The String of Pearls - Unknown
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 βThe String of Pearlsβ in the weekly magazine βThe People's Periodical and Family Libraryβ. Called by some a romance, by others a horror story, it is one of the earliest murder mysteries. In βThe String of Pearlsβ, Sweeney Todd is less sympathetic than in some of his later incarnations β 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).
