Say what you may, maybe I don’t appreciate classics as I should, or that maybe this is a masterpiece, but if I am being honest, I thought it was like alright maybe. I actually found it to be interesting at the start, but as I kept going, I started to lose interest and it soon became something that I read because of the sake of finishing another book rather than getting much enjoyment out of it, which is like the whole point of reading fiction, right? To enjoy and fall in love with good stories? Well, at least that is sort of my view point at the moment.

Granted, I have had very little experience with classics as of now, and in, I am making one of my goals that I have set for myself is to try and read a classic a month this year, which I think should be good. This is my third Dickens books, after  Great Expectations with I liked and gave four stars and also  A Tale of Two Cities which I dnf’d and gave up on. My thoughts on this book was in the middle ish, hence the three stars. Many things that I am about to say may seem a bit negative, but I do appreciate classics for what they are at least, it’s not like I abhor classics with all my heart or anything so there’s that.

Something I have noticed about classics and older fiction in general is that the speech is all very dramatic and formal filled with weird accents that makes it quite hard to read for someone used to reading modern fiction. Much of the dialogue feels much more like a play and it just doesn’t feel very natural. Ultimately, I am not very versed in Victorian culture at all, so maybe all the rich and posh people spoke like that, but from a modern perceptive, it just simply does not feel like what people would actual say since everything is all so dramatic and formal.

I was quite interested as I first started reading it, but maybe due to the slow pacing and the very long drawn out descriptions that are worth very little to the actual story might have been what drew me away from enjoying the story as much as I would have liked. It did start out as a four star, but then slowly dropped down the the average three star(still enjoyed it, just didn’t think that it was great).

A notable thing that I would like to point out were that I really liked the vast majority of characters in this book, or at least thought that they were quite interesting when they were perhaps not the most decent people. Maybe except for the main character, Oliver Twist, but he isn’t even in all of the chapters so it really was oh well. So while I didn’t like the very drawn out descriptions or overly play like dialogue, all the characters and their dynamics really saved a huge deal of the book for me.

I think at the moment since I have not read a lot of classics, I may not know exactly of what I am talking about. As I hope to become better versed in classic literature, I hope these reviews will become better as I hope to find out which classics I like and don’t like, but until then(which, being truthful, may take a while), happy reading! 5.5/10

I had read what I am sure was an abridged version of Great Expectations when I was little – save one or two big events, I couldn’t tell you what happens in that book. As I was reading, I realized that I was almost projecting the spirit of that book onto Oliver Twist. Might have been the orphan swap. How wrong I was. Oliver Twist is positively not Great Expectations. That in itself is not the reason I have given it two stars, that would be unfair. I would say it came down to a mixture of emotion, story, and structure.

First off, emotion. I felt empty throughout the book, but not in an edifying manner that one does when reading the most depressing and beautiful literature. No. Just empty, growing worse by the page. It’s no secret that Dickens has a winding, tortuous style, which is what lends charm to those stories of his that you love. When you don’t want it to end, it is the most welcome writing. When you want nothing to do with what is on the page? It lingers, slithers, chokes you till you have nothing left to give. Still you plod on. My feelings no doubt sprang from the build up of terrible deed and omen within the story, one after another. No respite. Not many isles for refuge (though people will disagree – I know many are touched by descriptions of Oliver’s smile as he sleeps. There is purity and good in his heart).

Then there was story. While it was interesting to see the plight of the poor and the shady underground society of London at the time, there was no ball of energy at the centre of the story that propelled me to keep going. There was just page after page of descriptions, half-baked reflections on the condition of humanity, and one-in-a-million relations between characters. There was also the gratuitous anti-Semitism. This is probably the only book to date to have ever drawn a reaction of “Can we give it a fucking rest?” out of me, what with the overboard racial material. The final few pages of my edition have a reading group guide with some questions, one of which had a snippet which I found particularly interesting:

n  In 1863, a reader chided Dickens for his anti-Semitic portrayal of Fagin. Dickens responded, “If there be any general feeling on the part of the intelligent Jewish people, that I have done them what you describe as ‘a great wrong,’ they are a far less sensible people than I have always supposed them to be… Fagin, in Oliver Twist, is a Jew, because it unfortunately was true of the time to which that story refers, that that class of criminal almost invariably was a Jew.”n

