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    Oliver Twist
    Oliver Twist
    Oliver Twist
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    Oliver Twist

    Written by Charles Dickens

    Narrated by Dick Cavett

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Oliver Twist is an orphan, born into the world of workhouses and poverty. Apprenticed at a young age, he runs away and finds himself with a curious collection of thieves, rogues and murderers. Tragedy and death are constantly at his heels. Oliver struggles with the burden of being a child and of being poor in industrial England. In this tale, Dickens shows that poverty breeds crime and that the road from the workhouse to Fagin's vicious gang is short and straight.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAudio Holdings
    Release dateJan 1, 2009
    ISBN9781601360298
    Author

    Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and grew up in poverty. This experience influenced ‘Oliver Twist’, the second of his fourteen major novels, which first appeared in 1837. When he died in 1870, he was buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey as an indication of his huge popularity as a novelist, which endures to this day.

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    Reviews for Oliver Twist

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    • 3/5
      Oliver Twist is, certainly, often maudlin and excessively sentimental. I confess I skimmed over most of the passages where one character or another feels the need to blubber on at length about how wonderful things are and how blessed they are! Ugh!But I had forgotten how dark much of the book is - the descriptions of poverty and crime in the nineteenth century London rookery make you feel the grease and filth and smell the offal. If your vision of Fagin has been charmed by Ron Moody's portrayal in the film musical "Oliver!" your eyes will be opened here, where Dickens portrays him as a vile, dirty, evil and unrepentant villain. A Jewish villain, of course, and the antisemitic side of the character's description cannot be escaped, even though Dickens himself emended the book in later publications to try to de-emphasize Fagin's "jewishness."Probably the reason the antisemitic aspect of the book gets so much attention is that the character of Fagin, like that of Sikes, and the other criminals, is far more interesting than any of the "good" characters. Oliver himself exists almost as a little puppet, to be buffetted about and rescued like a rag doll with about as much personality. Mr. Brounlow, Oliver's first patron, exists only to act as the Deus Ex Machina and explain the (many and ridiculous) coincidences that propel the plot. Even Nancy seems to become less interesting as she becomes "good," and the one false note in her otherwise shocking murder is her plea to Sikes to spare her and seek prayerful repentance.As an early work of Dickens (his second novel, and written as he was finishing his first up), this book lacks the power of his later works. But when he is in the streets with London's criminals, or describing the ludicrous scenes in a police court (where he cut his teeth as a journalist), you see where this young man was heading.
    • 5/5
      Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is another classic by that master of storytelling, Charles Dickens. First published in 1838, the novel is a strong protest against the cruel conditions then facing the indigent in England. Dickens is furious at the abuses of the workhouse system but he never loses control of his clipped, unrelenting sarcasm, even when speaking of daily bureaucratic villainies. He knows just how far to take it. And what is so amazing about Dickens' genius is that his invective never overtakes the story; the story is never just an excuse for the protest. Social reform is a big ingredient of Dickens' work, but his work doesn't reduce to that. Please note there are some spoilers in this review.The storyline of Oliver Twist is very well known. Oliver, born of an unwed mother in a workhouse, suffers a deprived childhood under the tender care of parish officials (it is here that he is punished for famously asking, "Please, sir, I want some more"). At age nine Oliver is apprenticed to a coffin-maker, but is eventually driven from that harsh home. Oliver makes his way to London, where he is picked up by the Artful Dodger, one of a small gang of criminals. This gang is led by Fagin, an elderly Jew who trains the band in the art of theft and picking pockets. But Fagin has a special reason for making Oliver a thief. There is some mystery surrounding Oliver's birth, but how can it be discovered? What is the real history of his nameless mother, and why would anyone still care?What strikes me principally about Oliver Twist is its gritty feel. Dickens doesn't hesitate in his other books to show poverty and suffering, but this story goes beyond that and portrays the individuals who people the seamy side of London in all their foulness and degradation. And yet at the same time, innocent Oliver provides the moral center of the novel. Often his innocence is taken advantage of and his naive youth manipulated, but