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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*BOOK RATING CATCH UP #14/54 đł*
I didn't follow this book as well as I should have... it was a ride from start to finish! Poor little Oliver!
Why I Chose This Book
A while back, my mum offered me some of her old classics. I accepted a few and shelved them, intending to read them later. I could have sworn one of them was Oliver Twist so I made a mental note to read it and put it on my challenge.
When it came to finding the book, all I could find was David Copperfield! So who knows what happened there. Anyway, I was all geared up to read it, so I picked up a cheap Kindle copy and went ahead.
Rating/content
I give Oliver Twist 4 out of 5 stars.
I consider that an average rating, because as a whole I felt bits of the book varied from 3 stars to 5 stars.
The main plot revolves around the mixed fortunes of a young orphan and the disreputable company of thieves he falls into.
Itâs a complex plot, and the language used is difficult at times, so I wouldnât recommend it for younger readers. Nor would young readers appreciate Dickensâ brand of satirical humour. However, if you want a Dickens to start with, Iâd say this was a good choice. Itâs way less complicated than some Iâve read.
No sexual content, very mild bad language, and some violence, although not gratuitous.
Good points
The beginning of the book is heavy with satire to the extent it had me laughing out loud from time to time. At first, we meet Oliver, a workhouse pauper. He is treated with incredible cruelty by the workhouse owners and upstanding citizens of the parish. Dickenâs makes his opinion only too clear about these do-gooder respectable citizens who treat the poor people like scum on the bottom of your shoe.
But itâs not as funny when you realise that he was parodying situations that existed in Victorian times. Iâm assuming heâs exaggerating the circumstances to make a point, but nonetheless itâs quite scary that such attitudes prevailed. I do wonder what the current audience thought of this when he originally serialised the novel. Was it a wake-up call? Or did they accept it as part of life?
The plot is enjoyable and despite the fact it switches around from one group of people to another constantly â from Oliver, to the workhouse folk, to the thieving bad guys. One thread is a constant driving force and pulls everything together: Oliverâs mysterious origins. Itâs well-crafted and keeps you turning the pages, and has a satisfactory ending.
As far as characters go, the only one who really drew me in was Nancy. Her storyline is heartbreaking, and Dickens portrays her internal struggles really well. The fact she sees herself as beyond redemption despite the fact she was the only one trying to do the right thing was terribly sad and made me long to give her a different ending.
Bad points
Many of the characters Dickens portrays come over as one-dimensional caricatures. The majority of his villains are bad through and through. Mr Bumble, the self-righteous beadle, never has a kind word to spare. Fagin and Sikes are ruffians of the lowest kind with never a hint of remorse. They are all entertaining, but aside from Nancy, lacked anything much deeper to me. Their comeuppance was satisfying, mind you.
The converse is also true. Oliver himself is a very dull little boy. Yes, I feel sorry for him, and heâs treated appallingly, but he remains so unnervingly sweet and trusting throughout the whole experience that it didnât ring true. Rose is a another angelic character, who has zero flaws, and always does the right thing. Sheâs basically an angel in human form.
A lot of the characters lacked that internal struggle that made Nancy more relatable.
I didnât have a particular problem with the writing style, but from time to time, Dickens veered off into his own happy little narrative for a few pages. Itâs a bit tedious to read in these days of snappy modern writing. Once in a while I was shouting at him to stop explaining stuff and just crack on with the plot.
Overall
The good far outweighed the bad in this book. Obviously, the quality of the writing is second to none (although the particular edition I chose had a lot of errors â donât think I can blame that on Dickens though!) and itâs interesting to see how writing techniques have changed over the years and fallen in and out of fashion.
Iâd definitely recommend it as an enjoyable classic to read, and next time the film comes on TV, I shall make sure I watch it.
A while back, my mum offered me some of her old classics. I accepted a few and shelved them, intending to read them later. I could have sworn one of them was Oliver Twist so I made a mental note to read it and put it on my challenge.
When it came to finding the book, all I could find was David Copperfield! So who knows what happened there. Anyway, I was all geared up to read it, so I picked up a cheap Kindle copy and went ahead.
Rating/content
I give Oliver Twist 4 out of 5 stars.