Hmmm… I don’t know mate, you’re taking the piss. If you mentioned that Fagin was Jewish a few times here and there as a reminder of the conditions, cheers. Go for it. But Dickens was liberal with his peppering of vile descriptions of Fagin (who was rarely called by his name, by the way) all over the text. I am not short of examples here. Just kind of wanted this on record because it seems like it gets swept under the rug a decent amount. I listened to a few chapters as I read along to get a good English sense in the air (Know what I mean? Nudge nudge) and they would just skip over most of the times where Dickens had written some completely unnecessary and stereotypical descriptors of Fagin with his shoulders up, sneering and “villain laughing” into the air while “hatching a scheme” or something. [IMMEDIATE UPDATE: while writing this paragraph, my friend sent me a link to this article on the Wiki—what a wild ride this was. Apparently in later editions of the book, Dickens gradually took out over 180 instances of “Jew” from the text, which may explain the discrepancy between my Modern Library edition and what I heard in those chapters of the audiobook.]

Now, if you can manage to contextualize these issues, and if there is a strong enough structure within the book (that ball of energy at the centre of the story that I spoke of), it radiates through all of the crap anyway. People become drawn to the story, they flock to it for what it holds. This one was poor in my opinion. I didn’t really care for any of the other characters – seriously, not one of them. No one really has a personality, save some “nothing” characters like Mr. Grimwig. Dick was alright, I guess, and reminded me of Tiny Tim. The only one I wanted to see more of was Oliver Twist—and that rarely happened! Here you have an undying source of pure goodness and you toss him! Large chunks of the book were dedicated to conversations and secondary/tertiary character relations that were ultimately of very little import. Oliver was often nowhere to be seen, sleeping, being beaten up, crying, or in various other manners of pain. What’s more, so many potential threads are just not taken up. Why don’t we get to see a development of that rage Oliver showed when Noah Claypole was making fun of his deceased mother? Now that’s some fire and passion. But of course, after a measly little outburst that gets him locked up and severely reprimanded early on in the novel, Oliver shows no more of that side of him. I suppose it was his second novel (and lord knows any of us would be lucky to have something of this calibre as our magnum opus), so let’s not belabor the point.

An important novel no doubt (shining a light on the appalling British Poor Laws, the poverty, the workhouses), and a beloved one for sure (readily witnessed by scrolling down on the main page and taking a look at some of the other reviews)—yet one that ultimately peaked on the 15th page for me, turning on a single scene that has become immortalized in not only literature, but culture as a whole. You don’t generally hear Oliver Twist being picked out as Dickens fans’ favourite novel, and I had a notion that it wouldn’t be mine either. How much of that was a self-fulfilling prophecy, I couldn’t tell you. But I am glad now that I am able to make like young Oliver and go back to the massive store of classics waiting for me in Mr. Dickens’ oeuvre, without a bowl, but with hands outstretched and hoping for something more magnificent when I say:

“Please, sir, I want some more.”

کتاب الیورتویست نوشته چارلز دیکنز نویسنده نامدار انگلیسی قرن نوزده ، شاید نمونه کاملی از مجموعه کتابهایی باشد که در دوران کودکی یا نوجوانی خوانده شده اند و بر خواننده کوچک و خردسال اثر فراوان گذاشته اند ، ولی هنگامی که پس از سی و اندی سال و برای زنده کردن حس روزگار قدیم ، خواننده به آن دوران باز می گردد خود را از آن و از آن دوران دورتر و دورترمی بیند .
گویی کتاب هم تغییرات دوران کودکی و زمانه اکنون را به یاد خواننده می آورد ، تغییراتی که نه الزاما منفی ، بلکه از جنسی دگرند ، روزگاری که قطعا مانند امیال و آرزوهای کودکانه اش پیش نرفته ، نه این که تاریک یا سیاه بوده باشد اما قطعا متفاوت بوده است .
شاید خواننده بخواهد به آقای دیکنز بگوید که دنیا به آن راحتی که او فکر می کرده نیست ، الیور و الیورها در خیابان ها سرگردانند و اسیر یک لقمه نان .آقای براون لایی پیدا نمی شود که سرپرستی آنها را بپذیرد ، فاگین همه جا حاضر و آماده است و درپایان هم مجازات نمی شود ، بیل سایکس هم قویتر شده و دیگر از چشمان ُمرده ای نمی ترسد .
تنها نانسی ایست که نقطه مشترک داستان آقای دیکنز و قصه ما می شود ، او رستگاری را برای الیور می خواهد به آرزوی خود می رسد ، اگرچه که خود مجازات می شود ، اما پایان خوش داستان الیور مدیون فداکاری اوست . نانسی ثابت می کند که چه در زمان آقای دیکنز و چه در این روزگار ، گفتن حقیقت و برداشتن گامی هر چند کوچک در راستای آن بهایی سخت و گزاف دارد .