the message is clear: moral virtue will always be rewarded in the end. This has been likened to a fairy tale, in which the good always triumph and the wicked are always punished.I suppose it is also like a fairy tale in the sense that our hero Oliver possesses such high principles and firm moral character when all his life has been spent among other wretched children under selfish, calloused overseers. No one is naturally that good. I also found it difficult to appreciate Dickens' angelic female, Rose Maylie. Sometimes the descriptions of Rose are too flowery to bear. Perhaps Dickens overdid it just a bit to refresh himself after writing all his realistic gritty villains?But Dickens makes up for these weaknesses with several brilliant characters, most notably Nancy, the fallen woman who is almost redeemed. Her struggle with the inexplicable desire to stay in her wretched life is probably the truest thing Dickens ever wrote. Nancy can envision a different life should she accept the help of Oliver's friends, but something in her clings instead to her old life. She returns to the scenes of her degradation, loyal even to the fiends who dragged her there — and dies for it. It is utterly tragic, and the worst of it is that she could have been different if Fagin and others had not set out to corrupt her. Little acts of selfishness can change another person's life forever.I imagine there are essays discussing Dickens' anti-Semitism as depicted in Fagin, the foul crook who is more often than not referred to as "the Jew." It can't be denied that Fagin is a singularly distasteful character, with a stereotypical love of lucre, but I think there is a little more to it. First, the unlovely descriptions of Fagin are not that different from the descriptions of Dickens' many other villains. And somehow Dickens makes me pity Fagin, despite all his crimes. The chapter near the end that deals with Fagin's trial and state of mind after being sentenced to death is a masterpiece of psychological scrutiny, entirely believable and, in its way, heart wringing. I think Dickens pities Fagin too, not for his Jewishness but for the dreadful sneaking life he has lived and the horror of his death.Certain moments stand out, crystalline in their emotional clarity. I think of Mr. Brownlow and Mr. Grimwig sitting across from one another with the watch between them, measuring Oliver's character. Or Nancy telling Rose through tears that "if there was more like you, there would be fewer like me." Or Sikes grinding his chair up against the wall, to keep the specter of his guilt from hovering at his back. Other moments are brilliant in their humor, like Mr. Grimwig threatening to eat his head and Mr. Giles telling of his daring exploits. There is just so much here. I listened to this on audiobook read by Nadia May, and I understand why her work is so acclaimed. She has a warm voice and accent that wear well over the course of a long book like this. I could tell she was enjoying performing the story just as much as I was enjoying the performance. Her voice graces this story and I will certainly be looking for more audiobooks read by her.All of this, this grand drama made up of petty cruelties, of small thefts and dramatic murders, of the uneven love between degraded man and degraded woman, of innocence, poverty, crime, desperation — all of this is Dickens' arena and he performs it like no one else. Oliver Twist reminds me why we still read classic literature today.
    • 4/5
      As much as I loved watching the movie, I loved the book just as much. Reading this book is almost like getting to sit on Oliver's shoulder and watch over him as he goes through each journey. Unparalleled, I've never read a book like this before.
    • 1/5
      seemed really predictable, hackneyed, lacking dimension. Oddly, the movie is so much better.
    • 5/5
      In 9th grade I read "Great Expectations." From that experience, I decided I had no interest in Charles Dickens and, despite my love of reading, never gave any of his books a chance. What a mistake! I LOVE Oliver Twist and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I can't wait to read more of his works, and learn more about Dickens.
    • 3/5
      There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed. In the latter chapters, the action picked up and Dickens did a great job of keeping the intensity up and leading the reader along, something I imagine would be especially important for a book published in episodes.

      I also liked how innocent Oliver was, always trying to do the right thing despite the circumstances. He seemed a little too good to be true, but I liked him so much, I didn't mind that he was a bit unbelievable. He just had so much spirit.

      One thing I don't quite understand in a lot of these 19th-century books is how easily people fall ill. Emotional strain or just a walk in the cold can put them into fits or lay them low with a life-threatening fever. Were people back then really that delicate, or were the pathogens present in 19th-century London just so dangerous and ready to pounce that people were always a head cold away from death? What were these mysterious fevers people were always getting?

