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Oliver Twist
Illustrated by Lawrence Beall Smith.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1946
About the author
Charles Dickens
13.4k books32.2k followersCharles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 2, 2026
This year I am trying to read some of the so called classics that I have not read so far and the first off the the shelf is Dicken's Oliver Twist.
I have not read it before nor seen any of the film, tv or stage adaptations, and yet there are some scenes or story points which are vivid in my understanding of the novel and I suspect they would be common to many others.
They include:
- Oliver at a meal (attended by many other orphans or residents of some hostel or 'home'), having made short work of his plate of gruel, walking up to the man in charge ('the master was a fat, healthy man'...in one film adaptation, it was the hard to forget Harry Secombe) and uttering the famous words "Please Sir, I want some more";
- Oliver, at a very young and innocent age, being introduced to Fagin, an old shyster and leader of a pack of young thieves, pick-pockets and the like;
- the awful death of Nancy, though I had forgotten her name.
And yet, in a book of some 410 pages, the first scene I remember appears on page 12 and the second on page 57 (the third appears very late in the book).
Having read of Oliver's first meeting with Fagin at page 57, I did wonder what the balance of the book dealt with. I do wonder whether earlier readers in my school years didn't get past these early occurring events and failed to finish the book, but it was not, in my memory, ever a book that was set for me during my schooling.
What follows is a battle between on the one hand:
- Oliver, who realizing early after meeting Fagin that his troupe is on the wrong side of the law, with Oliver on more than one occasion escaping, being caught again, escaping again (or more accurately, rescued);
- the presence of small groups of people who seem to have some knowledge of Oliver's background as well as to doubts as to the thought that he is an orphan.
The book turns into a mystery and detection story (with no formal detective) as to Oliver's family history and that of his parents and as to the disparate interests of these small groups.
Much danger ensues not only for Oliver but other characters, with some wavering in their devotion to (until then) ways of life on either side of the law, and to individuals they are close to (notwithstanding those later individuals not being worthy of that devotion) and in particular in the case of Nancy, her attempt to 'do the right thing' for those on the side of Oliver without betraying what she believes are her obligations to those opposed to Oliver's good fortune.
Some say that Oliver Twist is a satire as to the state of poverty, treatment of paupers, class rule, the role of church, the law and courts in the early 1800s England. Certainly some of the actions and attitudes of some characters seem so exaggerated and/or outlandish as to bring a wry smile to the reader and I for one would have not appreciated, in a novel (particularly a novel that appears to be thought appropriate in the 20th century for school age readers) a more realistic depiction of the practices of those times.
Not being a big reader of pre 20th Century novels, I will admit that at times I found the language a little verbose, but over my time with the book, I became a little more accustomed to it, and would expect to become even more so if I am successful in reading more examples over the balance of the year.
Overall, a good place to start in that endeavor and I can see why it was a 'must read' in contemporary England as it was serialized before being published in book form almost 200 years ago in 1838.
I have not read it before nor seen any of the film, tv or stage adaptations, and yet there are some scenes or story points which are vivid in my understanding of the novel and I suspect they would be common to many others.
They include:
- Oliver at a meal (attended by many other orphans or residents of some hostel or 'home'), having made short work of his plate of gruel, walking up to the man in charge ('the master was a fat, healthy man'...in one film adaptation, it was the hard to forget Harry Secombe) and uttering the famous words "Please Sir, I want some more";
- Oliver, at a very young and innocent age, being introduced to Fagin, an old shyster and leader of a pack of young thieves, pick-pockets and the like;
- the awful death of Nancy, though I had forgotten her name.
And yet, in a book of some 410 pages, the first scene I remember appears on page 12 and the second on page 57 (the third appears very late in the book).
Having read of Oliver's first meeting with Fagin at page 57, I did wonder what the balance of the book dealt with. I do wonder whether earlier readers in my school years didn't get past these early occurring events and failed to finish the book, but it was not, in my memory, ever a book that was set for me during my schooling.
What follows is a battle between on the one hand:
- Oliver, who realizing early after meeting Fagin that his troupe is on the wrong side of the law, with Oliver on more than one occasion escaping, being caught again, escaping again (or more accurately, rescued);
- the presence of small groups of people who seem to have some knowledge of Oliver's background as well as to doubts as to the thought that he is an orphan.
The book turns into a mystery and detection story (with no formal detective) as to Oliver's family history and that of his parents and as to the disparate interests of these small groups.
Much danger ensues not only for Oliver but other characters, with some wavering in their devotion to (until then) ways of life on either side of the law, and to individuals they are close to (notwithstanding those later individuals not being worthy of that devotion) and in particular in the case of Nancy, her attempt to 'do the right thing' for those on the side of Oliver without betraying what she believes are her obligations to those opposed to Oliver's good fortune.
Some say that Oliver Twist is a satire as to the state of poverty, treatment of paupers, class rule, the role of church, the law and courts in the early 1800s England. Certainly some of the actions and attitudes of some characters seem so exaggerated and/or outlandish as to bring a wry smile to the reader and I for one would have not appreciated, in a novel (particularly a novel that appears to be thought appropriate in the 20th century for school age readers) a more realistic depiction of the practices of those times.
Not being a big reader of pre 20th Century novels, I will admit that at times I found the language a little verbose, but over my time with the book, I became a little more accustomed to it, and would expect to become even more so if I am successful in reading more examples over the balance of the year.
Overall, a good place to start in that endeavor and I can see why it was a 'must read' in contemporary England as it was serialized before being published in book form almost 200 years ago in 1838.
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April 3, 2025I FINALLY FINISHED IT
February 6, 2026
I enjoy the eloquence of Dickens accompanied by a wholesome and fun story filled with good deep ideas and a happy and satisfying conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews