The story of Oliver Twist tells of the struggles of a young orphan boy in the streets of London. It follows him from his birth, to his labeling as a trouble-maker when he dares to ask for more food, being sold as an apprentice, accused of attempted murder, running away and getting caught up with a gang of thieves, and to what could be his salvation if his old life doesn’t follow him. Dickens explores both sides of the human spectrum, from ultimate kindness to ultimate cruelty.
The characters in this story are vivid, making the horrors of the tale even more terrible. Dickens probably didn’t realize when he wrote this almost two centuries ago that it would capture the human condition in such an honest way that Oliver Twist would become a classic to be read again and again. Being set in England in the 1800’s, the language is very different from modern novels, especially during pieces of longer narration. The dialog, however, even with its old english slang, is easily understood.
1) Overall Plot = 5
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 4
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 4.5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 4.5
Average of score 4.6
Overall grade = A
Jess Boudreaux 