It was the best of reads, it was the worst of reads.

Dickens is considered a literary genius and can be such a pleasure to read. His descriptions of places and people just sing. The dialogue will have you chuckling at times and you will reread sentences in awe that he can express so much in one sentence, albeit a long one. The stories are complex and the endings are satisfying.

Dickens, however, is a writer of the nineteenth century and the Victorian era. This novel contains several of the things that many people would now find objectionable. Animals are mistreated. A scene is described where a man beats his donkey, and another where a man beats his loyal and obedient dog. Children are starved so that an orphanage can save money. Jews are described in ways that could only be tolerated by an anti-semitic these days, and Dickens treatment of women could be a textbook for chauvinism. Consider the following quote:

“I see it, of course,” replied Rose, smiling at the doctor’s impetuosity; “but still I do not see anything in it, to criminate the poor child.”

“No,” replied the doctor; “of course not! Bless the bright eyes of your sex! They never see, whether for good or bad, more than one side of any question; and that is, always, the one which first presents itself to them.”
(Page 264)

In this story we follow the history of a young orphan whose mother dies after his birth. We get a description of the horrors of the orphanages and the evil people running them. A gradual revealing of Oliver’s true family adds some mystery to the history, and by the end all is revealed with the bad getting their just deserts and the good prevailing.

Dickens is perhaps most well-known for his depiction of the social evils of the Victorian era. The term Dickensian is used to describe things such as economic inequality, poor working conditions, exploitation of workers, substandard living conditions and a rigid class structure. This book deals lightly with a few of these issues. Dickens is also known for his veiled criticisms of various social prejudices:

“And don’t he hate other dogs as ain’t of his breed! Oh no!”

“He’s an out-and-out Christian,” said Charley.

This was merely intended as a tribute to the animal’s abilities, but it was an appropriate remark in another sense, if Master Bates (Don’t you love the names Dickens gives his characters!) had only known it; for there are a good many ladies and gentlemen, claiming to be out-and-out Christians, between whom, and Mr. Sikes’s dog, there exist strong and singular points of resemblance.
(Page 166)

Astonishing that Dickens wrote this at the same time he was writing my favorite of his, Nicholas Nickleby, which is so much more amusing, but arguably, just as effective as social criticism. After all, NN and its arresting portrait of the redoubtable schoolmaster Mr Squeers put some Northern schools out of business. Far less fashionable to abandon one's child--always an English middle-class prerogative--to Fortune in a distant residential school.

OT is largely humorless, relative to the high standard the author set, but gripping and at the time unprecedented in its portrayal of the underclass, always a Dickensian subject, as in the Dust Bins of Bleak House. In Dickens "platform readings" (for ex., his tours of America, 1842 and 1867) he read a chapter from Oliver Twist, written just before his first American tour. In the later readings, he added the death of Nancy late in the book, which he read emphasizing the brutality. Audience members fainted, and it took a lot out of the author, who by then could hardly walk. He read from a specially designed, ornate but small desk, which had a raised portion to support his left arm holding his book, leaving his right arm free for gestures, and a lowered shelf on the right side of the table-desk for a small decanter for water, though at intermission...read to the end here.

Mark Twain saw him read, and describes him as a little man in a black velvet jacket with a red carnation and a watch fob, standing under bright lights and a red tent shielding them from the audience, which was dim. Well, it may have been a bright audience, but it sat in dim light.
We learn elsewhere that during Dickens' interlude break in his performance, he would have a glass of sherry with a raw egg in it.

Not sure yall have heard, but this Charles Dickens guy is a pretty good author! of course i kid. I have long resolved to read a Dickens novel ever December. i had planned to read David Copperfield because i am not sure what it's about. Since I'm a little behind my yearly quota i chose to read the shorter Oliver Twist which i had read when i was younger.

