Oliver Twist

Written by Charles Dickens

Narrated by Jonathan Keeble

Oliver Twist, Dickens’ second novel, has enthralled generations of readers since its publication in 1838. Orphaned and desolate, Oliver’s journey to London and subsequent induction into its dingy underworld, is narrated with ceaseless energy by Jonathan Keeble. His depictions of Fagin and the terrifying Bill Sikes are particularly mesmerizing, and his reading is infused with a delicious knack for storytelling. This unabridged version has been long anticipated, and is a stand-out Naxos AudioBooks recording.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Mar 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781843795667

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens had a prolific collection of works including fifteen novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories and articles. The term “cliffhanger endings” was created because of his practice of ending his serial short stories with drama and suspense. Dickens’ political and social beliefs heavily shaped his literary work. He argued against capitalist beliefs, and advocated for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens advocacy for such causes is apparent in his empathetic portrayal of lower classes in his famous works, such as The Christmas Carol and Hard Times.

Reviews for Oliver Twist

[jntjesussaves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Writing: 5.0; Theme: 5.0; Content: 4.5; Language: 4.5; Overall: 5.0; This was a wonderful volume that shares the rough, yet heart-warming story of Oliver Twist. Oliver travels through life battling the evils of this world while growing up in the poor conditions of a street youth. This story resembles the process that many Christians go through. As Christians, like Oliver, we are persecuted in this life, but in the end those who were the persecuted will one day receive glorious rewards if they live their lives pleasing to Christ. Great tome! Highly recommend. ***March 5, 2019*** (read with Jonathan)

[tess_w · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[Oliver Twist] is the story of an orphan boy who is sent to several workshouses and finally ends up in the home of a benevolent widow and her female companion. The plot and ending of the story are very predictable. Compared to Dickens' [Bleak House] and [A Tale of Two Cities], [Oliver Twist] leaves much to be desired.

[Christen Lawrie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this! It’s a classic love the voices and the narration!!!!!! ???☺️

[msaucier818 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It had been many years since I read Charles Dickens, but this is pretty much exactly what I remember of him. This was a classic story where the good guys end up being good, and the bad guys end up being bad. The writing style and the atmosphere are where Dickens makes his money, and I loved being transported back to 19th century London. The story itself was not really a page-turner for me, but I did enjoy the characters enough to have no trouble getting through the novel. I will certainly be reading more of Dickens.

[Shirley Robinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wished I'd started reading Charles Sickens years ago. Great narration

[Erik Fostino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The narrator was PHENOMENAL! This was an excellent piece of literature.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overheersend: humoristische en vooral sarcastische stijl. Sterke zwartwit-tekening van de karakters. Oliver is uiteraard de held, maar eerder schaapachtig; alleen in het begin aanzet tot eigen karakter, daarna drijft hij mee en evolueert zijn karakter niet (is grote zwakte van de roman)Uiteraard is er een sociale achtergrond: de achterbuurten van Londen, de schandalige Poor?s Law, de hypocrisie van de kerkelijken. Lichtelijk melodramatisch, vooral op het einde nogal melig.

[lirmac-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of Dickens' tightest novels, with very few spare characters or superfluous plotlines.

[MariBonnett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oliver Twist is a classic book that everybody has the knowledge of. But it is quite thick and difficult to read. The audiobook makes it much easier to obtain each chapter with ease. The flourish of beautiful words is insuperable!

[Bethany Yoder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has stretched my mind with good literature it shows us some good things that we
Should keep in mind great book definitely everyone should know and read ??

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[Oliver Twist] is the story of an orphan boy who is sent to several workshouses and finally ends up in the home of a benevolent widow and her female companion. The plot and ending of the story are very predictable. Compared to Dickens' [Bleak House] and [A Tale of Two Cities], [Oliver Twist] leaves much to be desired.

[Andrea Zamora · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After all these years I have not had the pleasure of Oliver Twist. Reading or audio this is a great read. I can see why it is a classic.

[Carol McShane · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was so vividly written by the worlds greatest storyteller. The narration was simply stunning. Absolutely absorbing. Totally loved it.

[Amy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

amazing narrator

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always loved Oliver Twist the most of the Dickens books I've read. He seemed to come to life in my head the most of all Dickens' characters.

[sly_wit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frankly, I thought Oliver Twist would be a bit of a chore, but instead I really looked forward to it each night (I chose to read most of the book following the original serialization breaks marked in my edition). The story is melodramatic and sentimental, and the coincidences in the plot are extremely far-fetched, but it’s a fun ride and an interesting exposure of social welfare and the criminal justice system of the time.

