A review by lucysnowy
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

2.0

thank GOD that i have finished this book.

it has plagued the last two weeks of my life.

i understand the value in dickens' work; i appreciate the historical context and the depth of the characters and the stories.

but i cannot bring myself to enjoy this story. it is complex, twisted, complicated ... yet also so completely dull. i dont understand how he manages it.

the best of this novel comes in its ending - the murder of nancy, the death of sikes and fagin... its exciting, thrilling. but i have to say that the reveal of oliver's ancestry is still not clear to me. maybe i was just falling asleep in those chapters but i have no idea how he is related to rose and all the other characters in the end.

i have to say that i enjoyed the little flashes into the bumbles' lives - it was enjoyable to see them falling in and out of love, and from the top of society to the bottom.

in conclusion i will not be looking forward to reading any more dickens. the christmas carol was a lot better, but maybe that was because we're all brought up with the story. to be fair i thought i knew the story of oliver twist ... but it seems i didn't.