      The most unpleasant part about the book is Dickens's insistence on referring to Fagin primarily as "The Jew". According to the notes at the end of my version, Dickens responded to critics who claimed his portrayal of Fagin was anti-Semitic by saying that at the time the story took place, most of those in Fagin's line of work were Jews. I don't know if this is true or not, but the way that he calls him "The Jew" at least as often as he calls him by name suggests that he's actually saying he's in that line of work because he's Jewish, which is a very different thing than just saying he's in that line of work and happens to be Jewish.

      In addition, there's a scene in which Oliver sees Fagin and shouts, "The Jew! The Jew!" It seemed strange to me that Oliver would have referred to him like that because I thought other characters generally referred to Fagin by name, and Oliver would have done the same.

      And then there's the way that Dickens time and again describes Fagin in ways that suggest he's less than human, like in chapter 47 when Dickens says that Fagin "disclosed among his toothless gums a few such fangs as should have been a dog's or rat's." I don't recall Dickens comparing other non-Jewish characters to animals in this way.

      I also considered the possibility that Dickens was just writing about Fagin as the culture at the time would have seen him, but I could buy this notion a lot better if these nasty things were said only by other characters in the story, but by and large, it's not other characters who are saying these things; it's our narrator (whom I read as Dickens). All of this suggests to me that Dickens's portrayal of Fagin wasn't merely a reflection of the demographics of a particular type of criminal in London at that time but truly was (and is) anti-Semitic.

