Customer Reviews

Oliver Twist

5 star:		(99)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This book surprised me, not by the quality of its writing, which one can expect from Charles Dickens, but by the violent, lusty primal quality of the story. This is no dry musty tome, but a vital novel that arouses both passion and intellect. A literal page turner, I found myself having more than one sleepless night when I just couldn't put it down.

Inside are some of the major characters in the realm of fiction; Fagin and his gang of child thieves, including the Artful Dodger. Nancy, the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold. Master Charles Bates (was this a pun even then?) Bad Bill Sikes, who shows the darker edge to all of this dangerous fun, and the innocent, pure Oliver Twist, who is the very definition of nature over nurture.

A great book, and one that I am glad to have finally read.

Oliver Twist is one of Dickens' early novels - he worked on The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby simultaneously - and one of his best loved. It has what you would expect from him: memorable characters, evocative descriptions, melodrama, pathos (more often bathos) and a plot that relies on completely incredible coincidences. These latter are sometimes explained away by the characters themselves as being ordained by Fate, benign or otherwise, and must have been more acceptable to a Victorian readership than to one of the present day, who are likely to groan at each 'who should it be but' revelation.
The crossovers with Pickwick and Nickleby are noticeable. For example, The Artful's court appearance is clearly intended to be as funny as Sam Weller's, although it pales by comparison.

The most famous character is of course Fagin, and Dickens' casual anti-Semitism in his treatment of him is another thing that might discomfit the modern reader. He references him as The Jew, always in a derogatory manner. That this is a reflection of contemporary attitudes can be seen from Scott's Ivanhoe, in which Jewish characters are treated with similar hostility and contempt. But it is not the main characters that are most successful - and especially not the title character himself, who is innocent and bland beyond belief - but the supporting cast; Mr. Bumble and his lady, the servants in the house that gets burgled, the old bachelor who keeps threatening to eat his own head, and many others. They make the book a delight.

As always, Dickens is the master of descriptive narrative and he conjures a grim and compelling view of Victorian London's underside.

If you have not yet read any Dickens, this is not a bad book with which to start, although for younger readers (teens) I would recommend Hard Times as their first. Either book will probably leave you, like Oliver, wanting more.

A novel of this size can be daunting for the reader. "If I start this book, I'm going to have to spend the next month finishing it". That's what I thought anyway. But in Oliver Twist I sailed through the pages. It's rare that a classic, and I have read many of them, becomes a page-turner but this one did. Maybe I was lucky in not having seen the film versions prior to the reading of the book because I desperately wanted to find out what happened to Oliver and the multitude of other brilliantly written characters who inhabit the pages of Dickens' classic.

The plot is simple. A boy escapes his orphan home to live in London with a group of thieves and pickpockets. He's saved from this depraved life by a kindly, lonely old gentleman. But the villains, Bill Sykes and especially Fagin, fear that the boy may rat them out and so they kidnap him back. Can Oliver make it back to the life he deserves?

Oliver's story is not a very originally one, but it is enlivened by some of the greatest characters I've ever seen written. My personal favourites and there are many, are Noah Claypole who becomes a principle player and a very funny one at that, near the book's conclusion; and Mr. Brownlow, who's catchphrase "I'll eat my own head" had me bursting into laughter.

The book is diminished by its excessive sentimentality at the conclusion. Its female characters, apart from the courageous Nancy, are written in a golden light so as to become fantasies rather than the gloriously dirty reality of their male counterparts. A sub-plot between Mary and her boyfriend is ridiculously excessive.

Against these weaknesses, the book is a triumph of character. Often memorably played on screen, the two villains have become more famous than the title character, who is slightly simpering. Fagin is deliciously smarmy and Sykes is evil incarnate. They get their comuppance in justifiably brutal fashion. Dickens like most of us was a sucker for a happy ending.

I haven't read the unabridged edition, but I could still detect gaps in the convoluted plot. The reading level is more appropriate for high school students. This book is nearly 400 pages long, so you might as well go the distance and read the original.

