Dodger: A Printz Honor Winner

Written by Terry Pratchett

Narrated by Stephen Briggs

New York Times Bestseller!

Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett's Dodger, a Printz Honor Book, combines high comedy with deep wisdom in a tale of one remarkable boy's rise in a fantasy-infused Victorian London.

Seventeen-year-old Dodger is content as a sewer scavenger. But he enters a new world when he rescues a young girl from a beating, and her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.

From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd, to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

Creator of the popular Discworld fantasy series, Sir Terry also received a prestigious Printz Honor from the American Library Association for his novel Nation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062201959

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.

Reviews for Dodger

[quondame · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fanciful historical featuring the tosher (sewer rat) Dodger, his rescue of an unfortunately friendless girl unfortunately married to a continental prince whose father wants her out of the way. Dodger almost immediately encounters Dickens and his friend Henry Mayhew and later other pillars of Victorian liberalism and sundry fictional ones such as Sweeney Todd (lacking Mrs Lovett & meat pies) Adventures above and below the streets of London occur with equal implausibility. Pratchett's light shines, as 19th century London is clearly dear to him, but not with the same un-fogged brilliance as in Ankh-Morpork.

[ninelarks-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story follows a boy named Dodger who survives in London as a tosher, searching for lost valuables or coinage in the depths of the sewers. On a dark, rainy night, he happenstances upon two men beating a girl with beautiful blonde hair and he rescues her. Dodger then bulls through the rest of the story becoming a hero in down-to-earth and witty scenes and dialogue, all the while attempting to save the girl's life again.

I liked this book, I really did. But it wasn't amazing.
I liked it for the characters. Dodger and Simplicity are so wonderfully written, especially with his mannerisms and attitude and thinking (as it is mostly third person limited, but sometimes strays into third person omniscient). The setting is so Dickens-esque and quite beautiful to read. It is a really lovely story.

It wasn't amazing because midway through the story I realized it became more about spotting the references and allusions rather than the story, and that was annoying. While it was fun at first, almost every new character of scene alluded to past literature or a real person. All of that crammed into this story actually detracted from the story's strength and made it drag on. It also wasn't amazing because I felt as if I knew how it would end. In the middle it became a matter of getting through the pages and words to see the happy ending - there were no twists or tricks. Just scene after scene of allusions and references. While this isn't necessarily bad, because it is quite fun to find them and Pratchett makes things so witty, there are just too many.

I don't know if I would read it again, but I always appreciate Terry Pratchett's writing. Three stars because I enjoyed it and it was more than just okay - definitely not more because it dragged in the middle. Recommended for anyone who already reads Pratchett (of course) and people who like Dickens and London in that era.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Victorian, a young tosher’s luck changes on a stormy night when he rescues a young woman of means from her cruel captors. Henry Mayhew and Charles Dickens happen on the scene and arrange for the young woman to be cared for in Mayhew’s home. The woman is the young wife of a prominent foreign man, and she is desperate to escape from her cruel husband and remain in England, the land of her mother’s birth. Mayhew, Sir Robert Peel, Disraeli, and others want to avoid a diplomatic crisis. Dodger just wants to protect Simplicity, as they decide to call her.This entertaining tale mixes fictional characters with historical characters in Victorian London. With Dickens as a character, it’s not surprising that it has the atmosphere of a Dickens novel, with scenes in Fleet Street, Seven Dials, and the London sewers. Dodger is as sharp as his (supposed) namesake, and readers will root for his success. Steven Briggs provides excellent narration in the audio version.

[themadhatters_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an exciting and intriguing alternate story of the famous Dodger from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. I highly recommend this book.

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

Another one gulped down more or less at one sitting, I'm afraid, but I promise a proper review later

[Scott Heward · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good stuff. Dodger is the perfect underdog. Makes one count their blessings

[elam11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dragged on and ended a bit anti-climatically, but it was so charming to read his author's note at the end. Sigh.

Kept forgetting that this book was not Discworld, and so got jerked out of the story every time e.g. Christians or Jupiter were mentioned... which wasn't frequently, actually. And I don't know where that's good or bad. Dodger was like a combination of Vimes and Moist, maybe a little Carrot for polite, good-natured charm.

[jlford3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this! It was interesting reading something non-fantasy from Terry Pratchett. Great characters and the homage to Dickens is great. You can read it without ever having read Oliver Twist, but it would let you in on the inside jokes he drops.

[bardbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars
A good romp of a Younger Readers book, with just enough literary and historical references to keep the story moving along for Pratchett fans of all ages. Dodger's a fun twist of Dickens!

[jonsweitzerlamme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's clear that Pratchett loves putting 19th-century London into Ankh-Morpork, and here he just puts himself into 19th-century London. You'll need some historical background, but this is a wild romp through history, following a great main character. 

[jamestomasino · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good humor, some exciting action, lovely dialogue, and lively characters. Pratchett is an excellent writer and this excursion into victorian london and literature is no exception. If you're looking for something other than Discworld, look no further.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

He calls it "historical fantasy" because he mushes up some time in addition to having fictional and real people in places that aren't "correct."

It's still a good story and the overlaps amused me.

This book would be rated PG by the MPAA.

I'll listen to it again.

[Sheena Gurbakhash · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dodger of Oliver Twist fame, comes across a young girl being attacked on a dark stormy night and leaps into action. the result is a Prachett-esque romp through Victorian London. Great fun.

[vikkilaw · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Terry Pratchett makes me laugh out loud.

[byshieldmaiden · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A departure from Discworld, Sir TPerry takes us on a romp through the early days of Victorian London, where Charles Dickens is a journalist prowling the underbelly of streets, Prince Albert is still alive, and we're introduced to a wealth of characters that seem almost unreal and yet, they very much are. As most of you know, I'm a huge fan of Sir TPerry, but this book was hit or miss for me. The backstories of early Victorian London, the dialogue, the slang, the characters were all true to life. While I appreciated the nod to Dickensian themes and word styling, but there still felt like something was detached and it's driving me crazy that I cannot put my finger on it. I read this in spurts of 50-75 pages, putting it down, and then picking it up months later for another 50-75 page spurt. The last spurt happened in a 1.5 hour long bath because I was desperate to finally finish it.This book would be a great companion to anyone interested in a fantasy set in reality (as Sir PTerry puts it) of early Victorian Age or who wants to get into Dickens without reading Dickens. Sir PTerry is a great storyteller and that is still evident here and while I feel he was incredibly passionate about Dodger and his companions, the magic was slightly off and a bit hard to swallow.

[emnakanishi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What initially drove me to pick this book up was my faith in Pratchett, and I'm glad that I did. Dodger is a delightful character, wise beyond his years - the inspiration for the Artful Dodger in Dickens' classic Oliver Twist. The excitement is accompanied by a heavy dose of history, with such characters as Charles Dickens and Benjamin Disraeli making more than one appearance. Personally, historical novels tend to bore me, but this one kept my interest as Pratchett usually does, with quick-witted narrative, compelling and interesting characters, and a plot line that I simply couldn't put down without finishing. It helps that the author says himself that this was "a historical fantasy, and certainly not a historical novel!" I learned quite a lot from this book, and it was an enjoyable lesson, to say the least.

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

Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs; always an incredibly satisfying combination!

[ajbraithwaite_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sweeney Todd, Joseph Bazalgette, Charles Dickens, Sir Robert Peel, Henry Mayhew: this novel is a bit of a 'Who's Who' of famous Victorians. It's an easy, enjoyable read although with a few odd editing errors in the first quarter of the book (I noticed 'rather' for 'either' and 'Jprobably').

[akmargie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Besides the wonderful characters, I love how Pratchett can bring a plot with a hundred threads to a complete and satisfying close. All with his characteristic wit and humor.

