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Oliver Twist (Oxford World's Classics) Paperback – October 28, 1999

by Charles Dickens (Author), Kathleen Tillotson (Editor), Stephen Gill (Introduction)

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Oliver Twist is a classic tale of a boy of unknown parentage born in a workhouse and brought up under the cruel conditions to which pauper children were exposed in the Victorian England. With this novel, Dickens did not merely write a topical satire on the workhouse system and the role of the 1834 New Poor Law in fostering criminality. He created a moral fable about the survival of good, a romance, and a gripping story in which he exploited suspense and violence more effectively than any of his contemporaries.
The new Oxford World's Classics edition of Oliver Twist is based on the authoritative Clarendon edition, which uses Dickens's revised text of 1846. It includes his preface of 1841 in which he defended himself against hostile criticism, and includes all twenty-four original illustrations by George Cruikshank. Stephen Gill's groundbreaking introduction gives a fascinating new account of the novel. He also provides appendices on Dickens and Cruikshank, on Dickens's Preface and the Newgate Novel Controversy, on Oliver Twist and the New Poor Law and on thieves' slang.

Reading age

7 - 11 years, from customers
Print length

544 pages
Language

English
Lexile measure

1060L
Dimensions

5.25 x 1 x 7.75 inches
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

October 28, 1999
ISBN-10

0192833391
ISBN-13

978-0192833396
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Editorial Reviews

Book Description

New critical edition based on authoritative Clarendon Dickens with 24 original illustrations

About the Author

Stephen Gill is Professor of English, Lincoln College, Oxford University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (October 28, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0192833391
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0192833396
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 11 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1060L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 7.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #7,329,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #47,221 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #124,182 in Classic Literature & Fiction
- #238,323 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
12,388

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Charles Dickens
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Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near Portsmouth where his father was a clerk in the navy pay office. The family moved to London in 1823, but their fortunes were severely impaired. Dickens was sent to work in a blacking-warehouse when his father was imprisoned for debt. Both experiences deeply affected the future novelist. In 1833 he began contributing stories to newspapers and magazines, and in 1836 started the serial publication of Pickwick Papers. Thereafter, Dickens published his major novels over the course of the next twenty years, from Nicholas Nickleby to Little Dorrit. He also edited the journals Household Words and All the Year Round. Dickens died in June 1870.
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Mary Sebag-Montefiore
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Mary Sebag-Montefiore is a best-selling children's author, whose re-tellings of classics have been published all over the world. She is the author of over 25 books and has adapted everything from Dickens to 'War and Peace'. She has also published articles on children's books academically and in the national press, and for adults, is the author of 'Women Writers of Children's Classics'. Her most recent title is 'Forgotten Fairy Tales of Kindness and Courage', published by Usborne Publishing.
“Mary Sebag-Montefiore’s retellings…are perhaps the best – well-written and dramatic”
The Telegraph
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Fugu-Fish Publishing
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Pandra Selivanov

Love the illustrations

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2012

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I've always loved the story of Oliver Twist-now I finally have an illustrated copy I'm 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 father's best friend. It's a long story, filled with reversals of fortune and amazing coincidences, and although it has a happy ending, there is some genuine tragedy. It's 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 isn't going to last much longer. When he beats her to death in their little room, it's a gruesome scene, but not a surprising one. The only relief from Fagin's 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.

15 people found this helpful

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Austin Fredericks

Insightful

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023

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

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fra7299

Classic fairy tale story of "rags to riches"

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023

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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.

4 people found this helpful

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QUAZIMODO

truly a classic

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024

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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!

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Skip

Outwardly Entertaining, Inwardly Thought-Provoking

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2013

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Though I don't 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 it's 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 author's 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.

5 people found this helpful

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