It’s admittedly difficult to read Dickens’ characterization of Fagin (“the Jew”) today, but there were other “bad” characters who were exceptionally drawn, such as the Bumbles or Bill Sikes, and other characters I would have liked to see more of, such as Mr. Grimwig or Jack Dawkins (who disappears unceremoniously from the narrative at a certain point). The portrayal of the relationship between Nancy and Bill Sikes is particularly strong and sadly relevant even today.

[Kaitlyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic story.. despite the weight of crushing misery in the first chapters. Great reading quality... Superb.

[Tatiana Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing. Brilliant reading, great voice. Charles Dickens is a master in the literature world.

[markm2315 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I don't consider myself an especially sensitive person, I grew up in a Gentile neighborhood so I've heard it all forever, and I knew ahead of time about Dicken's bigotry and who Fagin was, but I was surprised to be so put off. After a while, I felt like things would be going along OK and then I would be slapped in the face. So here are two stars, don't spend them all in one place.
==================
I think I've selected the wrong edition. I read the Norton Critical Edition and the included essays are very good.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don;t know what you can say about this that hasn't been said already. I was slightly surprised that what I remembered from the film took place within the first half of the book - I remembered nothing about the unveiling of Oliver's identity or Mr Monks and his shenanigans. I also had forgotten quite how feeble Iliver is at times - I;m surprised he;d have made it in the tough end of London. There is a huge level of co-incidence that you need to suspend disbelief over, but I suppose I can live with that. It feels, as so often with Dickens, that he spends a lot of the book setting up the final few chapters, and so it is here. The pacing is uneven, and, at times, it feels that we're revisiting certain characters for padding's sake. It does feel like there is a certain amount of glee with which the fate of the less reputable characters are dealt with. But then, the Artful Dodger just vanishes, and he;d one of the more memorable characters. And poor Nancy. Oh!

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this a lot more than The Pickwick Papers. But it was also totally unlike what I expected. All the bits that you know from popular culture are here but in much smaller doses than you might expect.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good novel of an orphan who gets mixed up with pickpockets. I liked the musical too. Dickens is good at making memorable characters!

[aprille_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I reread this recently for the first time since I was a teenager and found (not surprisingly) that I was interested in very different parts of the story than I was when I was younger. I was much more interested in the character of Bill Sykes, and his haunted guilt, fleeing the law. There is a fabulous scene that I had not remembered where he heroically lends a hand during a fire in a desperate effort to rejoin humanity after murdering a friend. Hellfire and damnation mixed in with attempted atonement. It was really quite mesmerizing.

[ghost_boy-691444 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know, but this is still my least favorite Dickens book. Something about it just doesn't appeal to me. Too many characters and none that I really care for including the title character. The book is kind of slow too with the exception of the first and last few chapters. This isn't a bad book though. It's a classic, just not one I ever cared for and I thought the book would help change my mind. I still like Dickens. I liked the characters and plot of Christmas Carol better and I found A Tale of Two Cities better writing. I still have a long way to go before I read David Copperfield and Great Expectations, but some reason I feel like I'll like those better. I still think everyone should read at least one Dickens novel in their life.

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I still remember taking my paperback edition of Oliver Twist with me to summer camp when I was twelve years old. It was my first Dickens and I was mesmerized by the characters and incidents, especially Oliver. While as I have read most of Dickens' other books over the succeeding decades, this novel continues to hold a special place in my reading life.

[jhemlock-1711 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story. Oliver is resilient and resourceful but the powers that be seem hell bent on having their way with him. Dickens is always dark and his characters always suffer. No matter the story, his writing is peerless and amazingly literate.

[caanderson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A long, enduring tale of one orphan child in England, and the lives he encounters.

[howhop · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So many others have written excellent reviews of Dickens' classic that I will only comment on a couple of Christian themes that stand out and adorn this classic with such beauty. First of all the is the Redemption motif -- Redemption offered and rejected, as well as Redemption finally received. Some of the scoundrels whom which Oliver's earliest life in London is associated reveal this double-sided coin both beautifully and tragically. Secondly is the concept of Sovereign Grace which is abundantly displayed in the life of Oliver Twist. Writing this hours after turning the last page, I still cannot take my mind off of my favourite character in the novel -- the prostitute Nancy. She, above all, pictures both sides of the Redemption theme. As for Oliver, whose life was once mired in the same slime as that of his earliest compatriots, we see him through a series of "coincidences", rescued from his hopeless condition.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first half of this novel is suffering-porn. The second half is an excellent murder/birth story mystery. When the novel veers away from Oliver's suffering and focuses on the satire of wealthy corruption, it is engaging and focused. I realize that Dickens cannot stay away from the picaresque, but I like his legal thrillers and intrigues more than tales of suffering and woe.

[ejakub_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Annual re-read of a Dickens Classic ... this book rocks.