Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Summary from goodreads:
The story of the orphan Oliver, who runs away from the workhouse only to be taken in by a den of thieves, shocked readers when it was first published. Dickens's tale of childhood innocence beset by evil depicts the dark criminal underworld of a London peopled by vivid and memorable characters — the arch-villain Fagin, the artful Dodger, the menacing Bill Sikes and the prostitute Nancy. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, the Newgate Novel and popular melodrama, in Oliver Twist Dickens created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.

My Review
This was my first CD book and I actually enjoyed it! The only reason I read this one out of many others that he has written was because my cousin told me this one was a good one for beginners. I agree!

Dickens does a good job with characters. Sikes and Fagin are both thoroughly evil and I found myself hating them both as the book wore on. For me that's not a big a feat though as I get attached to characters really quickly. Overall, the bad guys - Dickens did real well. Oliver was a bit too much of a sissy for me, but I'm sure Dickens was trying to paint him as a pure good soul so I guess it's okay. < That is pretty much the only critique of the book. Oh, and also, Dickens run on sentences! They're okay in the beginning but as they go on it's just droning on and on and it kind of brings on a boring feel to the story, especially during the dull moments.

Other than that, the description of London of that time really knocked me out, though.  I like the view into London in the mid eighteen hundreds and enjoyed the book as much for that as the story. He must have hated the city too much since he pictured it as the most disgusting, hideous, dirty and criminal place on earth. But it's the city itself that makes the atmosphere of the book: gloom, danger, and hopelessness pierce the book throughout. 

In conclusion, the book is pretty good! A plot I haven't read before, a good story, and captivating characters, is probably why this book is so well known. I'd definitely recommend it but would only give it about 3.5 out of 5 since I did get bored at some points.