Suspenseful page turner | Oliver Twist (Collector's Library)

Best Novel by Dickens | Oliver Twist (Collector's Library) | Charles Dickens

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	• Oliver Twist (Collector's Library) Charles Dickens Collector's Library, 2010 - 600 pages average customer review:based on 148 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Not to be missed

Once upon a time, as a child, I read "Oliver Twist" in an issue of Classic Comics. Once upon a time, as a student, I worked through a reading list of paperback Dickens novels that, for whatever reason, did not include "Oliver Twist." When I returned to this early Dickens novel, I read it on a Kindle. I am sorry it took me so long to get from the comic book to the real thing.

The plot of "Oliver Twist is well known, so let me mention some other things that a grown up reader might enjoy. For one thing, the novel is an angry commentary on how a society treats its poor. The baby farms for orphans, the workhouses, and the apprentice situations have not lost their power to shock. The scene where Oliver dares to ask for more gruel is rightly famous, but there are many scenes that detail the routine near starvation of those dependent on "porochial" generosity. Along with these scenes go the overseers: the beadle, Mr. Bumble, and his estimable wife, both of whom are regularly depicted eating and drinking their fill. The fact that they are one step removed from poverty only increases their contempt for those beneath them.

The London in which Oliver eventually finds himself is equally vivid, drawn from those dank nooks and corners Dickens observed as a young man as he went about his work as a reporter. He also knew well Newgate Prison, where Fagin spends his final days; Dickens had already written about it in an earlier sketch.

Another aspect of the novel that is gripping is the way Dickens depicts abusive relationships between men and the women who are love them. The relationship of Bill Sikes and Nancy is the most famous, but it is paralleled by the connection between the snitch Noah Claypole and his subservient Charlotte (both of whom torment Oliver when he is apprenticed at Sowerberry the coffin-maker's). Dickens humorously reverses this dynamic when he depicts Mrs. Bumble ruling over the craven Mr. Bumble, but we understand that this is the exception, rather than the rule. Oliver's existence is, to some extent, the result of the unequal relationship between his father and his mother.

The character of the diabolical Fagin induces an unease in a modern reader that Dickens's readers mostly did not feel. He is almost always called "the Jew" and is, in accordance with the stereotype, preoccupied with money. One of Dickens's biographers, Michael Slater, gives an account of a Jewish reader who wrote to Dickens to object to this.

Don't miss this novel. The progress of the little parish boy, Oliver Twist, suggests that a society is only as admirable as its compassion for the least among it.
M. Feldman

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Suspenseful page turner

Cons: L-O-N-G. As another reviewer stated, if Dickens can say it in 10 words, he'll go with 50.

Pros: Strong character development, suspenseful story, interesting social commentary, the Oxford World Classic edition offers a bunch of educational commentary - so, I read it and learned about the laws Dickens didn't care for, the relationship between himself and the illustrator, etc.

As an accountant, if something isn't able to hold my interest, I'll put it down and try something else. With Dickens, I can truly say that my interest was completely held!

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Best Novel by Dickens

Oliver Twist is the best novel by Dickens.Out of all the very enjoyable books by Dickens, I think Oliver Twist just has that certain wow factor that keeps the reader hooked from page one.This novel, along with The Christmas Carol, are great read alouds that both adults and children can enjoy.I've read this book at least a dozen times, but Oliver Twist seems to get better with time.

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Oliver Twist

I have never read this before and only knew the story by watching the musical or TV mini series. I was dismayed while reading "Oliver" to realise how much of it was changed and adapted. I loved reading the original and found Charles Dickens style easy to read and very entertaining.

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Charles Dickens is perhaps the English-speaking world?s most beloved novelist—and Oliver Twist is one of his most popular works. A heartbreaking tale that portrays the cruelty of the Victorian era at its worst, it has been adapted for film, for the theatre (including the classic musical, Oliver!), and for television. Dickens?s dark and gritty story follows the adventures of an unfortunate orphan who goes from a harsh work house into to the wider, more dangerous world of the London slums. Many of the book?s characters have become household names, in particular the colorful criminals Fagin and the “Artful Dodger.? Packed with pity, suspense, humor, and vitality, Oliver Twist captures the thrilling battle of good against evil...all with an innocent young boy at its center. The world's greatest works of literature are now available in these beautiful keepsake volumes. Bound in real cloth, and featuring gilt edges and ribbon markers, these beautifully produced books are a wonderful way to build a handsome library of classic literature. These are the essential novels that belong in every home. They'll transport readers to imaginary worlds and provide excitement, entertainment, and enlightenment for years to come. All of these novels feature attractive illustrations and have an unequalled period feel that will grace the library, the bedside table or bureau.

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