Dickens was one of the best character writers in literary history. Oliver Twist is another example of his palpable skill. With standouts like Fagin, the artful dodger, Charlie Bates, Mr. Bumble, Bill Sikes and Oliver Twist himself Dickens weaves a story of lost inheritance at the hands of London's criminal network. there is a mystery here that the great dickens leave to the end. Of course, with Dickens he takes a while getting there using his patented florid descriptive language. You have to be ok with descriptive dialogue to enjoy his work. I shudder to think of his longer works like Bleak House or Nicholas Nickleby since even in this and Great expectations Dickens can meander into side stories for many chapters. You probably know a little of Oliver's story but do you know his family history if not read this and let the master storyteller enthrall you.

Darn that Dickens! another 5 star read and a unanimous recommendation!

منتشر شدن این ترجمه یه بهونه شد تا بالاخره نسخه‌ی کامل و اصلی این کتاب رو بخونم. من قلم دیکنز رو دوست دارم و بنظرم فوق‌العاده قصه تعریف میکنه. با اینکه اکثرا همیشه مسیر داستان‌ها به سمت تقابل خیر و شر میره و شخصیت‌ها تبدیل به تیپ میشن، (مطلقا سفید یا سیاه) اما اینقدر خوب میتونه لندن اواسط قرن ۲۰ رو فضاسازی کنه که خب من بی‌نهایت کیف میکنم. توصیف اون حال و هوا، روابط مردم، اجتماع و زندگی‌هاشون خیلی جذابه. حالا این فضاسازی بی‌نظیر اگه همراه یه قصه پر کشش باشه دیگه قطعا میشه بهشت من :))
تا به الان ۴ تا کتاب از دیکنز خوندم و هر ۴ تا رو خیلی خیلی دوست داشتم و قطعا باز هم ازش خواهم خوند.

Qué difícil escribir esta reseña.

En realidad 3,5.

Me gusta aventurarme en los clásicos de la literatura para descubrir la razón por la que se han vuelto tan populares e icónicos con el paso del tiempo. Muchos de estos libros son densos y difíciles de comprender, no solo por el tipo de vocabulario y expresiones que son completamente diferentes a los de nuestra época, sino también porque la comprensión del contexto a veces requiere investigaciones adicionales, documentos de apoyo, entre otros. Leer clásicos es un reto bastante difícil que no se recomienda para cualquier lector, sino solo para aquellos que tengan valentía, paciencia y perseverancia. Los libros clásicos tienen acontecimientos súper interesantes, pero por secciones se pueden tornar muy aburridos y cada página transformarse en una gran tortura. Si como lectores, no nos consideramos con la capacidad de soportar páginas y páginas leyendo algo tedioso, entonces es mejor buscar otro tipo de lectura. Aquellos que quieran leer Oliver Twist en el futuro, tengan muy en cuenta está recomendación.

Para ser honesto cuando finalicé mi lectura me sentí frustrado. La historia no es mala y claramente critica con severidad la vida que se llevaba en la época victoriana, por lo que un experto en la materia podrá reconocer muchas referencias de esa crítica en cualquier fragmento del libro, desde los títulos de los capítulos hasta en una simple conversación. De hecho, en mi edición, hay una sección extensa donde se explica mucho del contexto de la obra, pero tiene que leerse después de acabar el libro porque contiene demasiados spoilers. Fue una sección donde —tras leerla— me sentí súper ignorante porque tantas explicaciones me hicieron comprender que no tuve la capacidad de entender el libro correctamente. Pareciera como si el autor hubiera escrito dos libros: uno para las personas ignorantes (como yo), y otro para los que tienen su mismo nivel de ingenio e inteligencia. El problema, es que yo hago parte de ese grupo de personas ignorantes, por lo que sin esas «explicaciones adicionales» no hubiera sido capaz de comprender el verdadero mensaje que el autor quería expresar. Fui capaz de entender la historia principal sobre Oliver, eso fue sencillo, pero no los pilares ni el contexto aparentemente más importante. Me siento como si hubiera comido en un gran banquete pero sin la oportunidad de usar una pizca de sal. En tal caso quedaría insatisfecho porque sin sal todo me sabría insípido; y tampoco, terminaría satisfecho, si tomara esa pizca de sal y la ingiriera después de comer: Eso es lo que me pasó con Oliver Twist. Las explicaciones al final no sirvieron para mejorar mi experiencia, y contrariamente me hicieron sentir mal por percatarme de mi incapacidad por comprender el sentido de la obra por mí mismo. Claro que quería conocer el motivo de la fama mundial de Oliver Twist, pero no de este modo. Creo que si pudiera devolverme en el tiempo preferiría no haber leído aquellas explicaciones para no sentirme mal. No obstante, como esa sección no hace parte del libro original, entonces, desde este punto, ignoraré las explicaciones adicionales de los expertos y me centraré en mi opinión, así esté atiborrada de ignorancia. Eso sí, era importante mencionarlo, en caso de que uno de esos expertos lea algún día mi reseña y encuentren un océano de incoherencias en mis palabras.

