Oliver Twist

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Summary: Children as products of the environment
Review: Although focusing on the misfortune's of a young protagonist, Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist must not be viewed as a story stictly for adolescents. Dickens, more popular in his time than in modern America, had a subtle way of unveiling the failings and shortcomings of late 19th century English society. It is my belief he hoped to alleviate the misfortunes of everyday life through change by presenting a looking-glass before the English burgeois. What better way to appeal to the decency of man than to present a tortured, half-starved, bright-eyed orphan? Readers will feel a strong sympathy toward Oliver and demand justice. Because justice is done at the close, Dickens succeeds in making his point of the strength of human spirit. He presents hope in a world of despair; sunshine in the fog of London. And although criticized as a "choppy narrative" (this "choppiness" comes stems from the original serialization of the novel) Dickens reminds those of us with a few more years under out lengthening belts, that children, regardless of their lineage, deserve the chance to flourish and will indeed lead productive, honest lives if given love and knowledge rather than hatred and brutality

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Summary: Excellent notes and supplements; economical price.
Review: Even allowing for the excellent reputation of the Everymans Paperback series, this edition is special. The explanatory notes make the story fully comprehensible to first-time readers of the novel; and even readers who consider themselves experts on Dickens and his times may find some suprises ontained therein. (If nothing else, the notes help one "get the jokes".) The economical price of this volume would alone make it THE edition for educators to recommend to their students.

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Summary: It's Dickens, but not my favorite Dickens.
Review: Few authors have ever used words or created characters with the skill of Charles Dickens. There is an inherent wit in almost every sentence and phrase that constantly give two and three layers of meaning to his words. That said, the story of "Oliver Twist" feels a bit more contrived than some of his other work. All of Dickens' writing features charicatures of people, places, and situations in order to emphasize their meanings, but "Oliver Twist" has a tendency to lean on improbability than some of Dickens' other work.

A great work and a great look at society and those who inhabit it, but start with "Tale of Two Cities."

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Summary: Good over Evil
Review: Oliver Twist is the most widely read of all Charles Dickens Reads and this Book has been the second Novel of CD after the Fun and humour of The Pickwick Papers. This book added to reputation of Charles. The story says of a boy's journey from hell to heaven. Many years ago, England was cruel and a hard place for kids, it was believed! Oliver's mother dies and he grows up uncared and unloved. He has to work hard, ill treated by the dreadful Mr. Bumble. When Oliver asks for more food, the story speaks for many children everywhere whose voices society refuses to listen. Neglect and Abuse are exposed in this tale of Oliver Twist.Fagin is one of Dickens' most evil characters. It's the Artful Dodger who befriends Oliver Twist when he reached London and he introduced him to the bullish Fagin. Oliver is plunged into a nightmare in his Den and every time he tried to escape, he is caught and when his friend Nancy tried to help him, she is murdered. Of coz, there are good people too in this story. The end is winning edge `Good over evil'. A nice read and must for all kids collection.

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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?

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Summary: Oliver Twist: The Exception to Prove the Rule
Review: People will often say that the exceptions will prove the rule. While instances of this occurrence are difficult to come by, the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens represents one of those instances. In the novel, the main point that Dickens tries to make is that the common 1830's stereotypes of the poor were incorrect. He instead claims that the experiences a person goes through growing up affect whom they become, not that a person of a certain status is inherently good or evil. While this theme holds true for most characters in the novel it does not apply to the protagonist Oliver. Oliver throughout the story is portrayed as good despite the way he was raised from birth. This implies that he has some form of inherent good, which goes against the theme Dickens was attempting to portray in the novel. While most contemporary critics would see this as being somewhat hypocritical, the audience that Dickens was targeting would see it as revolutionary. At the time of his writing, his intended audience was the English middle-class. He felt the stereotypes imposed by people of this class were immoral. Unfortunately, the only way he could truly reach this audience was to portray this poor orphan boy as a saint. In doing so, he was able to counteract the notions of the wealthy that the poor are inherently evil. Once the audience was to this point, which occurs fairly early in the book, they would now be more receptive to the deeper characters of Nancy and Charley Bates who are inherently good despite their life of crime and poverty.

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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.


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Summary: i thorly loved it!
Review: Being Jewish, I don't have a great amount of love for this book (even though I love Dickens). Still, it's a masterpiece, and a very iconic and great one at that. Oliver Twist may not be a great character, but Dickens writes a wonderful story around him. This is a dark yet melodramatic novel with one of Dickens' best plots. The story moves a long at a slow but deliberate pace, and there's quite a few twists and turns - as well as a happy ending. Shame about Fagin though, even though he is a great character. This book is a must for any Dickens fan, as hard as it may sometimes be to swallow.

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Summary: To Jill Piangerelli
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.

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Summary: Dickens the Muckracker
Review: I read Oliver Twist for a college class and didn't really expect to like it. It was going to be one of those long, dull Victorian meganovels. I was wrong. Oliver Twist was surprisingly undated. The issues Dickens is analyzing and the societal practices he ridicules are very much debated in this day. The humor is still vibrant as is his rage. The plot and characterizations are pretty thrilling, too.

The novel is, obviously, the story of Oliver Twist, an innocent orphan who has to fight the evils of society in order to attain a place of happiness. Most notable among his enemies are Mr. Bumble at the workhouse, Fagin the founder of a crime organization that ensnares Oliver, Sikes the murderer, and Monk the mysterious figure in the background. Oliver must use his strength of character and purity, along with the sacrifices of Nancy, and the support of some wealthy people he encounters to fight his way to freedom.

Dickens's writing is wonderful. His descriptions of the society's treatment of the poor are alive with biting humor and scorn. The protagonist is memorable and loveable. The ending is slightly weak but is, for the most part, satisfying. Overall, Oliver Twist is the classic that it is supposed to be (or better), and is well worth the read.