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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Narrated by Wanda McFaddon (not an edition that is listed). I listened to samples by a couple of other narrators before choosing this one. 9%
for a book called Oliver Twist, he's hardly in the story but ok
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After watching and Performing Oliver on stage as one of Fagin's gang, i Haven't read the book till now.... A few differences - i Also found i Hated Fagin in the Novel Ron moody with the songs and dancing always made him more likeable
Oliver Twist is about the titular orphan who runs away to London, and is swept up into a gang of thieves. His innate goodness makes him an enemy of Fagin, Bill Sykes, and their cronies, and he
I did not like this book much. Any charm in character and description was drowned by a boring plot that was somehow predictable and ridiculous at the same time, and came in a gigantic helping that includes tangents and side-characters of no note or interest. I suppose this is the problem when you serialise a book - more chapters equals more money! I appreciate that people of the day loved an extra helping of Dickens, but I am no glutton for what to me was pap - stodgy, nutritionless writing, thick with detail but devoid of any nourishment. It reads to me as the literary equivalent of the gristly grub that Oliver himself gnaws on to survive.
So that's the plot. As for the characters - Oliver himself is a complete non-entity. He shines (in the eyes of the other characters, not to us) with the qualities of honestly, innocence, goodness and naiveté. He makes one act in the whole book, which is to run away to London early on. After that he exists only as a being which the plot happens to and to which he barely reacts. In fact, Dickens is much more interested in any other character than Oliver, also finding him boring it seems. As for me, the only character who gathered my attention was Fagin. He reminded me of the charismatic Long John Silver - villainous and darstardly, but also compelling and fun to read. Notwithstanding Dickens' bare antisemitism in referring to him throughout as "The Jew".
It's easy to read this and feel that the obviousness of its twists, and flatness of its characters, is a product of its time. But when you bear in mind that this book was predated by both Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, the excuse doesn't really hold up.
I got this in a charity shop in Teignmouth at the end of 2023. I'm also pleased to say that I accidentally read the abrigded version, which is 200 pages shorter! I must admit that I would usually turn my nose up at an abridged version, and probably wouldn't have bought it had I realised. Now I am grateful, and if I read any more Dickens I might have to seek them out.
Spoiler
escapes to live among benevolent benefactors who are at once impressed by his pure heart and innocent looks. And in the end it turns out he was rich all along and they all live happily ever after.I did not like this book much. Any charm in character and description was drowned by a boring plot that was somehow predictable and ridiculous at the same time, and came in a gigantic helping that includes tangents and side-characters of no note or interest. I suppose this is the problem when you serialise a book - more chapters equals more money! I appreciate that people of the day loved an extra helping of Dickens, but I am no glutton for what to me was pap - stodgy, nutritionless writing, thick with detail but devoid of any nourishment. It reads to me as the literary equivalent of the gristly grub that Oliver himself gnaws on to survive.
Spoiler
I won't go on much more about the plot, but I have to mention the audible groan that escaped me when it turned out that not only was Oliver of a higher birth than supposed, but that the already-moneyed-and-fortunate Rose, who is part of the pseudo-family that adopted him, was also his aunt and therefore also of a nobler birth than supposed. Another amazing coincidence, for a character I really care about. Great. Lastly I'll mention that Oliver finds his "forever home" (yes, the comparison to a puppy is deliberate) 200 pages into a nearly 400 page book. What happens after that? Not a lot!So that's the plot. As for the characters - Oliver himself is a complete non-entity. He shines (in the eyes of the other characters, not to us) with the qualities of honestly, innocence, goodness and naiveté. He makes one act in the whole book, which is to run away to London early on. After that he exists only as a being which the plot happens to and to which he barely reacts. In fact, Dickens is much more interested in any other character than Oliver, also finding him boring it seems. As for me, the only character who gathered my attention was Fagin. He reminded me of the charismatic Long John Silver - villainous and darstardly, but also compelling and fun to read. Notwithstanding Dickens' bare antisemitism in referring to him throughout as "The Jew".
It's easy to read this and feel that the obviousness of its twists, and flatness of its characters, is a product of its time. But when you bear in mind that this book was predated by both Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, the excuse doesn't really hold up.
I got this in a charity shop in Teignmouth at the end of 2023. I'm also pleased to say that I accidentally read the abrigded version, which is 200 pages shorter! I must admit that I would usually turn my nose up at an abridged version, and probably wouldn't have bought it had I realised. Now I am grateful, and if I read any more Dickens I might have to seek them out.