 38 - Sweeney Todd Shaves a Good Customer. The Arrest , 39 - The Conclusion.