Bien, no es que no me haya gustado este libro, lo que ocurre es que me ha parecido excesivamente largo. Capítulos que no aportaban nada a la trama, postergación de escenas que debieron ocurrir antes, una atmósfera de telenovela que me causó tedio por momentos, personajes que sobraban... en fin, el libro contiene ciertos elementos que afectaron negativamente mi experiencia. Hubo momentos donde no quería parar de leer por lo interesante que se tornaba la trama, pero hubo otros donde el aburrimiento me abrumó por completo. Entiendo que escribir una obra por entregas y en aquellos tiempos debió ser agotador y estresante para Charles Dickens, por lo que juzgarlo es un poco desconsiderado, pero también sería hipócrita decir que el libro me ha encantado. La fuerza inicial con la que comenzó la historia nunca la sentí en ninguna otra parte de la obra; poco a poco, su fuerza fue menguando hasta llegar a la languidez de un final predecible y poco interesante. Tal vez a Dickens le exigieron que su obra fuera más larga de lo normal, tal vez dudó demasiado en que rumbo darle a su historia y necesitó darle bastantes rodeos, tal vez sintió miedo de escribir lo que realmente quería... en verdad, podrían hacerse muchas teorías sobre lo que realmente le ocurrió al autor.

Pero no todo en Oliver Twist es negativo. Por ejemplo, si tuviera que elegir lo que más me ha gustado, elegiría sin dudar la capacidad del autor para imprimir sufrimiento en la vida del pequeño Oliver. No es que me guste disfrutar del dolor ajeno, pero sí es un detalle para destacar porque Dickens logró transmitirlo de una manera excelente. Dickens con Oliver fue cruel, lo humilló, arrastró, abandonó y lo trato con la misma barbarie que los personajes de la obra. ¡Cómo si lo odiara! Y no solo eso, sino que su vocabulario sarcástico —de excelente calidad por cierto— daba a entender que estaba disfrutando de las desgracias de este pobre niño: ¡Cómo si le hiciera un bullying nivel extremo! El bullying del siglo XIX era muy diferente del actual, era súper intenso. Esta estrategia de Dickens fue excelente para mostrarle al lector las injusticias y abusos de poder al que son sometidos los más pobres por parte de los adinerados y poderosos. La personalidad elegida para Oliver Twist fue la mejor porque su candidez e ignorancia contrasta maravillosamente con la maldad de la que está rodeado. Oliver parecía un desamparado cordero en medio de una manada de lobos. La diferencia es que en vez de comérselo lo usaban como si fuera su marioneta, su juguete o la herramienta perfecta para hacer lo que nadie quería realizar. La vida de Oliver fue durísima, despiadada, y muy bien narrada por parte del autor. Oliver es el símbolo de los mártires, de los abusados, de los violentados, de los que no han tenido derecho ni a un segundo de felicidad en su vida. Nadie en esta vida merece sufrir las desgracias y abusos como lo hizo el pequeño Oliver Twist. Pasar todos los días maltratado y prácticamente sin comida, ni libertad, no es vivir. No se le puede llamar a esas circunstancias vivir. Es muy cruel. Es algo que no se le desea ni a tu peor enemigo.

El libro proporciona una gran oportunidad de reflexionar sobre la miseria, la avaricia, las desigualdades sociales, el abuso del poder, la importancia de los derechos universales especialmente de los niños, los trabajos peligrosos, los defectos de la vida fácil, la putrefacción a la que puede llegar una sociedad si no se respetan las reglas, la maldad, la deshonra, la falta de principios, etc. Son tantos temas sociales los que abarca este libro que no dudo que la lectura de esta obra puede ser provechosa para cualquier lector. Como ya he repetido en varias reseñas, lo valioso de estas obras antiguas que critican la sociedad es que nos ayuda a comprender el progreso que estamos viviendo como civilización. Obviamente nuestro presente no es perfecto, pero sí es mucho mejor que lo que vivieron nuestros ancestros. No hay que conformarnos con nuestra actualidad, pero sí hay que practicar un poco la gratitud para valorar lo que tenemos y dejar de obsesionarnos por lo que carecemos. Este tipo de libros nos ayudan a recordar el verdadero progreso de la humanidad, y también nos hace sentir la esperanza de que nuestro presente, por más nefasto que sea, puede cambiar en el futuro. Si en la actualidad no se viven situaciones como las descritas en este libro, ¿cómo no creer que en el futuro tampoco viviremos las fallas actuales de nuestro sistema? Hay que creer que lo malo se puede erradicar.