      But aside from this admittedly very large part of the book, I enjoyed the story. I nearly always enjoy Dickens's dark storytelling and psychologically tormented characters, and I find the female characters in his book refreshingly strong-willed (refreshing because not every strong-willed woman is punished for it (though most of them are)).
    • 4/5
      Surprisingly readable. Good satire, good humor, good story. Nice, though forced, surprises
    • 3/5
      Much better than all the other Dickens I have read so far (David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities), partly because I remember having seen the most part of the film which was released some time ago, and the vague recollection I had of the scenes probably helped me to nourrish my imagination. Oliver Twist comes first, then, utterly Dickensian in its dark atmosphere. To someone whishing to read their first Dickens, no doubt this would be my recommendation.
    • 5/5
      A classic.
      A tragedy.
      A horror.
      A love story.
      A fairytale.
      'Oliver Twist' is the bleakest and brightest of tales. Charles Dickens weaves all of the elements for a gripping story into his book. What I love most, however, is Mr. Dickens' ability to paint a world, a character, a situation, a single sentiment with nothing but words. It was a treat and an education reading this book. The characters are vivid. They are awful and delightful. Throughout the reading are included words of wisdom--quotes which I paused to highlight. I will reread them time and again. I highly recommend this book to all story lovers. It is a masterpiece.
    • 5/5
      Nobody can write about abused orphans like Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist, a baby born in a workhouse to a mysterious woman is raised in the system. His kind and loving nature make him a vulnerable target for a group of children thieves led by the character Dickens calls "The Jew," Fagin. They have their own little family of lost boys who serve Fagin, who in turn is somewhat subservient to a very evil man, Bill Sykes. Oliver ends up in kind hands for a short time, and then once again falls prey to the villainous men who want to use him up. I'm a great fan of the musical Oliver!, and that musical stayed pretty on track with the story and the nature of the characters, although there are great chunks of plot left out of the musical as well as some key players, but the musical story wasn't diminished in my eyes. I still love it and I found Oliver Twist to be fascinating. The 19th century time period and Dickens's use of language really made this a great read.
    • 4/5
      Dickens' novel reads like a Beethoven Symphony [No.9] or a very rich chocolate cake. A magnificent tale but one that leaves you sated for at least a few months (I won't return to Dickens for a bit longer than that I would imagine). Dickens does a good job weaving what I would consider a complex fairy-tale. Oliver is our purely good protagonist who is the victim of the evil Fagin and Monk's machinations. Although the characters don't give the reader much to ponder over, I think the deep plot and satisfying conclusion justify its title of masterpiece.
    • 4/5
      I reread this recently for the first time since I was a teenager and found (not surprisingly) that I was interested in very different parts of the story than I was when I was younger. I was much more interested in the character of Bill Sykes, and his haunted guilt, fleeing the law. There is a fabulous scene that I had not remembered where he heroically lends a hand during a fire in a desperate effort to rejoin humanity after murdering a friend. Hellfire and damnation mixed in with attempted atonement. It was really quite mesmerizing.
    • 5/5
      fantastic story I liked it everyone should read this story
    • 2/5
      I am not a big fan of Dickens, and Oliver Twist did nothing to persuade me. After the first third, the story began winding here and there (it was a serial after all), and I just lost the plot, especially as more and more characters were introduced.
    • 4/5
      **Spoiler alert**Although my high school had put on a production of Oliver Twist that I saw several times, I had never before read the book. I think perhaps the musical turned me off from getting around to this particular Dickens work, although I was, for the most part, pleasantly surprised by the book. I loved the beginning with its ironic descriptions of the so-called pious holy-rollers who looked down their noses at the paupers they mistreated. It’s a great commentary on the welfare system of the time and how badly the poor were treated. Oliver is introduced as a character you just have to love because, poor thing, nothing goes right for him. Towards the middle, the book becomes a bit dull for my tastes. There are long passages devoted to the thieves’ doings, which, when it comes right down to it, don’t add a whole lot more to the story. In particular, there’s the long description of Sykes and Oliver traipsing all about on their way to rob a house. Towards the end, the reader loses sight of Oliver all together for several chapters, which is more than a bit odd considering he’s the titular character. The ending is a bit too tidy – with the exception of Nancy, everyone gets their just desserts, whether that be a punishment or a reward. On the positive side, Oliver Twist contains a number of great memorable characters, even the minor ones like Mr. Bumble and Mr. Grimwig (and I just love their names, too). The aforementioned irony is always a plus for me, and I listened to an audio version with an