Oliver Twist is a novel by Charles Dickens, serialized from 1837 to 1839. An orphan born in a workhouse runs away to London, where he falls into the hands of a gang of young thieves led by the old receiver Fagin. The novel attacks the treatment of the poor in early Victorian England.
The story
Oliver grows up in a workhouse where the children are kept hungry. Apprenticed to an undertaker, he runs away to London.
The Artful Dodger takes him to Fagin's den. Oliver is rescued by the kind Mr Brownlow, recaptured by the brutal Bill Sikes, and finally learns the secret of his birth.
Social criticism
Dickens attacks the New Poor Law of 1834, which forced the destitute into harsh workhouses.
He also shows the criminal underworld of London, with its dark alleys and the tragic figure of Nancy, who tries to save Oliver.
Serial publication
The novel first appeared in monthly parts in Bentley's Miscellany, illustrated by George Cruikshank.
It has been adapted many times, notably as the musical Oliver! by Lionel Bart in 1960.
Anecdotes
Asking for more
The scene in which the starving Oliver dares to ask for a second helping of gruel is one of the most famous in English literature.
A young author
Dickens was only twenty-five when he began Oliver Twist, while The Pickwick Papers was still appearing.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Fagin?
The leader of a gang of young thieves in London.
When was the novel published?
Serially from 1837 to 1839.
What does Dickens criticize?
The workhouse system and the treatment of poor children.