Book: Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Dickens' style: the humor, the elegant and witty descriptions, and the entertaining characters. If it weren't for that I would rate the book lower. I like/agree with his optimism of the human spirit, his testimony of its existence, and his declaration of moral absolutism. However, there were some things in this that seemed overly simple. Perhaps they are elements of all Dickens books, but there are a few story mechanisms that he uses which I find much too convenient and ideal.

The character of Oliver is perhaps the least interesting because he is so perfectly innocent and altruistic. I don't mean to say he's a bad character. He does show some real strength at times (i.e. his lonely trip to London). But for a book carrying his name, his opinions and decisions have little bearing on the rest of the story except that others either abuse him or protect him. Perhaps Dickens is saying the beauty of his character is something the rest of us need to protect from the more conniving and manipulative of the world? Rose, the other character reflecting that purity, shows a little more comprehension or realization of the "nasty side of life" and that seems to help her in the story.

The conveniences of the plot sure tie everything together extremely nicely. I may have preferred a few less happy/unhappy conveniences. Those key to the relationship of Oliver and his story and past are great, but some of the others--such as his running into the ol' gang while on errand for his caretaker Mr. Browning and Noah running into Fagin--could have been done other ways or using different characters. For me this would have added a bit more credibility to the story. Granted, it is Dickens and he invented some of these plot techniques and that must be taken into account.

Another thought sprouted from a principle of Dickens implanted in my brain by my sister-in-a-law--a writer and literary analyst extraordinaire--so I can't take full credit. This book demonstrates that Dickens seems to believe that human character and the capacity to change is limited. We are who we are from our birth and little can change that. This is displayed in characters both good and evil like Oliver, Rose, Monks, and Fagin. Even Nancy, who comes so close to leaving her bedraggled life behind for something better, is unable to find the will to change and dies because of it. The good people are all still good at the end of the book, the bad are all still bad, and the foolish (i.e. Bumble) are all still foolish. This contrasts other Dickens works like Hard Times--a more complicated moral tale--and A Christmas Carol--a more simple one--where the story's ultimate strength comes from the characters' evolution.

A classic, especially for anyone who loves English literature. Again, Dickens style of writing is great. And the read is worth it if only so you can have more of a context to the famous quote (the correct line being: "Please, sir, I want some more."). It's an enjoyable journey with an expected ending.