excellent narrator who was spot-on when it came to the ironic parts. And, as I mentioned earlier as well, Dickens uses Oliver Twist to comment on serious issues of the day such as poverty and crime.On the down side, the reader has to overlook the latent anti-Semitism when it comes to the character of Fagin, the ring leader of the gang, who is almost always referred to as “the Jew.” There are also some rather ridiculously hard to believe bits of essential plot. For instance, Monks is described as being evil from his birth but Mr. Brownlow basically calls Monks a cad and he confesses to everything. Likewise, a few of the lifelong criminals feel remorse at the end a little too easily for me to believe. Meanwhile, the coincidences were just too much as well. In David Copperfield, it’s believable (albeit sometimes a bit of a stretch) for David to continually bump into old friends in unlikely or random places. But what are the chances that Oliver’s only two run-ins with decent people put him in the hands of his late father’s dear friend and Oliver’s own aunt (unbeknownst to them both)? It’s nice to see Oliver finally with friends and family, but it’s just too unbelievable!!While this wasn’t my favorite Dickens’ novel (David Copperfield still takes first place, followed by Great Expectations), I did enjoy it for the most part and would recommend it for fans of Dickens in particular or Victorian literature in general.
    • 5/5
      I am hard pressed to think of what you find in later Dickens that you don't find in this, his first complete novel. That is not to say a lot isn't much better (the imagery of London, the complexity of the characters, and the even more sprawling multiple plots come to mind) -- and that some of the worst of this novel (of which the absurd and unnecessary coincidence of Rose Maylie being related to Oliver is just about the worst). But Dickens already had the combination of comic, tragic, melodramatic, moralizing, satirical, and several other ingredients that he successfully mined in different proportions in all his future books. Although none of them top the stark brutality of Oliver Twist, and especially Fagin and Sikes.
    • 3/5
      I agree with john257hopper; this is not a great book. The social criticism behind it is real, but this doesn't work as a novel. Oliver himself is unbelievable (and dull), and the plot feels artificial. Dickens went on to do better things.
    • 1/5
      If this had been my first Dickens novel, I never would have read another. The protagonist, for the most part, is acted upon instead of acting. His great heroic moment takes place when he runs away from home and walks 70 miles to London (a moment he remembers in great excitement at the end of the book). But for the remainder of the story, he merely suffers, miserably and passively, as he is humiliated, degraded, hunted, starved, sickened, and beaten. As a reader it is too much to bear, because Oliver has no way to fight back. If he only had an internal monologue that kept him strong, mentally, that might have been enough to maintain my empathy; but when he is just a simple, blank slate of a suffering child, his misery does not make a satisfactory read. Even in the chapters of the happy ending, he sits passively as adults explain his (convoluted) history. Fair disclosure. I did not manage to finish the book. I got up to the point where Oliver has to relinquish his clean, new suit of clothes for the rags he had thought were gone forever; and I just couldn't bear his suffering anymore and had to stop. I read the rest of the plot on wikipedia; and then read the last few chapters, to decide whether the ending was brilliant enough to justify trudging through the novel. When I discovered, instead, that the ending was just long passages of exposition regarding missing members of Oliver's family, I felt satisfied with the decision not to continue. Normally, I don't post a review when I haven't finished the book; but this time I decided to go ahead just to encourage anyone who agrees with me about this book not to give up on Dickens altogether: I can recommend Hard Times and Great Expectations, and will give the remainder of the oeuvre a try.Side note: Perhaps if I had read this with my eyeballs, instead of by audiobook, I would have been able to finish it; since I could have read it very quickly. But by audiobook, you are forced to completely digest each sentence.
    • 5/5
      I wasn't sure to expect when I ordered this book. I've heard great reviews, but sometimes when I get around to reading the book, it just doesn't live up to the hype. Not so in this case. I sincerely enjoyed this tale of the young, innocent Oliver Twist and his story of misfortune. While the novel was darker and more violent than I'd at first anticipated, the language flows like poetry. I loved the roller coaster ride Dickens takes us on as Oliver searches to escape the evils forced upon him, only to be pulled back in. The build to the climax of the story was expertly formulated and executed.Oliver Twist is a classic in the true sense of the word. If you've not had the pleasure of reading this novel, don't delay. Order it today.
    • 5/5
      With the exception of A Christmas Carol, which I read every year, I have never read any Dickens, so I was determined that 2013 was definitely the year I would read at least one! I decided to start with Oliver Twist as I was familiar with the fundamental story. I was quite concerned about the ‘wordiness’ of Dickens but I soon relaxed into the writing (which was actually easy to follow, despite my worries!) and I really, really enjoyed it.

