Book Review: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

As part of my 32 goals that I have set myself to achieve before I turn 33, I have pledged to read ten classic books. I have a series of goals to reach and a good few of them have a lot to do with reading! Quelle surprise. My track record of classic fiction prior to undertaking this challenge was woeful. I never had spent much time reading classic literature, presuming them above my station, too challenging, and a little bit daunting.

I couldn't have been more wrong. This is the first classic I have read since I started this blog, but it's the second Charles Dickens novel I have read as part of the challenge having read Great Expectations in 2014, and I read A Christmas Carol prior to this challenge.

I was, of course, familiar with the storyline of Oliver Twist prior to picking it up as it is one of those stories that just seems to seep into our collective conscious! I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book, though, even though I had expected to enjoy it, I really, really loved it. Charles Dickens's writing is among the best I certainly have ever seen, and among the best this world has ever seen I would guess.

His characters are so well rounded, complex and interesting. I particularly love the way Dickens writes about Victorian London, in a way I have never read before and the way he transports you there works so beautifully and translates so well to screen.

His portrayal of women at this time was incredibly interesting, giving the reader a feel for how women fit into the society of the time, the irony being Nancy turns out to be the heroine of the piece. He jolts the reader back to reality when Nancy's fate is decided for her. Women take a back seat in Victorian England, whether you have something worthwhile to contribute or not.

I will defintiely be picking up more of Dickens work in the future, Oliver Twist was the fifth of my classics challenge, so I am half way there. I watched Oliver! following reading this book, and I am definitely interested in the BBC series which I can rent or buy to stream on Amazon, I believe.

Overall score - 5/5