En mi opinión el defecto más grande de la novela son las secciones donde Oliver no tiene participación. Oliver es el centro total de esta historia y ningún otro personaje logró atraer ni el 25% de mi atención como lo hizo el protagonista. Los problemas de los demás, sus enfermedades, traiciones y muertes, para ser honesto ni siquiera me interesaron, por lo que leer capítulos completos centrados en aquellos personajes me dio bastante fastidio. Los demás personajes si tienen relación con Oliver pero no me interesaron sus vidas o su porvenir porque yo solo quería seguir leyendo una historia centrada en el protagonista como se venía presentando hasta el momento. Ese tipo de libro estaba funcionando perfectamente, ¿para qué cambiar el estilo? No entendí. Tuve la ilusión de que estas secciones complementaran de una manera épica con lo relacionado a Oliver —como ocurrió cuando leí Estudio en escarlata de Arthur Conan Doyle—, pero no ocurrió así y eso me hizo sentir que perdí el tiempo leyendo muchas páginas innecesarias. Posiblemente ese fue el motivo que me llevó a tardar tanto en acabar la lectura porque ya no le hallaba sentido a lo que leía. Mi pereza fue aumentando con los días y cada lectura se me hizo más pesada. Entendiendo que la historia de Oliver ya había finalizado prácticamente, lo único que quería era marcar el libro como leído aquí en Goodreads y olvidarme del tema. Ya estaba harto de Charles Dickens, quería escapar del siglo XIX. Por eso también tardé tanto en escribir esta reseña. Fue difícil, muy difícil, volver a abordar el tema.

En resumen, una obra que no es para cualquier lector a pesar de su popularidad. Leer Oliver Twist en un mal momento puede causarnos un serio bloqueo lector, así como establecer en nuestro cerebro la creencia de que los libros clásicos son extremadamente aburridos. Sin embargo, con un enfoque apropiado, esta lectura nos servirá para transportarnos a la época victoriana, siendo testigos de las desigualdades, injusticias y corrupción con la que se vivía diariamente en esa época. Oliver Twist es un personaje ficticio, pero seguramente hubo muchísimos con la misma, o peor suerte en la vida real, por lo que este personaje puede tomarse como la representación de todas esas almas que padecieron y perecieron en la injusticia de esa época. ¿Quieres conocer la crueldad de esos tiempos? Entonces lee Oliver Twist. Pero, si no tienes la paciencia que se requiere para leer una obra con estas dimensiones, entonces te sugiero veas alguna película relacionada al tema, pases por youtube y busques sobre la época victoriana. Solo así sabrás si este libro realmente es para ti.

I swear Dickens named one of his characters Master Bates on purpose.

Please sir, may I have less?

It is because I think so much of warm and sensitive hearts, that I would spare them from being wounded.
Oliver Twist ~~  Charles Dickens



n   Oliver Twistn … you’ve eluded me for so long. I finally hunkered down and read your tale of whoa ~~ not woe, but n  whoan …

Renowned for please sir, I want some more,  Oliver Twist is the classic story of a young, orphaned boy growing up in the workhouses of rural England where gentle society, religious figures, and the powers that be oppress him merely for being born poor and illegitimate. n   Charles Dickensn was not afraid to get into the realism of desperation; The boy, Oliver Twist journeys from the tribulations of the work house to the London slums where Oliver is held captive by a gang of thieves, told to either learn the trade or die. Jostled between the need to survive and his innate, innocent desire to do good, Oliver’s achingly poignant story is embroiled in the life of paupers, prostitutes, murderers, and the society that forces them to desperate measures. Dickens’ bitter humor cuts to the quick, his commentary is deeply affecting, and all the while he keeps the reader engaged with this addicting story. Tense and dangerous, n   Oliver Twistn isn’t the stuffy old classic you thought it would be, but is instead a dark, often sordid story unafraid to look into the nooks and crannies of neglected people and broken lives.



