Be forewarned: this is a strange book. "The Quaker City" is nothing like anything I've ever read - for several reasons. For one, it casts aside the idea of gentility and prudishness of 19th century America. This book is full of violence, gore, sexuality (including hints of incest), manipulation, deceit, lies, cunning... people at their worst. It takes a lot to get through because of the characters: there are so many! They often weave in and out of the story and personality-wise they are mostly identical (or, in some cases, inconsistent). Take notes as you read just to remember who did what to whom or who has vowed revenge against whom and for what.

What's great about this book for me is that it showed me a different side of American literature from this time period. This is not a lost classic, nor does it belong on school reading lists nationwide. Nevertheless, it shows a sensationalistic urban gothic genre that was incredibly popular during its day.

Let me be clear here: George Lippard is not a good writer. He is extremely verbose and, in some cases, repeats exact phrasing many times on one page (or even in one sentence). He is excessively descriptive, often without cause, especially when describing a new setting or the appearance of his characters (every woman is wearing clothing which shows off her ample bosom which heaves under the thin cloth... and I mean every woman every time she shows up). It's worth a read - but the discerning reader will be happy to skim some parts. ( )