Oliver Twist

by Charles Dickens

Book 4 in my year of novels by Charles Dickens. Not my favorite, but definitely one of his more accessible novels.

Of course, this is the story of Oliver Twist, the orphan born in a workhouse. Sigh. He's poor, he's hungry, and he's even been apprenticed to an undertaker. He eventually meets Fagin, pickpocket trainer in London, and his underlings, who include Jack Dawkins aka The Artful Dodger. He also encounters Bill Sikes, an associate of Fagin and a specialist in B & E.

Well, you know the story, don't you? Like all poor heroes of CD's novels, Oliver is bound to encounter the truth of his birth, a little money, a friendly benefactor, and, of course, a very happy ending.

Anyway, this is a fairly easy read--I'd rank it up there with A Tale of Two Cities. It may even be easier than that.

4/28/08