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A review by katwolfereads
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
3.0
3/5⭐️
This is my ninth book read by Charles Dickens, and much like his other books, his storytelling, character development and plot devices are genius. His satirical representation of the 1834 Poor laws and the overall mistreatment of Victorian children makes you feel transported to his time.
That being said, I found this book extremely difficult to read. Dickens is always a product of his time when he writes. His books are rife with misogyny. The level of antisemitism in this story is horrendous, and as a Jewish person, it was very hard to read. I find it disturbing that this book has been labeled “a classic” but no one talks about the blatant antisemitism. Fagin’s character is referred only by name three times in the novel; the rest he’s referred to as “the villianous Jew” or “the wrinkled Jew.” Do not recommend.
This is my ninth book read by Charles Dickens, and much like his other books, his storytelling, character development and plot devices are genius. His satirical representation of the 1834 Poor laws and the overall mistreatment of Victorian children makes you feel transported to his time.
That being said, I found this book extremely difficult to read. Dickens is always a product of his time when he writes. His books are rife with misogyny. The level of antisemitism in this story is horrendous, and as a Jewish person, it was very hard to read. I find it disturbing that this book has been labeled “a classic” but no one talks about the blatant antisemitism. Fagin’s character is referred only by name three times in the novel; the rest he’s referred to as “the villianous Jew” or “the wrinkled Jew.” Do not recommend.