Dickens strikes gold
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Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is actually a story based upon the main character of the novel, a child, Oliver Twist. Born on the day of his mother's death, the boy falls victim to great tragedies. Forced by his fortune to live in a cruel Orphan house, then to work as a servant for an undertaker. After escaping there in the pursuiance of his aims, to London, he again falls prey to wrong hands and wrong people and from there on starts the real adventure of the story. Though, the happy ending in the story gets a bit film-ish.
The language used by Dickens in the story, like his other novels, is so mesmerising that the reader feels that he is seeing the actual picture, that makes Dickens style so appealing and touchy. I just finished the whole story in a couple of hours, so I recommend that it can be a good travel companion too. Full of emotions from love and kindness to hatred and ruthlessness, the story is an outstanding one. Dickens has struck gold again. Go for it!
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A Pleasant Re-Discovery
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"Oliver Twist" was assigned reading for my sophomore English class in 1967, and did not finish it until today. To this high school student, it seemed too depressing to hold my interest, even under compulsion. When I recently started this again in preparation for watching "Oliver" at the Muny I was presently surprised. I now understand why this is a classic and maintains a loyal following. The story held my interest in what would happen next. I could see the traits of the characters and the development of the plot while progressing through the story. I am glad I rediscovered "Oliver Twist". Whether you are interested in classical literature or just a good story, it is a good choice.
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Wonderful Storytelling
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This is the novel most associated with Mr. Dickens due to the much loved (deservedly) musical production. If you've seen the film version of the musical and havent read the book yet and like everyone else in the world you love the Fagin in the film, you will not be disappointed with his portrayal in the book, he is as creepy and sinister as he is in the musical, maybe not quite so loveable but still very sleasy. The description involved is incredible, you can smell the darkness in the streets you can feel the smell of the sewers, such quality of descriptions without boring the reader is rare. Also if you expect the plot to be identicle and so by now getting monotonous with amount of times you have seen your beloved musical version, you're in for a surprise. There are new characters; a much more gory ending, none of this death in the shadows so you can't fully see what's happening; I mean full blood dripping everywhere (you might want to read the end before reading to small children who aren't of a bloodthirsty nature); and no "cheerio but be back soon" to get the kids singing. The book is much darker and sinister than the musical, but a fantastic read none-the-less.
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please sir can i have some more? (English student)
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when you think of oliver twist, u think of my title quote,the movie or in my case the musical.when i was told i had to read oliver twist 4 my degree at first i was dissapointed having performed and watched the musical over and over, and to be truthful at first it did seem very similar to the musical however half way through you see this darkness espically in the character of nancy and a depth to the novel that no musical/film could portray.The descriptions were exellent, themes interesting and the story more complex then you could imagine. . Im ashamed i was about to judge the book on the musical alone i am so glad i was made to read it because i think i would have really missed out on something amazing.what are you waiting for? go and read it!
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Little Orphan Oliver
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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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