Dickens' Oliver Twist is, of course, wonderful, deserving all the fame and fondness that it has garnered over the years. I'll instead focus on this Penguins Classics edition, which may interest those looking for a hardcover of the novel. The cover is nicely decorated and textured, the paper is high quality, the introduction and notes are informative, and the illustrations are wonderful. But there are two negatives. First and foremost, the font is smaller than average and a strain on the eyes after a while. I also purchased Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma from the same Penguin series, and their fonts are larger and easier on the eyes--what you would expect in typical hardcovers. I wish they had used the same font here. Second, and again in contrast to the Austen novels, the ink for the marvelous watches on the cover smudges a little, and is (as another reviewer noted) lifted partly off with the sticker on the back. This is not a big deal for me, but may be for others. Otherwise, this is a fine edition that looks great on the shelf and is a pleasure to peruse. Just remember to give your eyes more frequent breaks.

The creative novel Oliver Twist, written by Charles Dickens in 1838, defines a classic of all times. This intense story reflects a young boy's life in London with no family or place to go. Oliver's mother dies while giving birth to her son in the beginning of the book. Oliver's father remains unknown. Throughout the book the reader sees constant struggles. Oliver is befriended by Fagin and his company. Fagin, along with the Artful Dodger, invite Oliver to stay with them and become a thief. During one of Oliver's pick pocketing adventures; he is caught by Mr. Brownlow. Instead of reprimanding the young lad, Mr. Brownlow decides to raise him. Oliver desperately searches for the answer to his past while trying to stay alive on the streets of London. Ironically, Mr. Brownlow is Oliver's grandfather. A dominate theme of Oliver Twist examines the importance of family. Oliver's early years taught him to fend for himself and he suffers from never experiencing a loving and nurturing childhood. The setting of the book plays a powerful role as the story unfolds. Dickens describes the setting of London and all the places that Oliver stays very descriptively. "The street was very narrow and muddy, and the air was impregnated with filthy odor. The walls and ceiling of the room were perfectly black with age and dirt..." (page. 56). Dickens explains the facilities that were available to poor Oliver and makes them sound unbearable. He does an excellent job making the setting come alive and allows the reader to plight. I would recommend all readers at some point in life to delve into this classic. I found Oliver Twist very moving and towards the end hoping only the best for poor Oliver.

I picked this book up at my local library for a book report. Since I am 14, I didn't expect to really enjoy this book, but I had heard so much about it so I decided to read it. Once I had read the book, I was surprised at how much I liked it! I could not put this book down. There were numerous occasions where I kept wondering what would happen next. I was surprised by the murder. I guess I kind of saw it coming though since Sikes seems as if he has it in him. The trials Oliver goes through in this book really make you think. I was disappointed by Mr. Bumble. He treated Oliver as if he weren't human. All in all, I enjoyed the characters. I give 5 stars to Dickens for writing this novel. He has made me an admirer of his books. Now I truly know why he is such a great author. Everyone should experience this book!

I'm enrolled in a class on 19th century European history, and one of our assignments was to read Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons", which I did, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The class itself really hasn't been that great, but it has opened my eyes to the world of classic literature. Like millions of others, My hatred towards the classics can be traced back to high school where I was forced to read classic literature, and then not allowed to develop my own interpretations of the books. I think most of us have fallen into this rut, and it's a darn shame. It's kind of a two-edged sword; everyone should read some of these kinds of books, but forced readings are often taxing and boring. Then we are forced to learn one interpretation of the book. This isn't what literature should be about.

Fortunately, I woke up. I've bought a mess of books, but wanted to start out with something easy and light. Jumping into "War and Peace" just isn't an option, especially since I'm a full-time college student. So I decided to start with "Oliver Twist", a book I should have read years ago but didn't. Also, I'm trying to work my way up to some of Dickens' more in-depth works, such as "Bleak House".

