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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
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
I laughed I cried I was shot
The antisemitism was incredibly off putting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
dark
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oliver Twist, blissfully ignorant, causes a lot of mayhem to everyone around him.
Most people know the broad theme of the story, which is an orphan boy who ends up on the mean streets of London. And that's really the gist of it. Poor Oliver gets tossed around by the system, and finds his way into an unsavory crew of pickpockets and thieves. The book is the story of how he finds his way out, which is quite a roller coaster ride for readers.
It's indeed dark at times, but Dickens writes "I confess I have yet to learn that a lesson of the purest good may not be drawn from the vilest evil." Among the unsavory characters and sometimes depressing scenes, young Dickens (he was just 25 when he started this novel) also paints a picture of what deep human sympathy and a sense of warmth and security can do to one's soul. Yes, there's the evil Fagin and Sikes, but there's also the absolute rays of light that are Mr Brownlow and Rose Maylie. Dickens' deft ability to combine satire, wit, deep emotion, and engaging plot is unmatched in literature.
While the story is approaching 200 years old, I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't read it. Dickens can throw in a crazy plot twist with the best of 'em.
Ultimately, this is a novel about good and evil, about the innocence of children, about what society can do to a man who's down on his luck, and about love, redemption, and belonging.
Oliver Twist is, in a word, marvelous. An utter triumph. I've only read three of Dickens' works, but I can't wait to get into the next one. I can't get enough of the guy.
It's indeed dark at times, but Dickens writes "I confess I have yet to learn that a lesson of the purest good may not be drawn from the vilest evil." Among the unsavory characters and sometimes depressing scenes, young Dickens (he was just 25 when he started this novel) also paints a picture of what deep human sympathy and a sense of warmth and security can do to one's soul. Yes, there's the evil Fagin and Sikes, but there's also the absolute rays of light that are Mr Brownlow and Rose Maylie. Dickens' deft ability to combine satire, wit, deep emotion, and engaging plot is unmatched in literature.
While the story is approaching 200 years old, I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't read it. Dickens can throw in a crazy plot twist with the best of 'em.
Ultimately, this is a novel about good and evil, about the innocence of children, about what society can do to a man who's down on his luck, and about love, redemption, and belonging.
Oliver Twist is, in a word, marvelous. An utter triumph. I've only read three of Dickens' works, but I can't wait to get into the next one. I can't get enough of the guy.
Let's start with this... Lionel Bart lied to me! The musical Oliver! cuts out almost everything from the second half of the novel, which is chock full of weird family drama and classic Dickensian coincidences. The musical also softens Fagin's characterization, making him comically sinister rather than outright evil, as he appears in the novel. I wasn't prepared for how anti-Semitic the original novel was; although contemporary sources indicate it was perhaps unintentional on Dickens' part, it's hard to read Fagin referred to "the Jew" over and over again and read it as anything but a display of the unconscious bias of the day.
Look, you probably know what you're getting into with Dickens. There's a large cast of characters and many diversions to B plots, plenty of melodrama, coincidences that require suspension of disbelief that modern readers often don't like, moralizing about the treatment of the poor, punishment for the baddies, and rewards for the goodies. If you're up for that, it's a good read. If not, probably stick with the movies.
Look, you probably know what you're getting into with Dickens. There's a large cast of characters and many diversions to B plots, plenty of melodrama, coincidences that require suspension of disbelief that modern readers often don't like, moralizing about the treatment of the poor, punishment for the baddies, and rewards for the goodies. If you're up for that, it's a good read. If not, probably stick with the movies.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes