Oliver Twist

Rating:
Summary: A Surprising Delight
Review: For one whose impression of classics was quite ruined by other less intriguing books I found Oliver Twist to be a surprising delight. Written by Charles Dickens in the 19th century this book portrays the harshness of the lives of the poor in London during the same time it was written. This book enraptures the reader with plot and language (despite the odd paragraphs here and there) and offers a multitude of fascinating characters.

Dickens writes of an orphan boy, Oliver Twist, who runs away from the workhouse and unknowingly joins a group of robbers and pickpockets. The plot that would have been original when it was first published is now quite commonplace. But the language and memorable characters are enough to draw you deep into the story and make the book a page turner.

The unforgettable characters that Dickens has created seem real enough to be someone who had actually lived. The characters are far from appearing fictional; all aspects of their personalities and appearance could be someone who one could pass in the streets (excluding their 19th century attire). Each character seems to have distinct words and phrases that one would associate with them, for instance Mr. Grimwig constantly says ¡§I¡¦ll eat my head¡¨ and at times he¡¦ll add in another head for which he will ¡§eat¡¨ along with his own. The characters in Oliver Twist are hard to not remember, for there will always be some character that comes to mind when you think of something or the other (like heads).

Despite all this, the book does have its flaws. A novel that would have taken me less than a week to read has now taken me three. Although Oliver Twist may keep you hooked there are parts of a book which may make you put down the book and fail to pick it up for a few days. I find some intervals where Oliver is not present to be dull and somewhat lacking in fresh content. Although such chapters are somewhat a rarity they were enough to make me lose interest in the book itself for a couple chapters.

Oliver Twist, flawed as it is, is still a brilliant piece of work worth the time to read. One should not miss out on the opportunity to meet the memorable characters which come straight from the streets of 19th century London and make Oliver Twist such a novel worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful story about a memorable boy.
Review: I love Dickens for his characters, and he does a masterful job with Oliver. He is the always hungry boy whom no adverse circumstances can hold down. Reading a Dickens novel is like meeting a whole bunch of unique and wonderful people. Who can forget Fagin and his band of boys or Mr. Bumble with his had and cane? Dickens' books were all written to make people aware of the inequalities of society during his lifetime. Some found this uncomfortable, but the general masses loved it. This book is actually one of my favourite Dickens' books, but I love them all. He could really tell a story, and so what if there's a little moralizing in each one?

Rating:
Summary: Little Orphan Oliver
Review: 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.


Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece - deserves to be re-read several times
Review: Oliver Twist is one of the all time classics that cannot be described with words. The life of an innocent little boy and the tragic circumstances under which he is grown up to see the world. His honesty and innocence really makes you think about how miserable the life of people can be. And it reminds you to think about the people living in poverty even today. I first read this book in my primary school, and have read it many times since (and have always learnt something new in every read). I even admired the Video based on this book. Just read it, and you will surely shed at least some (invisible?) tears on the life of this boy.