Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Ive always loved the story of Oliver Twist-now I finally have an illustrated copy Im even happier. This book is an unabridged copy and is searchable-a great feature. The cover has a picture of Oliver, all ragged with his little bundle. The table of contents takes you to Charles Dickens preface, which is well worth reading, and to any chapter in the book. Alas, it does not take you to any of the illustrations, but they are beautifully rendered and very clear. I have the most basic Kindle and I have no trouble seeing all of the detail in the illustrations. The chapter headings list not only the number of the chapter, but the brief description Dickens wrote for each chapter, so that if you want to find a particular spot-say, when Oliver runs away to London, you can see that Chapter VIII has the summary "Oliver walks to London. He encounters on the road a strange sort of young gentleman." This makes it very easy to go to any part of the book you want to read.

Warning: SPOILERS!!!!

The story is one of a poor orphan boy, sold to an undertaker and abused until he runs away to London. He falls in with thieves and through a strange twist of fate is rescued by the man who was his fathers best friend. Its a long story, filled with reversals of fortune and amazing coincidences, and although it has a happy ending, there is some genuine tragedy. Its a very sad scene when Oliver returns to the orphanage to get his best friend, Dick, who saw him off on his journey to London, only to find that Dick has died of untreated sickness. The prostitute, Nancy, has all the attributes of a character in a Greek tragedy-you desperately want her to leave the streets and her brutal boyfriend, Bill Sikes, and when she refuses to go, you have a sinking feeling that she isnt going to last much longer. When he beats her to death in their little room, its a gruesome scene, but not a surprising one. The only relief from Fagins gang comes from Charley, who reforms and leaves London to become a grazier.

A word about Fagin-some might find the constant description of him as "the Jew" offensive. It is not meant as a pejorative, but rather as a handy label to define the arch-criminal. While it is true that Fagin is constantly described as a Jew and is one of the most repulsive Jewish characters in literature, it was not Dickens intent to cast slurs upon Jewish people. He wrote in good faith and was troubled later, after becoming friends with Eliza Davis, the wife of the Jewish banker he sold his London house to, by the way he had portrayed Fagin. Eliza wrote to him in 1863 that she considered the way Dickens had portrayed Fagin a great wrong to the Jewish people. Dickens started to revise Oliver Twist, removing over 180 instances of the word "Jew" from the first edition text. He also ommitted sterotypical caricature from his public readings of Oliver Twist and a contemporary report noted, "There is no nasal intonation; a bent back but no shoulder-shrug: the conventional attributes are omitted." Dickens was finally able to write to Eliza, "There is nothing but good will left between me and a People for whom I have a real regard and to whom I would not willfully have given an offence." Fagin might still give offense to those looking for it, but personally I have always seen him as an example of a bad man, not a Jewish man, and I believe that is how Dickens meant to portray him.

Though I dont own a Kindle, I do have the app on my iPad and was pleased to find this novel offered. I find most Kindle e-books to be easy to navigate and this one was no exception. The straightforward interface means you can look past the technology and do something so many of us enjoy: get lost in the pages of a good book, whether its an electronic copy or not.

In terms of content, Oliver Twist is one of Dickens most accessible novels. Hard Times and The Pickwick Papers might be weightier tomes and A Christmas Carol might be a better start for younger readers, but Oliver Twist is simply classic. On the surface engaging story with vivid characters that draws you in to the streets of London, Dickens uses his plucky little hero to paint a lurid portrait of the underbelly of society and the abject misery of living in poverty. By following Oliver through his meager workhouse existence and onward to life as a street urchin and budding criminal, we can see through the authors eyes his take on the cruel truths of child labor and the pitiful lives of the unwanted.

If my admittedly dry assessment of the underlying theme depresses you, please do realize that the Dickensian dark humor and wit are very much at play in this novel. He gets his points across with sometimes heavy-handed sarcasm and characters that may seem more like caricatures in their absurdity. Oliver Twist remains an entertaining read, one that lends itself easily to popular culture and a number of film adaptations.

