Oliver Twist (Puffin Classics)

I get why this story has been turned into plays, movies, and musicals. Without all the songs and dances to take your attention away, it's one of Dickens's darker and more depressing tales. I think it's cool how everything works out for Oliver in the end, but it makes me think about what happens to other kids in similar situations and are products of such a society. Whether it was 200 years ago or today, not much has changed in our society. There are still plenty of uncaring charities, and many churches and religious groups preach kindness but often don't follow through. The poor keep suffering from their circumstances and get judged harshly for it, while a lot of wealthy people remain stingy, judgmental, and greedy.

It was a pleasant book, Charles Dickens acheived what he wanted with this book and I admire it.

upon by evil and adversity from his first breath - shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous beadle Mr Bumble, Oliver finds himself lured into a den of thieves peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the Artful Dodger, vicious burglar Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye, and prostitute Nancy, all watched over by cunning master-thief Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, the Newgate Novel and popular melodrama, Dickens created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery

This just didn't need to be 600 pages long. 100-200 would have been sufficiently long to convey all the major plot points and good sentences. I gave it an extra star for social commentary/ defense of the poor. All theatrical productions of Oliver are superior to the lengthy book.

Great story kept me surprised all along. Great for all ages