[thefallingalice · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dodger ist in der Kanalisation Londons zu Hause. Denn für einen armen Jungen gibt es im viktorianischen London nicht viele Möglichkeiten, sein Geld zu verdienen. Mit dem sogenannten Toshen, bei dem die Kanalisation nach verlorenen Münzen und wertvollen Gegenständen durchsucht wird, kann man dies auf eine noch fast ehrliche Art und Weise tun. Eines Abends jedoch ändert sich Dodgers Leben von Grund auf. In einer dunklen und regnerischen Nacht rettet er einer jungen Frau das Leben. Durch weitere glückliche Umstände kann das schwer verletzte und schwangere Mädchen bei einem angesehenen Herrn unterkommen. Doch wie sich herausstellen soll, ist diese Frau alles andere als ein einfaches Mädchen. Sie schwebt in großer Gefahr und Dodger wird so zum mehrfachen Helden.Die Hauptfigur des Romans durchlebt im gesamten Buch einen Wandel. Er wird durch allerlei Umstände von einem kleinen Gassenjungen, der sich dank seiner Schläue durchs Leben kämpft, zu einem respektierten Gentleman, ohne es eigentlich zu wollen. Dodger kennt die Straßen Londons und seine Leute wie seine Westentasche und dank der Gabe, einen Menschen sofort durchschauen zu können, öffnet ihm das viele Türen.In diesem Roman trifft man viele alte Bekannte. Nicht aus den Scheibenwelt-Romanen Pratchetts, sondern mehr oder weniger historische Figuren. Zum einen wäre das Charles Dickens, der berühmte Schriftsteller, der an Dodger einen Narren gefressen hat oder Sweeney Todd, der Babier aus der Fleet Street, den Dodger überwältigt und so unfreiwillig zum Helden wird.Dunkle Halunken oder Dodger, wie das Buch im Original heißt, ist ein ganz anderer Terry Pratchett. Es hat seine Längen und macht es dem Leser schwierig, zunächst einen Bezug zu Dodger und seiner Welt zu finden.Es hat sehr wohl seinen Witz und seinen Charme, der sich in lustigen Passagen zeigt und zum Ende hin zieht der Autor durch Geheimnisse und Pläne den Leser wieder an sich. Das Setting ist gut gewählt und war dem Autor auch ein persönliches Anliegen, um die Armut zu der damaligen Zeit noch einmal deutlich zu machen und zu zeigen: wie wir leben ist es besser als noch vor einigen Jahrhunderten und wir haben keinen Grund uns manchmal dermaßen zu beklagen.

[Vanesa obono · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sir Terrence Pratchett was and will always be one the best authors out there.

[chrisriesbeck · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An OK Pratchett but not one of my favorites. Not because it's off-Discworld -- I loved Nation, set, supposedly in the same alternate history -- but because there's nothing really surprising. I never quite knew where Nation was going to go, but I never had any doubt about where Dodger would end up.This does make an interesting contrast to Dan Simmons' Drood, which similarly has Charles Dickens as an important secondary character, and the very fetid sewers of London as an important environment.

[Guermantes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

We've enjoyed everything we've read or listened to by Terry Pratchett and this was no exception.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun audio book set in England during the time of Charles Dickens and Disraeli. Reminds you of reading Dickens and also of Les Miserables because of the Paris sewers.

[claireforhan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This work of historical fiction brought me as a reader into the sewers of London in the 1800s. When 17 year old Dodger rescues a young woman escaping from the grips of two brutal men, he becomes a town hero. While he normally lives in the sewers, earning a living by finding lost money, as Dodger comes above ground, he continuously gets into situations. He saves the local newspaper from an intruder, stops Sweeney Todd from killing more people, and ultimately captures the evil assassin known as Outlander. All these heroic events occur because Dodger is trying to protect the young woman from the carriage, Simplicity.It is further revealed that Simplicity is married to a prince from a different country, and they want her back to avoid any political issues. However, Dodger knows that Simplicity's husband had been beating her, so he goes to great strengths to protect her. ***SPOILER*** In the end, Dodger fakes Simplicity's death in the sewers, and they run off together, but ultimately return home to London where Dodger gets a job for the Queen as a "spy."Throughout the novel, Dodger comes into contact with many major and minor historical figures, such as Charles Dickens, Sweeney Todd, Benjamin Disraeli, Angela Burdett-Coutts and Queen Victoria. While what happens is fictional, the portrayals of these characters help the reader to imagine life in the 1800s. I enjoyed this book, but felt it was long and a little tricky to get into. The chapters are long and dense. Also, it is told in third person, and a lot of the details to conversations are avoided, so the reader must figure out what the characters talked about- making the plot line a little confusing.I would suggest this book for high school based on the dense text and intricate plot line.

