Barnaby’s a character (5)
I believe the answer is:
rudge
'barnaby's' is the definition.
(barnaby rudge is a dickens novel)
I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rudge that I've seen before include "Dickensian character" , "'Barnaby - - ' by Charles Dickens" , "Dickens novel 'Barnaby .....'" , "Dickens character" , "Dickensian halfwit" .)