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A Journal of the Plague Year
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A Journal of the Plague Year Paperback - 2003

by Daniel Defoe; Introduction by Cynthia Wall; Notes by Cynthia Wall

In 1665, the Great Plague swept through London, claiming nearly 100,000 lives. In A Journal of the Plague Year, Defoe vividly chronicles the progress of the epidemic. We follow his fictional narrator through a city transformed-the streets and alleyways deserted, the houses of death with crosses daubed on their doors, the dead-carts on their way to the pits-and encounter the horrified citizens of the city, as fear, isolation, and hysteria take hold. The shocking immediacy of Defoe's description of plague-racked London makes this one of the most convincing accounts of the Great Plague ever written.


Summary

In 1665, the Great Plague swept through London, claiming nearly 100,000 lives. In A Journal of the Plague Year, Defoe vividly chronicles the progress of the epidemic. We follow his fictional narrator through a city transformed-the streets and alleyways deserted, the houses of death with crosses daubed on their doors, the dead-carts on their way to the pits-and encounter the horrified citizens of the city, as fear, isolation, and hysteria take hold. The shocking immediacy of Defoe's description of plague-racked London makes this one of the most convincing accounts of the Great Plague ever written.

From the publisher

"The surprise 'must-read' for people facing the Covid-19 epidemic." --The Telegraph In 1665 the plague swept through London, claiming over 97,000 lives. Daniel Defoe was just five at the time of the plague, but he later called on his own memories, as well as his writing experience, to create this vivid chronicle of the epidemic and its victims. A Journal (1722) follows Defoe's fictional narrator as he traces the devastating progress of the plague through the streets of London. Here we see a city transformed: some of its streets suspiciously empty, some--with crosses on their doors--overwhelmingly full of the sounds and smells of human suffering. And every living citizen he meets has a horrifying story that demands to be heard. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Details

  • Title A Journal of the Plague Year
  • Author Daniel Defoe; Introduction by Cynthia Wall; Notes by Cynthia Wall
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Revised
  • Pages 336
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Group, New York
  • Date 2003-08-26
  • ISBN 9780140437850 / 0140437851
  • Weight 0.56 lbs (0.25 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.86 x 5.16 x 0.86 in (19.96 x 13.11 x 2.18 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Reading level 1420
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 17th Century
    • Chronological Period: Medieval (500-1453) Studies
    • Cultural Region: British
  • Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Plague
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2003276684
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"Within the texture of Defoe's prose, London becomes a living and suffering being." (Peter Ackroyd)

About the author

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) had a variety of careers including merchant, soldier, secret agent, and political pamphleteer. He wrote economic texts, history, biography, crime, and, most famously, fiction, including Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders and Roxana.

Cynthia Wall
is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Virginia.
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