I'm not going to spend much time on the actual story, as other reviews have done a pretty good job in this area. Also, many are aware of this story through the musical adaptation. Needless to say, it's a cracking good tale with enough meat in it to satisfy the hungriest of readers.

I read the Penguin edition, and have to start by saying that the introduction was, in my opinion, not very enlightening. Written by Angus Wilson, it does give some good info on what sort of inspirational material Dickens borrowed from to write this book. Wilson spends the rest of his time criticising. Maybe he was cranky because he didn't get picked to do an intro for a more "formidable" book.

The actual book is a real hoot. It strikes just the right balances between hilarity, sadness, and darkness. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading this book. The best character in this vein is Mr. Bumble, the beadle of the work-house where Oliver grows up. Dickens is SO scathing towards this guy. The scene where Bumble is making moves on Ms. Corney is an absolute scream. If you don't laugh, you're just not trying hard enough.

"Oliver Twist" has a dark side, too. Look at the ominous Bill Sikes. He just oozes bad feelings and you know he's going to hurt someone. The wily Jew, Fagin, is very scary, and you just cringe whenever he is on the scene. Like Satan, this guy is everywhere, causing all kinds of mischief.

Apparently, literary know-alls have decided that "Oliver Twist" is a lesser Dickens work. Maybe that is due in some part to the touchy-feely ending. Some also don't think it has much of a message beyond its criticism of the mistreatment of Victorian England's poor. I saw strong themes of hope and redemption in the book. Who can read about poor Nancy and not see her desparate attempt at redeeming her life? Even Sikes, as irredeemable as he seems, has a guilty conscience over his crime.

I can understand how some younger people might not like this book. The pacing of the book is slower than most would be used to you, and some of the language is tough for a modern reader. However, the book is timeless. We see the same things in society today that Dickens observed. When the system breaks down, people, especially children, will turn to other institutions, such as gangs, to find fulfillment. I highly recommend this book. Don't overlook it. It is very much worth your time!

This is my favorite novel by Charles Dickens. The book hooks you in and is a fascinating page turner from beginning to end. It has loads of adventure, mystery, and drama. It also has a lot of melodrama which reminds me of the old silent movies. Dickens writes about the villainous characters with a great deal of sarcasm, often calling them "philosophers." He describes the good characters in angelic terms. I was surprised to read a very virulent description of the Jew Fagin. It reminded me of Nazi propaganda. I got the impression that Fagin's business associates, the merchants who sold the stolen merchandise, were also Jews. This book thoroughly goes over the phenomena of how badly lower class people are treated in their lives. They are constantly abused, verbally and physically, by authority figures. I really wonder what it is about poverty that makes people treat each other so abusively and inhumanely. Some people say Dickens' books are flawed. That doesn't matter whatsoever. The important thing is that Dickens was the greatest storyteller of the 19th century.

This is a review of the Penguin Classics edition of Oliver Twist with the cover designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. I won't discuss the text here -- except to say that if you like Dickens, this is for you -- just the edition.

First of all, it has the full double-handful of Penguin extras: scholarly introduction, author's introduction, notes on the text, a glossary of thieves' terms, a map of 1800s London, alternative text fragments from other editions, and, of course, illustrations.

Second, Bickford-Smith's cover is just as lovely as it looks online. The pattern is printed directly onto the cover (rather than on a dust jacket), and if you can't quite tell from the image, it's printed in dark green on creamy white, with a matching green ribbon bookmark.

I only have a few issues: one, Amazon put a sticker on the back which slightly removed part of the design when I peeled it off. It was not stuck very tightly, so this makes me a little nervous about how long the design is going to stay on the cover before it starts to rub off. Two, the binding is glued, rather than sewn, which is a little less long-lasting, I think.

But on the whole, these are lovely editions, and I think they're well worth the Amazon price. I'm only knocking off the fifth star because of Amazon's sticker on the back.