I’ve been wanting to get back to rereading this classic for some time, so the summer provided me opportunity, along with this one being chosen as a monthly read in one of my reading groups. It’s interesting that when you read a book for the second time you catch things, nuances that you missed upon reading the first time.

Oliver Twist, obviously a well-known title, needs little introduction. But what is striking is how Dickens’ tale is several things at once. It has a fairy tale quality to it, with some dark elements thrown in as well (i.e., there is a pretty brutal murder scene and another bizarre death scene). It is also a “rags to riches” sort of tale (with “rich” not being necessarily in the monetary form). Likewise, It is also a coming-of-age children’s novel with Dickens’ sentimentality. Moreover, the novel also forms a social commentary and criticism about the conditions taking place in Dickens’ time.

Upon my second reading, I thought it was a very entertaining and enchanting story, something Dickens seems to always pull off. Dickens captures eloquently the spirit of a young orphan boy who tries to overcome the many setbacks, heartbreaks, harsh elements, and trials that are thrown at him in his young life. Through the story’s narrative, Oliver meets many types of people, friends and foes, virtuous and malevolent, and must navigate his way in the world.

Oliver Twist has many of the Dickens’ staples that make a worthy and heartfelt tale and a classic. One of the definitive characters I love about reading a Dickens novel is the cliffhanger type endings in chapters, revealing something interesting at the end of the chapter to pique the reader’s anticipation of what is to come. As per usual with Dickens, there are a bevy of eccentric and interesting characters (some infamously so).

It’s not surprising that the popularity of this novel has spawned countless adaptations in various forms, from film, stage plays, musicals, etc. Definitely a novel for Dickens or classic literature aficionados to read.

This was not my first reading of Oliver Twist but so much time has past since I last entered its pages it was as the first once again. Oliver Twist is considered a classic and required reading for good reason. It has all the elements of a good story. A young hero struggling to rise above the circumstances of his birth, a cast of colorful characters to both help and hinder our young friend, not the least of which is the city of London itself. Dickens weaves a rich tapestry with his plotting and pacing. Sometimes slowing to describe the beauty of a garden walk in summer then a headlong rush toward his next plot twist with barely a pause for breath. Every time you read Dickens is to realize anew that you are sitting at the feet of a master wordsmith. I was also struck by the not so subtle social commentary which seems, to me, to be just as relevant in 2018 America as it must have been in the England of Dickens’ time. Truthfully ,I didn’t get that when I read this as a child. I highly recommend Oliver Twist to anyone. Young or older. If you read it as a child, read it again now through adult eyes and you may be shocked what you find.

A London classic and a treasured tale that I have reverence for.

I had read several abridged "kiddie" versions of Oliver Twist when I was in middle school, and as a teen I was semi-addicted to the 1960s musical adaptation Oliver! so I thought that I knew all there was to know about this famous British literary urchin. Not so. Actually sitting down to read the full version of Oliver Twist has shown me that the original story is much more clever, and much darker, than I had anticipated.

Young Oliver is born in a workhouse, and although his single mother dies in childbirth and leaves him with no one to give him true care or attention, Oliver thrives, in a certain sense. He grows up in this workhouse, and the horrors of his childhood can seem all the worse because of the light comic tone of the narration. Charles Dickens is always a wonderful author for pointing out hypocrisy, cruelty, and social injustices, but though its good to be made aware of the evils of the day, it can still be hard to read about children starving and being beaten. 9-year-old Olivers situation is so dire, its a relief when he escapes to London and finds himself trapped in a life of crime! At least when hes with the criminal gang of pickpockets, he gets to eat.

