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backpackingbookworm 's review for:
Oliver Twist
by Gerald Dickens, Charles Dickens, Philip Horne
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first time reading Oliver Twist and even though I was familiar with the story from the musical, the book packed in a lot more to the point where I felt I didn't really know anything.
While it wasn't the most comfortable read with some pretty heavy antisemitism, it did give a clear insight into Victorian poverty, social constructs, and behaviours based on nurture vs nature. Despite Oliver's unhappy childhood and mistreatment, for example, he maintains a pure and innocent soul, desperately trying to avoid the corrupt lifestyle Fagin and Sikes favour. And while Nancy is trapped in the corrupt circle, her soft spot for Oliver leads her to carry out actions with good intentions, despite only really knowing a life of crime.
While I enjoyed the majority of this book, I did find the last quarter to drag on a bit. There were perhaps too many primary characters, whereas I would have liked the main focus to be on Fagin, Sikes, and Nancy like in the musical. I also thought for such a dark and depressing subject, the ending was a bit too neat and happy ever after.
Rating breakdown
While it wasn't the most comfortable read with some pretty heavy antisemitism, it did give a clear insight into Victorian poverty, social constructs, and behaviours based on nurture vs nature. Despite Oliver's unhappy childhood and mistreatment, for example, he maintains a pure and innocent soul, desperately trying to avoid the corrupt lifestyle Fagin and Sikes favour. And while Nancy is trapped in the corrupt circle, her soft spot for Oliver leads her to carry out actions with good intentions, despite only really knowing a life of crime.
While I enjoyed the majority of this book, I did find the last quarter to drag on a bit. There were perhaps too many primary characters, whereas I would have liked the main focus to be on Fagin, Sikes, and Nancy like in the musical. I also thought for such a dark and depressing subject, the ending was a bit too neat and happy ever after.
Rating breakdown
- Plot/narrative - 4.1
- Writing style/readability - 3.3
- Characters - 3.8
- Diverse themes - 4.3
- Ending - 3.5
Overall - 3.8
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism