Rating: 
Summary: Sure To Excite Very Emotionally
Review: This old-time classic, written by a genius of a writer was perhaps the best book I have ever read. It not only told the story of an innocent boy tossed out into a world that rejected him. It is a story of survival, and the unqitting courage of a young boy. Not only, though, is this book about survival and will, but also it shows in great detail the different perspectives and lifestyles of those in old-time England. It is a great exploration of the human-mind and the differences between good and evil.
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Summary: Definitive audio version of Oliver Twist
Review: English actress Miriam Margolyes' reading of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist is without peer. She breathes consummate life into every character. This is the definitive audio version of Oliver Twist. Thus far, no other narrator or actor approaches Margolyes' power in animating this towering classic. I unreservedly recommend this marvelous and completely unabridged recital of Dickens' immortal tale. My only quibble is that the producers have not yet issued Margolyes' reading on CD. As of October, 2002 it is available only on audio-cassette; a failing which hopefully will soon be remedied.
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Summary: Oliver Twist's life
Review: This is a story telling about a poor child who called Oliver Twist¡¦s life. He is an orphan. He has never seen his mother or father. He was sent to a special ¡§baby farm¡¨ when he was still baby, living with other orphan s with inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing. This was the way Oliver was brought up.
On Oliver¡¦s ninth birthday, a man who called Bumble came to bring him to another place, which is more difficult to live for a child. He has to work in a workhouse with much work to do from every 6 o¡¦clock in the morning till night everyday. He was treated badly by other young workers, all were laughing at him since he has got no parents. And his master also punished him frequently. With such treatment, Oliver was so sad and decided to leave the workhouse and walked to London by himself. During the journey, he made a new friend-Jack Dawkins, (but Oliver usually calls him the Artful Dodger).
Oliver thought that it would be his new life in London, but unfortunately, Dodger was not a good guy, he was a thief of gathering thieves. Oliver was asked to be a member of them, actually, it was not ¡§ask¡¨, it was ¡§force¡¨. Poor little Oliver was arrested by policemen at his first ¡§job¡¨. After that, a king man, Mr. Brownlow brought him out and gave him a new life. With a short moment of happiness with Brownlow, Oliver returned back with his thief life since he was caught by Dodger at the street, and Oliver could never get back to Brownlow, he lost he way and no news about him anymore.
At last, a woman came out, Nancy. She was the most kindly people inside the thief group. She helped Oliver to get out of the thieves¡¦ control. Finally, Oliver went back to Mr. Brownlow¡¦s house and lived with them so happily.The first time that I read Charles Dickens¡¦ fiction is ¡§Christmas Carol¡¨ .it is a really special story. And started to read another story, Oliver Twist. It is a really interesting story, maybe I should say not only interest, its so emotionality and touching. Oliver was a strongest child that I have ever seen as he¡¦s an orphan but living with his heart. He didn¡¦t give up at any moment.
Most of us know that the story of the young orphan who risen above his station to become a rather good man. I remember that, there is a sentence, which always pops out from my mind. "Please, sir, I want some more." Oliver was too poor since he is always been badly treated, no enough food and clothes at anytime. When he asked for some more, he will surely receive corporal punishment, reflects that others were so cruel.
The author went into great detail over the trials Oliver faces, like he is pale and thin. As well, the descriptions of the thieves and poor reflects a belief that once one slides toward the path of destruction, it is nearly impossible to return. What I was surprised to find, however, was just how humorous the novel is. The chapters unfolded, to realize how much more there was to this classic than simply a story about an orphan who falls in with a gang of unruly pickpockets. I feel that just like I have already read it as a child.
I highly recommend this book to you since it¡¦s interesting, touching and easy to understand.
Rating: 
Summary: early Dickens
Review: I actually started reading Dickens with his later novels - Bleak House, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, etc. - and I found Oliver Twist to be a big disappointment. Besides Dickens' characteristic humor, I found the novel lacked his usual colorful characterization - Fagin is the lone exception. And it is clearly written by a younger Dickens who had not yet developed his mature style. Dickens' biggest weakness is clearly on display, however, that is his poorly structured plots that rely too much on fantastic coincidences. The whole book has the quality of an unpolished, wooden, and even amateurish story. It's really not one of Dickens' best books, and maybe even one of his worst. (I have to read a few more of his earlier books to decide this.) I think if it wasn't for the well-known scene where Oliver 'asks for more', this story would not be as famous as it is. Overall, a big disappointment. I'm selling my copy of the book. It doesn't deserve to sit on my shelf beside Bleak House, Copperfield and the rest.
