Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse, and orphaned almost immediately. The managers of the workhouse abuse him and declare that he will amount to nothing. Eventually, Oliver is apprenticed out and runs away from the situation once the cycle of abuse and extreme want repeat themselves.
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In his journey, Oliver meets the Artful Dodger, a seemingly nice boy who offers his assistance. Oliver is taken to a run-down house occupied by Fagin and his boys. There, Oliver is initiated into the rites of pickpocketing, theft, and petty crime. His first unwilling foray into the new profession is not a success, however, since Oliver is caught by the police and taken to court. The victim of the pickpocketing, Mr. Brownlow, takes pity on him and takes him into his own home to help the boy recover from an illness. Brownlow is strangely drawn to the boy. Oliver's old friends, including the murderous Sikes and the mysterious Monks, try to find the boy and remove him from his new surroundings. Oliver tries desperately to escape from Fagin and his group. During his adventures, he finds that his past is neither so hidden nor so shameful as he has been led to believe.
The review of this Book prepared by A. Antonow
Poor Oliver! After being born, he was raised in a workhouse, then apprenticedto a
cruel and dastardly master. After taking all he can, he runs away to London, where he
meets up with the unforgetable Fagin, a master pickpocket who takes in young boys for his
own criminal purposes. Oliver is taken in and is soon, along with The Artful Dodger is one
of Fagin's best. From here, Dickens unloads one coincidence after another, as we follow
poor little Oliver's travels and travails. Needless to say, “all's well that ends well” and in
true Dickens fashion, all loose ends are tied up. A good story in itself, but Dickens is also
the fine moralist and Victorian society's conscience. He doesn't hesitate to write blatantly
of the social ills of the day (not the least being child labor!). A classic read.
The review of this Book prepared by Bill Hobbs
A young orphan named Oliver Twist through a series of unfortunate events becomes affiliated with a band of child pickpockets in London trained by an old miser. After many adventures Oliver escapes the band and is reunited with his relatives.
The review of this Book prepared by Belinda Piercy
