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A review by blueyorkie
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
4.0
Born to a single mother who gave birth secretly, Oliver Twist seemed to have a dim future. The charities that cared for him, convinced that sooner or later he would end up on the gallows like all the beings of his generation, barely gave him enough to survive (and were indignant as it should be at the lack of gratitude for their sacrifices).
We then try to get rid of his bulky stomach when he reaches the apprentice's age. If he escapes an unscrupulous chimney sweep, he eventually ends up with an undertaker. His life is not improving by it: his orphan status and assistance designate him from the outset as guilty in all the conflicts that concern him, making him the company's dead weight. He decides one evening to flee to London to improve his lot. But he only finds a bunch of thieves there, determined to take advantage of his naivety to pull off some juicy shots.
The novel is very close to the philosophical tale in several aspects. First of all, the Manichaeism of the characters: the good guys are only described by qualities, the bad guys only by faults (and they are inexcusable on top of that), and even if some have found themselves on the wrong side by a twist of fate, we know at first glance where our sympathy should go, and who we should hate. But, then, the plot fills with twists and turns and less credible drama: despite England's extent, the protagonists always fall on the right person at the right time. We must admit that sometimes, we border the romance of series B.
Despite these minor flaws, it is easy to get carried away by the author's pen. However, humor is omnipresent in history, and the criticism of the laws on poverty, the lack of aid to the peasants, and the hypocrisy of philanthropists are severe (ah, those poor people who persist in starving while people of good society assured them that they had something to eat, what a scandal!)
Therefore, a novel contains good feelings and relatively simple mechanics. But Oliver Twist is an excellent read if you're in a frame where you want to see the good guys rewarded and the bad guys punished.
We then try to get rid of his bulky stomach when he reaches the apprentice's age. If he escapes an unscrupulous chimney sweep, he eventually ends up with an undertaker. His life is not improving by it: his orphan status and assistance designate him from the outset as guilty in all the conflicts that concern him, making him the company's dead weight. He decides one evening to flee to London to improve his lot. But he only finds a bunch of thieves there, determined to take advantage of his naivety to pull off some juicy shots.
The novel is very close to the philosophical tale in several aspects. First of all, the Manichaeism of the characters: the good guys are only described by qualities, the bad guys only by faults (and they are inexcusable on top of that), and even if some have found themselves on the wrong side by a twist of fate, we know at first glance where our sympathy should go, and who we should hate. But, then, the plot fills with twists and turns and less credible drama: despite England's extent, the protagonists always fall on the right person at the right time. We must admit that sometimes, we border the romance of series B.
Despite these minor flaws, it is easy to get carried away by the author's pen. However, humor is omnipresent in history, and the criticism of the laws on poverty, the lack of aid to the peasants, and the hypocrisy of philanthropists are severe (ah, those poor people who persist in starving while people of good society assured them that they had something to eat, what a scandal!)
Therefore, a novel contains good feelings and relatively simple mechanics. But Oliver Twist is an excellent read if you're in a frame where you want to see the good guys rewarded and the bad guys punished.