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Summary: Dickens at his most pedantic
Review: I got on a Dickens kick this summer and read five of his novels: Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiousity Shop, and Barnaby Rudge. Of those five, Oliver Twist is my least favorite. It is obvious Dickens is making a statement against the Poor Laws of his time, and while that was a worthwhile cause, this book suffers from it. For me, the best element in Dickens' work is his humor. Even his villains, like Quilp in The Old Curiousity Shop, are often hilarious. However, any comic relief is few and far between in Oliver Twist. Because Dickens is such a fine novelist, a three-star book for him would qualify as a five-star for anybody else. But if I were looking for an introduction to his work, I would try Pickwick Papers, or Nicholas Nickleby.
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Summary: Difficult Read.
Review: Dickens writes like a lawyer. His sentences are very long and their structure is complex. The book was so difficult to read that I could not enjoy it. I wish I could have, the characters were very colorful, the story was interesting enough and I really enjoyed the sarcasm and irony. I did not enjoy the movie/musical either.
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Summary: Good, but Not the Original
Review: For the younger reader exploring Charles Dickens, this abridged version will not be intimidating. It'll help open the door to classic literature, and challenging ideas. "Oliver Twist" is a complex story about the English welfare system for orphans, overlayed by a story of love, family, and the pursuit of each. What is missing from this version is Dickens' long descriptions and thorough presentations of a situation. What makes Dickens great, in part, is his multi-woven characters, filled with color and excitement. Some of that is lost here. That said, this is an excellent choice for an older child having trouble reading, or the younger, aggressive reader. The story about Oliver Twist is strong enough to endure an adaptation, but, later on, it is a thrill to read the original version. I fully recommend "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens. Anthony Trendl
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Summary: Truly Wonderful Classic
Review: The last time I read this novel was because it was required for high school English. And I must admit that I do not remember the story of the nine-year-old orphan being such a wonderful story. It was with some trepidation that I picked up the novel some 10 years later, but I am so glad I did. This is truly a great tale. Most people know the story of the young orphan who rises above his station to become a rather well-off young man. If you've never read the story, I'm sure you've seen a commercial or other show where a young ragamuffin stands with a bowl outstretched, and plaintively states, "Please, sir, I want some more." What most do not probably know is just how hard it is for young Oliver to make the transition from rags to riches. Dickens goes into great detail over the trials Oliver faces, of which there are many. He is nearly starved, ridiculed constantly, runs away, is "befriended" by a gang of thieves, nearly tossed in jail, nearly saved by some wealthy new friends, kidnapped by his thieving "friends", nearly turned into a thief himself, shot . . . . Needless to say, it is definitely a very long and very trying life that Oliver leads prior to ultimately claiming his birthright. Dickens does an amazing job of painting Oliver as the sweet young innocent with a heart of gold. As well, his descriptions of the thieves and poor tend to reflect a belief that once one slides toward the path of destruction, it is nearly impossible to return. This belief is clearly reflected in the ultimate fate of each sinister character in the story. This fatalism was not suprising, and can be expected from most of Dickens work. What I was surprised to find, however, was just how humorous the novel is. Dickens depicted his characters, and their often-times immense ignorance of the real world, in such plain language, that the reader cannot help but laugh at the idiocy of their beliefs and self-importance. It adds an extra Oomph to an already amazing story.
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Summary: I'll have to give it 5,but I've only seen the film
Review: This is a excellent book about a 9 year old orphan at a Workhouse who decides to ask for more food.Of course,workhouses are EXTREMLY strict and cruel,so they make Oliver be sold.I'm not going to say anything else or I'll give the plot away and I cant do that.
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Summary: So much richer than the tale you knew as a child
Review: Few works of adult literature are so well known that they become embedded in our cultural fabric the way that Oliver Twist has. Perhaps it is because the title character is a loveable, sympathetic, young boy that the story, over time, has come to be mistaken by some for a children's tale. And perhaps it is because I feel like I have known the story all my life that I only recently realized that I had never, in fact, read the novel. So as I sat down to (finally) read this book, it was with a sense that I was simply revisiting a cherished story from my youth. But as I quickly realized after a very few pages, this is adult literature in all respects - in its sophisticated, intelligent prose, its rich plot, its elaborate cast of characters, and, yes, the occasional depiction of gruesome violence. Surely even those who have never read this Charles Dickens' classic could recite the basic elements of its plot. Who among us is unfamiliar with the story of the young orphan who musters up the courage to ask, "Please, sir, I want some more." And yet this novel is so much more than a mere rags-to-riches story. It is also the heartwarming story of the triumph of good versus evil and of the human spirit's ability to face down adversity. Dickens pits an innocent child against the dangers of an uncaring world, and the story's happy ending is at once a celebration of Oliver's innocence and an affirmation of all that is right and just in society. Though the prose can be tedious at times, Dickens' mastery of the English language is difficult not to appreciate. And while some may find the plot cliché, there is sufficient tension throughout the novel to maintain the reader's interest. For myself, I was continually surprised, as the chapters unfolded, to realize how much more there was to this classic than simply a story about an orphan who falls in with a gang of unruly pickpockets. This is definitely worth reading, even if you feel like you have already read it as a child.
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