Notes on Oliver: I notice that Oliver speaks just a tad on the aristocratic side, when compared with the other boys in the book. He just doesnt have the same penchant for slang and sauciness as his peers. On this read-through, I also perceive for the first time that Oliver himself isnt all that interesting. Hes 100% sympathetic--you want to save him and nurture him, but aside from his general goodness, hes a bit of a blank canvas. Hes so incorruptibly pure, its like it doesnt occur to him that anyone could possibly be deceptive or dishonest, which is why hes no good at thievery even after receiving some training.

One thing that hasnt changed for me while reading the book: Im still ridiculously fond of the Artful Dodger. He wears a jauntily tilted hat and a gigantic tail-coat with rolled up sleeves, and hes altogether grubby, which makes him look like the coolest homeless middle-school-aged kid in literature, aside from Huckleberry Finn. Hes got this big store of worldly knowledge and Oliver relates to Dodger like hes a bizarre type of grown-up, but as youre reading, you know that Dodgers really just a kid.

Things that surprised me: Theres an entire main character in Oliver Twist that didnt appear in any adaptation I read or saw until now--Monks, Olivers half-brother! Wow. I scarcely know what to do with the fact that theres this whole important person in the book itself, and yet hes so ultimately inconsequential to the heart of the story. Monks isnt much of a villain when compared to the murderous, abusive awfulness of Bill Sikes, and just adding more family drama to Olivers origin story isnt all that interesting. I think the adaptations had the right idea when they removed him.

Also, things for the Artful Dodger go rather differently in the book than they do in the films and abridged books.

Well, Dickens is never anything but good reading, but I wound up liking the real Oliver Twist a good deal less than I thought I would. Maybe I should stick to re-reading A Christmas Carol instead. Grade: B

Favorite quotes:

"Its all over, Mrs. Thingummy! said the surgeon at last." (pg 3)

A clean shirt, thought Oliver, is a very comfortable thing; and so are two pairs of darned stockings; and so is a penny; but they are small helps to a sixty-five miles walk in winter time. (pg 63)

Artful Dodgers first line: Hullo, my covey! Whats the row? (pg 66)

Fagin, to Sikes: "Im afraid that, if the game was up with us, it might be up with a good many more, and that it would come out rather worse for you than it would for me, my dear. (pg 110)

If you only read one of Charles Dickens books, or if you dont know where to start reading his books, I recommend you read Oliver Twist, the unforgettable story of a poor orphan boy, who spent his early years in a work house, before being recruited by a gang of pickpockets.
Its not an easy book to read, and is not meant for children or the faint of heart, because it portrays some harsh events, many of which Dickens had experienced himself, or had personally investigated, and that is one of the main attractions of this book; Its real. You may read about child labour and the plight of the many orphaned children in Victorian England, but no history book will describe a workhouse, the inside of a prison, the starving dogs and hungry rats, the life of a pickpocket, a thief, a pimp, or a gang leader, a public hanging, or the cruelty of London slums, the way Dickens does.
Read it if you want to know what really happened, what the streets, people and life was like for Victorian Londoners.
I never tire of rereading it myself. Dramatic, yes, exaggerated, I doubt it, realistic, shockingly.
The plot is a page turner, and the characters come to life in every scene. We see their gestures, smell their ragged clothes and listen to their lies and truths.
I love Dickens use of the English language. It may be wordy by contemporary standards, but it’s smoothly done. A real pleasure to read for anyone who loves the English language and wants to take a short trip to Victorian London.
A book to read once and reread all your life.
Although I usually read my paperback, this free kindle version makes it even easier to read. A big thank you to the volunteers who made this edition possible.
As a writer, I often read a random chapter or passage before I sit down to write. Dickens humbles me, but he also gives me great encouragement by showing me how the English language can convey so much using the right combination of words.
‘Capital!’ As Dickens would say.

