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A review by lindzlovesreading
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
4.0
When I started this, I was having a hard time believing that man only in his mid twenties wrote this novel. It was strong, bold, dark, even quite contained even for a Dickens novel. Then Oliver arrived in London, and the novel went mental, and I love it for that reason.
Dickens was trying to become the most popular novelist in England, he wanted wealth, he wanted fame. With the serialisations he could change his mind, and Dickens's mind was not a quiet dew pond, but a waterfall, ever changing. He got a couple of complaints of constantly describing Fagin as 'The Jew', (and that does get really irritating) well we can change that, just call him the old man. Everything about this novel is over the top, big hand gestures, swooning women, moustachioed cartoon villains, a multitude of plots and coincidences, even Dickens had a hard time keeping track.
This is a schizophrenic novel, yes it plods in areas, but most of the time you will be dazzled by the insanity.
Dickens was trying to become the most popular novelist in England, he wanted wealth, he wanted fame. With the serialisations he could change his mind, and Dickens's mind was not a quiet dew pond, but a waterfall, ever changing. He got a couple of complaints of constantly describing Fagin as 'The Jew', (and that does get really irritating) well we can change that, just call him the old man. Everything about this novel is over the top, big hand gestures, swooning women, moustachioed cartoon villains, a multitude of plots and coincidences, even Dickens had a hard time keeping track.
This is a schizophrenic novel, yes it plods in areas, but most of the time you will be dazzled by the insanity.