Beginning, as many of Dicken’s novels do, with the birth of the protagonist title character, the story follows our boy from infancy to young adulthood, only swerving at the conclusion to concentrate on the gang of thieves, run by the old criminal, Fagin, and the way in which their circumstances and forced corruption shape their destruction.

Continually starved at the workhouse, Oliver is eventually thrust out ~~ after requesting more gruel ~~ into apprenticeship with a coffin maker, Mr. Sowerberry. From here, the abuse escalates both physically and mentally and Oliver, stuck between the gallows and workhouse, flees to London, submersing himself in the anonymity of London and the rumors of work for a willing lad. The boy’s naivety soon leads him to be picked up by The Artful Dodger, a charismatic child thief ~~ near Oliver’s own age ~~ who ostensibly takes pity on a starving orphan and brings him home to Fagin, a deceitful man determined to rob all of those with whom he comes in contact. The inhuman Fagin with his continual application of n  my dearn embodies all that is detestable yet irresistible about Dickens’ villains and soon has Oliver thoroughly deceived. However, when Oliver is falsely accused of picking pockets, his newfound understanding leads to a desire to flee the gang of thieves and escape into a better life.

Soon, events spiral dangerously, launching explosive secrets to the surface about Oliver’s background, true parentage, and intended future. Meanwhile, Bill Sykes, a housebreaker accomplice of Fagin’s, has taken a keen interest in the boy and with the assistance of his presumed girlfriend / thief / prostitute, Nancy, and hatches a scheme to drag Oliver back to the streets and into a life of infamy and terror. Should Oliver refuse, Sykes is always ready to make good on his escalating threats of physical violence.



An emotional novel, n   Oliver Twistn while stunningly and movingly written, is all about the story and the intense passions elicited by the resulting depravity of an underclass desperate to survive. Examining the cause-and-effect relationships of heartless power and the integrity of alleged social convention / position, Dickens’ assessment here is made with bitter, bloody blows.

Not afraid to unveil the uglier aspects of life, and indeed death, Oliver’s story is an intensely personal one that, thereby, becomes universal. Dickens captures the despair and goodness of Oliver, thinly veiling his own inner fears, uncertainties, and oppression with a pulse that breaks down barriers and transforms pages into thoughts and soul longings, touching us in way that transcend the written word. Oliver Twist is one of Dickens most shining examples of creating and populating a world that will leave you simultaneously laughing, crying, and emotionally moved.



The cast of villains in n   Oliver Twistn is exceptional including the chilling and volatile Sykes, who serves to deliver the most horror to a story already verging on disaster. The final scene between Sykes and Nancy, and Fagin’s clever manipulation of the two, is a testament to Dickens’ great understanding of situational realities. Indeed, the entire cast of villains, large as it is, becames a sort of sordid family to me and in the later part of the novel, Oliver, with all of his ghostly history, steps aside to let us see the workings of good and evil in these desperate ~~ albeit all too realistic spirits. Dickens has a lot to say here about the very nature of good and evil ~~ and the inability to separate the two.

Everything is saturated with selfishness and selflessness, enclosure and escape, guilt and justification, and above it all, the secret of Oliver’s birth which ties everything up into a bittersweet ending. Dickens even thwarts his society further with forgiveness and a disdain of the entire illegitimate stigma and the sins of the mothers visited on their children ~~ sadly, this is still all too common today. One of Dickens most moving works, n   Oliver Twistn should be read for both the beauty of its engaging prose and the message within that prose.



If you haven’t read n   Oliver Twistn please do give it a read, especially if you ~~ like me ~~ enjoy classics. Words fail me as I try to express how wonderful n   Oliver Twistn is. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2022.

"What's a prostitute?"

A student in the library asked me that, and I was baffled for two reasons. First of all, I thought that teenagers are well-informed nowadays, and I also thought she was reading in a corner, not surfing the internet in the work area (where I imagined she would come across the term). As so often, I was wrong on all accounts, which I realised when I explained that a prostitute is a woman selling her body, and received the reply:

"Ah, you mean a whore, why can't Dickens just say that then and stop using all these fancy words?"

The student waved a copy of Oliver Twist in front of me, and I couldn't help laughing out loud, feeling somehow transported into a Dickensian situation.

And before I knew it, I had checked out another copy of it to a student listening in on the conversation. I bet he wanted to enhance his vocabulary skills - and I don't mind at all!

"Please, Sir, I want some more!"