I find it hard to judge classics, because part of their greatness is in how they affected authors that came after them and as a result we forget that for its time Oliver Twist was one of the books that changed how books were written from then on. As a middle aged man living in the 21st century, I judge it in the light of the times I am currently living in. As a modern reader I relate with what hasnt changed about the human condition. I see a lot in common between society today, and society in Dickens time. Weve come full circle; inequality is probably as great now as it was then. Ive always thought history is cyclical, in that humankind forgets the consequences of its actions every third generation, the lessons learned during Dickens time where forgotten by the time of the Great Depression came around, and now again. Ive always supposed the reason was that there are now no longer any people still living from the Great Depression, just as there probably wasnt anybody alive during the great depression that was alive during Dickens time. We lose living memory of those times and for some reason books dont seem to replace living people in passing on those lessons. Our generation is now in the same place that Dickens was, I am sure many great books will be written, and passed down to our children who will not learn from them, and the lessons will be forgotten in the same way we have forgotten the lessons of Dickens. I think this has been going on since the beginning of time. Books being written now, will inform our children, and probably when we die out those lessons will have been forgotten, and humankind will be making the same mistakes again.

Does it have to be this way? Isnt it why books like Oliver Twist are written in the first place as lessons to future generation? Id like to hope so, but I think lease stories have to be retold in a way that the current generation can relate to, or the meaning gets lost. That brings me back to why its so hard to judge a classic. One could make an argument that Oliver Twist no longer serves as a classic, but more of a forgotten time, that no longer resonates with the current generation all though it should; maybe thats the reason, and not the loss of living memory? Though it will always be a classic because it does deal with universal truths regarding human nature, so I have to give it 4 stars for not resonating the way that it used to and not 5 that youd think a classic would deserve. Maybe Ive been too critical of Oliver Twist, and I am sure Ill think twice about what Ive said, but as of now its how I see it. In its favor the entire message wasnt lost on me, and I am sure its not lost on others. I just think over all its lost to the current generation as a whole.

It strongest strength as a classic is its characters, Dickens characters are iconic, nobody has written character driven narratives the way Dickens writes them, and nobody ever will. Thats why in the end like Shakespeare, Dickens will remain immortal. There is intimateness and warmness from his characters, a kindness that you rarely come across in other character driven narratives. Dickens characters have very specific eccentricity and distinctness about them that is rather appealing. Dickens characters could stand up in a vacuum and still be compelling. I really had a lot of fun, and would recommend this to anybody it really does have universal appeal.

I believe this is my very time reading Oliver Twist even. Having had assignments in high school to read and prepare for testing on the subject, I am not sure if I passed those’d tests or not. But I can tell you this time going through it was a joy.
Read it!

"Oliver Twist" is a relatively early novel by Charles Dickens. The title character is a child who ends up affiliated with a band of criminals. I like this novel very much, and in many ways it is a typical novel by Charles Dickens. The novel is clearly meant for mass appeal in the Victorian Society within which it was written. A modern reader may find Victorian fiction to be somewhat ornate and "wordy". Personally I like it very much.

Charles Dickens is my second favorite author of Victorian fiction after my favorite author of all, George Eliot. I have never read a Dickens novel that I did not complete enjoy. As stated these novels were written for mass appeal and consumption in Victorian England. Charles Dickens published these novels in serial form in periodicals. He would attempt to assess the reception of his work with his readers and thus the novel may be revised before the next installment.

In general, Charles Dickens has a wry and ironic sense of humor. I find hm extremely humorous. His writing is, at times, sentimental, but again, I enjoy it, in doses. I always read Charles Dickens novels while simultaneously listening to a professional audiobook narration and did so with "Olivier Twist" and always find the professional narration adds to my reading experience.

I have read this novel twice. I must confess that the first time, I was oblivious to what may be viewed by todays standards as anti Semitic connotations. There is a character who is a criminal who is seemingly endlessly referred to as a "Jew". He seems to lack redeeming virtues. I do not believe in censorship of historical works. But be prepared to encounter these references.

In summary, Victorian Fiction will not appeal to every modern reader. However I find it very entertaining and works by Charles Dickens are an excellent example of it. Thank You...