Product Description

Oliver Twist's famous cry of the heart--"Please, sir, I want some more"--has resounded with generations of readers of all ages. The author poured his own youthful experience of Victorian London's unspeakable squalor into this realistic depiction of a spirited young innocent's unwilling but inevitable recruitment into a scabrous gang of thieves. Masterminded by the loathsome Fagin, the underworld crew features some of Dickens' most memorable characters, including the vicious Bill Sikes, gentle Nancy, and the juvenile pickpocket known as the Artful Dodger.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19340 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 362 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780486424538
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

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Customer Reviews

Charles Dickens' Best Novel
This is my favorite novel by Charles Dickens. The book hooks you in and is a fascinating page turner from beginning to end. It has loads of adventure, mystery, and drama. It also has a lot of melodrama which reminds me of the old silent movies. Dickens writes about the villainous characters with a great deal of sarcasm, often calling them "philosophers." He describes the good characters in angelic terms. I was surprised to read a very virulent description of the Jew Fagin. It reminded me of Nazi propaganda. I got the impression that Fagin's business associates, the merchants who sold the stolen merchandise, were also Jews. This book thoroughly goes over the phenomena of how badly lower class people are treated in their lives. They are constantly abused, verbally and physically, by authority figures. I really wonder what it is about poverty that makes people treat each other so abusively and inhumanely. Some people say Dickens' books are flawed. That doesn't matter whatsoever. The important thing is that Dickens was the greatest storyteller of the 19th century.

"Twist" will make you shout
Dickens was a genius, and this work, written when he was in his early 20s, exemplifies that fact. The plot is a bit cliched, and deus ex machinae are everywhere, but, good Lord, the characterizations (and the accompanying names) are superb. The wry insights, the gentle cynicism, the not-so-gentle look at the poorhouses, the indelible imagery, the seamless shifts from comedy to tragedy and back again, all make for an unforgettable book--no matter how many forgettable film adaptations have been made. A joy to read.

For the Artful Reader
Dickens' writing is exacting, descriptive and illuminating. In structure and style, very similar to many of Dickens' other works, particularly Great Expectations - the poor orphan makes it big while encountering interesting and malevolent characters along the way.

Oliver Twist brings us dark yet humorous characters like Sikes, Fagin, the Artful Dodger, etc.

Great reading and an important part of any classic collection.