Joe's Reviews > Oliver Twist

Having seen the stage musical and two movie versions, I have wanted for a long time to read the original. It was interesting to see how much was changed from the book. Fagin is a much more loathsome creature in the book--more treacherous, more cunning, more quick to anger, and not the jolly old naughty elf that he is in the musical version. Nancy is also more of a wretch, and not the kindly, big sister figure to Fagin's gang as she is portrayed in the film; making her decision to act on Oliver's behalf seem more daring, as it was in fact out of character. I also enjoyed the fact that the story is more complex than depicted in the musical. In Monks, there is a more sinister threat to Oliver than merely Fagin and Sikes fears of discovery. And Oliver has many more friends, and more family, by the end than Mr. Brownlow alone.
Some of my favorite parts of the book are the satircal passages, especially those involving Mr. Bumble and the parochial administration, where Dickens exposes, with many humorous turns of phrases, all the hypocricy and degradation of the systems of so-called social welfare, criminal justice, etc.
I read this aloud to my 10 and 11 year old daughters. They had recently seen their cousins and uncle in a stage production of the musical, and so were keen to have me read it to them. They were able to follow it pretty well, although the language in many places is quite difficult to follow. They enjoyed the richer detail and more intricate plot, as well.