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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A tightly-plotted little story (by Dickensian standards!). I was appalled by the antisemitism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another Dickens down, and yet again, I really enjoyed it! Though this is a sad story of Oliver bouncing from house to house, sickbed to sickbed, and dealing with fevers for what seems like the entire book, it all comes around in the end, which was nice and satisfying. I do love a happy ending. Out of the three Dickens stories that I've read thus far, this one is my least favourite, though by no means does that make it bad! I just felt that it moved quite a bit slower than the other two (Two Cities and Great Expectations), and the ending didn't totally blow my mind the way that the other two did. Now, don't get me wrong, there were some twists that I totally didn't expect, and a lot more death than I anticipated as well, unusually, but it just didn't have the ending that put my jaw on the floor like Two Cities and Great Expectations did. Plus Oliver was absent for a lot of it, which I KNOW Dickens acknowledged within this book, but that doesn't make it a favourite detail of mine.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book and am glad that I finally got around to it! My only knowledge of the Oliver Twist story was the "please, sir, I want some more" line and 'Oliver and Company' from Disney, so I went in really blind, but I enjoyed myself a lot! Definitely a must-read for lovers of classics.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book and am glad that I finally got around to it! My only knowledge of the Oliver Twist story was the "please, sir, I want some more" line and 'Oliver and Company' from Disney, so I went in really blind, but I enjoyed myself a lot! Definitely a must-read for lovers of classics.
This was a Father's Day present from my lovely daughter, Emily. Oliver Twist has taken its place near the very top of my all time favorite books. It is a relatively fast-paced adventure story containing all the elements of great fiction. Unlike other Dicken's novels, this book is more adventurous and requires less mental digestion, although it is still chock-full of indictments of society in general and the bureaucracy that deals with poor folk specifically.
Born an orphan, into the dregs of society, Oliver doesn't seem to stand a chance in his impoverished state. At every stage of his life, society, and the incompetent and uncaring people put in charge of him seem overwhelming. He eventually escapes his drudgery and finds his way to London, but falls into the hands of the sinister arch villain, Fagin. Events unfold that force him into a life of thuggery that goes completely against his nature. Oliver is the pure-hearted protagonist and Fagin is the devil incarnate.
The underlying current of the story is a criticism of England's ability to take care of the poor and down-trodden. The people who are placed in charge of tending to the unfortunate class actually do more to keep them down, practicing the latest social instruments upon them. At times, the criticism comes out in a burst from the author directly to the reader, but in most cases Dickens embeds the ideas thoroughly into the story, so it does not come across as pretentious. I recommend Oliver Twist to readers of all ages. It is a literary classic, one I wish I would have read before and one I will definitely read again. Thanks Em.
Born an orphan, into the dregs of society, Oliver doesn't seem to stand a chance in his impoverished state. At every stage of his life, society, and the incompetent and uncaring people put in charge of him seem overwhelming. He eventually escapes his drudgery and finds his way to London, but falls into the hands of the sinister arch villain, Fagin. Events unfold that force him into a life of thuggery that goes completely against his nature. Oliver is the pure-hearted protagonist and Fagin is the devil incarnate.
The underlying current of the story is a criticism of England's ability to take care of the poor and down-trodden. The people who are placed in charge of tending to the unfortunate class actually do more to keep them down, practicing the latest social instruments upon them. At times, the criticism comes out in a burst from the author directly to the reader, but in most cases Dickens embeds the ideas thoroughly into the story, so it does not come across as pretentious. I recommend Oliver Twist to readers of all ages. It is a literary classic, one I wish I would have read before and one I will definitely read again. Thanks Em.
Just meh. Some bits I got really into, a lot was incredibly dull.
I like Dickens; A Tale of Two Cities being one of my favorite novels. However, I do not like this book. It is a bit overdone. I couldn't find it in me to like the over caricatured depiction of Oliver or Rose. Ugh! Can anyone really be that simpering and pathetic? Some of the criminals had more depth to them than the heroes of the story. Definitely not on my list to read again.