Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens
Published: 1837
Genres: Classic, Fiction
Format: eBook (554 pages)
Source: Purchased
The story of the orphan Oliver, who runs away from the workhouse only to be taken in by a den of thieves, shocked readers when it was first published. Dickens's tale of childhood innocence beset by evil depicts the dark criminal underworld of a London peopled by vivid and memorable characters—the arch-villain Fagin, the artful Dodger, the menacing Bill Sikes and the prostitute Nancy
Oliver Twist is a social satire that criticizes Victorian England. Some of his criticisms of society could still apply today. It was more graphic and violent than I thought it would be. Dickens writes the best characters I’ve ever read. Even the minor characters have personalities and flaws. Dickens has this way of narrating that makes you feel so connected to the characters and makes you care about them a lot.
August Rush, the movie, was a great retelling of Oliver Twist and now that I’ve read the book, I can see even more similarities (the biggest similarity – he runs away from an orphanage and gets picked up by a band of musicians that reminds me a lot of the band of thieves in Oliver Twist). Oliver Twist was not really a page turner, but it was the easiest novel of Dickens that I’ve read yet. The ending felt a little contrived to me, but I felt so moved by all of the characters through the rest of the novel that I didn’t mind very much. I can see why this novel was shocking at the time it was published. Dickens sheds light on things that people just didn’t like talking about back then and nothing is black and white.
Content Rating: Mild, for some violence that made me squirm a bit and abuse to kids.
About Charles Dickens
A prolific 19th Century author of short stories, plays, novellas, novels, fiction and non; during his lifetime Dickens became known the world over for his remarkable characters, his mastery of prose in the telling of their lives, and his depictions of the social classes, morals and values of his times. Some considered him the spokesman for the poor, for he definitely brought much awareness to their plight, the downtrodden and the have-nots. He had his share of critics, like Virginia Woolf and Henry James, but also many admirers, even into the 21st Century.
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
Leave a Reply