[mjspear_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Huzzah! This is an old-fashioned rip roarin' tale of mystery and intrigue set in a most enticing location: the sewers of Victorian London. "The Dodger" is a "tosher"-- someone who doesn't actually steal but appropriates items cast aside or lost. Because Dodger is small and agile, he can easily slip through the manholes under the drains. As the story opens, it is the proverbial dark and stormy night. The Dodger is hovering near a drain to avoid the floods when he sees a young woman being thrown from a carriage and pummeled. He scares off the thug and rescues the girl.. He then finds himself a target for killers and in the middle of international intrigue. The book is populated with wonderful characters, including "Solomon" (a kinder, more respectable 'Fagin' type character) Charlies Dickens himself, Benjamin Disraeli and an odorous dog named Onan. The pacing and plot twists come at a steady clip and there's a lot of humor -- much of it ironic as Dodger, while smart, is delightfully naive. There is a satisfying romance and even a dash of philosophy as the Dodger learns that "in the fog, people see what they want to see." ... one can pretend to be something different and many people, especially if so pre-disposed, will believe it. Highly recommended for fans of action, history and good story telling.

[shirezu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whilst this isn't the next Discworld book we've all been waiting for the latest Pratchett book is still worth reading. Set in Victorian London, Dodger is a mixture of alternate history as well as a mystery novel.

Dodger is the archetypical young ragamuffin, brought up on the streets but with a heart of gold and intelligence not generally found amongst his peers, who finds himself in a position to change his life and rub shoulders with the top of society. For those who've read Raymond Feist's books he reminds me a lot of Jimmy the Hand.

It's not a very long book and isn't written in the same style as the Discworld books, which is a good thing. The writing suits the time period and the story. A fun tale, though a tad predictable, I would recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure.

[mamzel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in Victorian London, Dodger is a wonderful historical novel centered around a Dickensonian character named Dodger. Making his living as a "tosher", he rummages in the sewers for loose change or pieces of jewelry that have fallen through the grates. While on a search one night he hears a woman's scream and emerges from below in time to save her by beating off two attackers. Also attracted to the scene are Charles (Charlie) Dickens and Henry Mayhew. They assist Dodger in moving the girl to a safer locale and thus begins a wonderful story.Pratchett incorporates many historical figures in this story and the afterword explains who they are so the reader can distinguish them from the fictional characters. As well as the two already mentioned, Benjamin Disraeli and even Queen Victoria make appearances.Written in the style of Dickens, Pratchett serves up humor and word play appropriate to the time period. The reader is completely submerged in the world and underworld of the time. Fans of Dickens' works will appreciate the sly inserts of references, like Bleak House and Oliver Twist. Pratchett has tried to remain true to the slang and other references of the time.The audio version of the book is ably read by Stephen Briggs who naturally has the educated London accent and can turn on the Cockney accent as needed. His clipped speech took a little getting used to but eventually seemed as natural as anyone.

[tronella_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved it! To begin with I felt like I wanted it to just be an Ankh-Morpork book rather than a Dickensian London book, probably because of its kind of old-school Discworld-esque writing style, but once all the various historical figures started appearing my mind was changed. Still, the mood of the book is very Ankh-Morpork-like, which I enjoyed a lot. Recommended!

[sharonmariabidwell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s confession time. I have the guilty pleasure of not having finished all of Terry Pratchett’s books. I’ve loved his work ever since I picked up The Colour of Magic more years ago than I care to recall. I have my favourites but never have I been truly choked over the death of a writer, possibly over anyone I didn’t personally know. The term ‘genius’ is often banded around regarding his work, those who are literary aficionados of the type who insist one must be a name on the cover of books of dark weathered tomes read by only those with an IQ in the numbered region possible to stretch to the moon, dismiss with contempt, but Pratchett was a genius of satire. A friend of mine always took his work to be about ‘little wizards running around’. Like many it escaped her notice that the Discworld was our world, that the University of Magic was our Parliament, the wizards there our Government. I’ve a few books of his left unread. About 4 set on the Discworld, I believe, a couple of factual books, the fantasy series he wrote with Stephen Baxter, and the last book he ever wrote. They’re rare treasures awaiting my attention because once I’ve read them there will be no more.Dodger stands alone. It’s loosely set in the first quarter of Queen Victoria’s reign as is stated in the Author Acknowledgements — a section worth reading in itself even if you pick up the book in a shop and stand there while you do. Pratchett did write books for younger readers and though the wordage in this book is an easy read and the plot rather uncomplicated, Terry gave it the spins only he could, setting up questions any decent society should ask itself, and showing how much has changed. Not my favourite Pratchett but a thoroughly entertaining read.