Classic Group Read (March 2015) - Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

You should know by my Modly subtitle how I feel about this... March's Classic Group Read will be Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens!

*cheers awkwardly, feels like a dork, stops*

*ahem*

Reading and discussion commence on March 1. Please keep spoilers behind spoiler tags.

*cough*

[Holly, That Geeky One]

+1 for the Doctor Who gif, Faye! Can't beat Doctor Who and it's portrayal of writers. (Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Agatha Christie)

I swear I want to read every group read in March. Typical half of it will be taken up by essay writing! Nevertheless, I will endeavor to read this! I really need more Dickens under my belt!

[Becca]

Just started Oliver Twist last night. Love it so far!

[Becca]

I must admit that songs from the musical keep running through my head while I read!

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

LOL I have that problem, too, Becca!

[Caite]

I don't have a physical copy of this book however I found it on wattpad classics and have been very eager to read this however my watching the movie years ago seems to have let down the book. I'm really enjoying this because it's quick and witty I absolutely love this book. I'm also really enjoying the many different things going on in this group it's my happy place at the moment. I wanted to finish teardrop first but I can't put down Oliver Twist it is just to good. Thank you for opening my eyes to this fantastic book!

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

That's awesome, Caite! :)

[Becca]

Finished Oliver Twist this morning. I really liked it. Who (besides Faye) knew that Dickens could be so much fun? I loved Dickens tongue-in-cheek comments about treatment of the poor.

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

I'm not very far into it myself. We can keep the discussion open. :)

[megan]

This took me soooo long to read. I can only handle so much of the old dialogue before I get irritated. And the poor little guy kept breaking my heart.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I loved this book, but I also found it creepy. Especially Monks. Maybe because he was left out of the movie version and so was unexpected.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

But so much of Oliver Twist was just brilliant. It's hard to believe that it was Dickens first real novel.

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

Ohhhh, Oliver... you start out so awesome, but it takes me forever to read the second half of you.

I feel as though Dickens was working out how to write a novel while he was writing this book, and at times he missed the mark. But that's okay, because he's DICKENS, and even when he's being over-the-top with the melodrama or over-using coincidences, every now and then he'll effortlessly poop out a gem like this -

Mr. Bumble was fairly taken by surprise and fairly beaten. He had a decided propensity for bullying; derived no inconsiderable pleasure from the exercise of petty cruelty; and, consequently, was (it is needless to say) a coward. This is by no means a disparagement to his character; for many official personages, who are held in high respect and admiration, are the victims of similar infirmities. The remark is made, indeed, rather in his favour than otherwise, and with a view of impressing the reader with a just sense of his qualifications for office.

As one might say nowadays - BURN. ;)

Seriously, this man and words... what a beautiful relationship. How he did it, and maintained it so consistently from the beginning of his writing career right up to the end, the rest of us mere mortals will never know.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Yeah. He was a powerhouse. I agree with your surmise that he seemed to be working out how to write a novel as he went. I think it's more the characters than the storyline which really shine even this early in his career.

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

Very much so!