I consider that an average rating, because as a whole I felt bits of the book varied from 3 stars to 5 stars.
The main plot revolves around the mixed fortunes of a young orphan and the disreputable company of thieves he falls into.
Itâs a complex plot, and the language used is difficult at times, so I wouldnât recommend it for younger readers. Nor would young readers appreciate Dickensâ brand of satirical humour. However, if you want a Dickens to start with, Iâd say this was a good choice. Itâs way less complicated than some Iâve read.
No sexual content, very mild bad language, and some violence, although not gratuitous.
Good points
The beginning of the book is heavy with satire to the extent it had me laughing out loud from time to time. At first, we meet Oliver, a workhouse pauper. He is treated with incredible cruelty by the workhouse owners and upstanding citizens of the parish. Dickenâs makes his opinion only too clear about these do-gooder respectable citizens who treat the poor people like scum on the bottom of your shoe.
But itâs not as funny when you realise that he was parodying situations that existed in Victorian times. Iâm assuming heâs exaggerating the circumstances to make a point, but nonetheless itâs quite scary that such attitudes prevailed. I do wonder what the current audience thought of this when he originally serialised the novel. Was it a wake-up call? Or did they accept it as part of life?
The plot is enjoyable and despite the fact it switches around from one group of people to another constantly â from Oliver, to the workhouse folk, to the thieving bad guys. One thread is a constant driving force and pulls everything together: Oliverâs mysterious origins. Itâs well-crafted and keeps you turning the pages, and has a satisfactory ending.
As far as characters go, the only one who really drew me in was Nancy. Her storyline is heartbreaking, and Dickens portrays her internal struggles really well. The fact she sees herself as beyond redemption despite the fact she was the only one trying to do the right thing was terribly sad and made me long to give her a different ending.
Bad points
Many of the characters Dickens portrays come over as one-dimensional caricatures. The majority of his villains are bad through and through. Mr Bumble, the self-righteous beadle, never has a kind word to spare. Fagin and Sikes are ruffians of the lowest kind with never a hint of remorse. They are all entertaining, but aside from Nancy, lacked anything much deeper to me. Their comeuppance was satisfying, mind you.
The converse is also true. Oliver himself is a very dull little boy. Yes, I feel sorry for him, and heâs treated appallingly, but he remains so unnervingly sweet and trusting throughout the whole experience that it didnât ring true. Rose is a another angelic character, who has zero flaws, and always does the right thing. Sheâs basically an angel in human form.
A lot of the characters lacked that internal struggle that made Nancy more relatable.
I didnât have a particular problem with the writing style, but from time to time, Dickens veered off into his own happy little narrative for a few pages. Itâs a bit tedious to read in these days of snappy modern writing. Once in a while I was shouting at him to stop explaining stuff and just crack on with the plot.
Overall
The good far outweighed the bad in this book. Obviously, the quality of the writing is second to none (although the particular edition I chose had a lot of errors â donât think I can blame that on Dickens though!) and itâs interesting to see how writing techniques have changed over the years and fallen in and out of fashion.
Iâd definitely recommend it as an enjoyable classic to read, and next time the film comes on TV, I shall make sure I watch it.
this books SCARRED ME as a child
still haven't read the original because of that.
thanks for that, charles dickens.
still haven't read the original because of that.
thanks for that, charles dickens.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
I mostly listened to the audiobook which made this classic story much more interesting to me. The reader was great on the various dialogues and accents and gave each character unique voices and added interest and drama to the scenes. The story seemed to go off on unnecessary tangents at times and I was surprised about how little Oliver Twist was actually present in the various storylines. But, I was pleased that all the stories came together at the end and to find out that Oliver was very much the central character even though he wasnât always present. The ending was mixed - both happy and sad. But Iâm glad to understand more about this classic.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LĂ€ste nĂ€r jag var typ 12 och tyckte om den vĂ€ldigt mycket, behöver lĂ€sas om snart sĂ„ den fĂ„r vara en 5âïž tills dess. trauman frĂ„n att lĂ€sa om nĂ€r bill sykes rĂ„ka unalivea sig sjĂ€lvđ Men en comfort book Ă€ndĂ„â€ïž
Overwrought, and Dickens needs to learn to shorten his sentences, thanks!