      I think most people are familiar with the basic story of Oliver - the young orphan, born illegitimately and sent to live in the workhouse - who runs away and gets in with Fagin’s gang - but there is so much more to the story than this. And of course, Dickens creates characters that come alive, and paints a vivid picture of London life.

      I did find it hard to read Dickens’ constant referrals of Fagin as ‘the Jew’. I know that this language was more acceptable when Dickens was writing than it is now, and is in a similar vein to the way I feel about reading the word ‘nigger’ in texts like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – it definitely shouldn’t be censored or changed – but I think most readers would find it hard to stomach the same being written today. I was rather surprised at Fagin’s characterisation – of course, in the film Oliver! he’s portrayed as a loveable rogue! I knew from the Roman Polanski version that the book would be much darker than Lionel Bart’s version – and of course the musical was never going to be true to the book, but Fagin’s depiction just didn’t sit well with me, despite, as I’ve said, me understanding that it was ‘of its time’. However, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this wonderful book and Oliver Twist has definitely whet my appetite for more Dickens!
    • 4/5
      Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is the gripping tale of a poor orphans struggle to free himself from the clutch of evil criminals in London’s underworld. I particularly enjoyed Dickens’ witty and satiric comments on the society of the time. The characters were vividly portrayed and starkly contrasted; the evil Fagin to angelic Oliver. Fagin’s downfall and Dickens description of the hours before his demise had me glued to each page…..I could not put the book down and I loved the way the novel ended….everything just came together beautifully. This was my first Dickens novel and it will definitely not be my last!! ☺
    • 4/5
      My third Dickens novel, and although I initally struggled a bit I ended up enjoying it very much. Dickens has such a way with words and you feel like you are living in his era when you read his books. So far, they have all made me want to wallow in history (in a good way!).
    • 5/5
      One of Dickens' tightest novels, with very few spare characters or superfluous plotlines.
    • 4/5
      A while back, I decided that I really ought to read some more Dickens. So last year I picked up Great Expectations, which had a good enough story, but which kept reminding me far too much of a friend's comment that he never liked Dickens because it was too obvious they were paying him by the word. But while Oliver Twist might also be legitimately accused of wordiness, in this case that struck me as more charming than tedious, and overall I found it a much more engaging read.The plot has enough interesting elements, certainly. There's crime and punishment, kindness and cruelty, long-held secrets, and sudden reversals of fortune. Also huge honking coincidences, but at least Dickens introduces them gradually enough to give you time to shore up your suspension of disbelief. Oliver himself, though, really isn't much of a character. He's someone to whom things happen, not one who makes things happen, and his only defining traits are innocence, piteousness, and a vague, generic sort of sweetness. But this isn't necessarily a problem; he seems to me to be filling the role of a slightly sentimentalized everychild, and on that level he works well enough.But what really makes this worth reading isn't the characters or the plot. It's the surprising little moments of human insight, the wonderfully sly and dark satiric humor, and the sharply pointed social commentary. And, unfortunately, while there may be no more workhouses in England, the attitudes towards the poor that Dickens targets here are still too familiar and relevant even now. It's brilliant writing, and if it occasionally brings a little bit of mawkishness or melodrama along with it, I find that entirely forgivable.Somewhat less forgivable, though, is the portrayal of Fagin as an unpleasantly stereotypical villainous Jew. Interestingly enough, despite everything about this book that I already knew through cultural osmosis, I had never even realized that he was Jewish. Dickens, however, never lets you forget it for an instant. Every other sentence, he's referred to as "the Jew." My impression is that, for whatever it's worth, at least this is more thoughtless stereotyping than active maliciousness. A brief bit of research on the internet reveals that Dickens, having had the offensiveness of this pointed out to him, later revised the last fifteen chapters or so to tone it down. Which is something, I guess, but I don't know that it helps all that much. And it really is very unfortunate, both for the obvious reasons and because without the uncomfortable overtones of anti-Semitism, Fagin really could have been quite an entertainingly smarmy character. And he actually does get some surprisingly poignant moments at the end.
    • 4/5
      oliver was born in 1800 in place called workhouse in england, but after that his mother died, so he lives 8 years in the same place where his mother died, after that they deside to make him work picking oakum. when he start to complain about the food they chased him, but the manager forced him to work with him, after a while he escaped from from him and traveled to london. in london he start a new life and new adventure.
    • 4/5
      Dickens' second published work (after Pickwick Papers) and the author has 'arrived'. Confidently and exuberantly written, this is a real novel, a big step up from the miscellany that made up the earlier work. The characterisation is more assured - Fagin is a great study in calculated manipulation, the Artful Dodger a gifted comic creation; and the plot is more coherent, although the plot coincidences and contrivances that plague later books are starting to become evident here. Dickens is quite outspoken in his views - his disgust for the hypocrisy of the callous behaviour of many outwardly religious persons; his hatred for the bullying of petty officialdom such as the precious Beadle, while at the same time unwittingly reflecting the prejudices and standards of his time - such as the two orphans (Oliver and Rose) being able to maintain the innate "gentlemanly" character of their origins in spite of the appalling upbringing they endured. great stuff. Read December 2011.
    • 3/5
      A bit longer than it needed to be, but still has some interesting moments. Fagin is a hilariously offensive caricature, and most of the other characters are only the latter.
    • 2/5
      Dear FSM! What a hard read this was -- and I didn't even read it, I listened to it on audiobook during my commute. I've seen several movie adaptations of this book - NONE of them capture the dark, depressing rone that this book sets. Read it if you're looking for a challenge.

      Audiobook.
    • 5/5
      When reading this book I found that it was quite a good read. It had humor, was descriptive, and entertaining. It was interesting because it had many characters of many backgrounds coming together in some way or another. When it came to describing simple things such as the morning air, Charles Dickens showed to describe in a detailed manner that was not boring. One could also find themselves cheering along Oliver to get out of harms way and everyone else who was trying to help him. There was a lot of treachery unkindness and dishonesty around Oliver as he was growing up but in the end he finally finds the family he needed while other characters don't have the same happy ending. All in all I think that I would choose to read it again sometime in the future...it was that good!
    • 5/5
      I still remember taking my paperback edition of Oliver Twist with me to summer camp when I was twelve years old. It was my first Dickens and I was mesmerized by the characters and incidents, especially Oliver. While as I have read most of Dickens' other books over the succeeding decades, this novel continues to hold a special place in my reading life.