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I read Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby and found that to be harsh. Those old boarding school masters were heartlessly cruel.
posted by
Against4WindsOn2Flam
on April 6, 2013 at 10:04 PM
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calia, its been ages since I read it (high school days likely)...
Judging by the comments you've received, I'll have to refresh my memory and read it again..
..
posted by
Rumor
on April 3, 2013 at 1:50 PM
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Those English were rough and abusive with orphans at that time. I saw a remake movie a few years back; it seems it got some better after a point and it would come and go, but I only have a vague recollection of it.
posted by
mariss9
on April 3, 2013 at 7:47 AM
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Thanks everyone for the insight! I just reached the part where his friend Dick from the workhouse told the awful Mr. Bumble to deliver a message to Oliver that he has thought about him and wishes him the best, as Dick knows he is not long for the world.
posted by
calia14
on April 3, 2013 at 6:23 AM
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I'm not sure that they were allowed to be light hearted back then... it is one of the brighter of Dickens works but it can be pretty bleak in parts, simply because the life of a poor orphan back then would have been bleak
posted by
lionreign
on April 3, 2013 at 3:36 AM
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calia
Well, Oliver Twist is one of the classics of English 19th century literature, and one has to understand it in the context of its time. It's in many ways a fairly accurate description of life among the poor in the England of that day...
posted by
Nautikos
on April 2, 2013 at 9:42 PM
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I would say to keep it in perspective of who Oliver is, the times he's living in and his circumstances! It is a great novel to understand perseverence and that there as many more good people than bad! sam
posted by
sam444
on April 2, 2013 at 8:25 PM
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when you take into account the time period during which he wrote you will understand why....most of his works are gloomy...some have a happy ending....i remember when the musical came out with Davey Jones playing the part of Oliver
posted by
Annicita
on April 2, 2013 at 5:50 PM
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it is a classic and if you find it difficult to read Dickens books
get a DVD special that has many of his stories on film. Much easier to enjoy.
posted by
Kabu
on April 2, 2013 at 5:03 PM
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Thanks guys :) I have never heard of a game called "authors" but it sounds like something that I would like
posted by
calia14
on April 2, 2013 at 3:11 PM
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I won't give away anything, but I will say that it does have a happy ending . . . 
posted by
JimmyA
on April 2, 2013 at 2:28 PM
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I read it so long ago, I really should read it again. I was brought up on classics of that caliber and at the time was amazed by them. When I was a kid my siblings and I played the game "Authors" a lot and I was determined to read everything mentioned in those cards. Then I found there were a lot more that weren't even mentioned in the cards.
posted by
TAPS.
on April 2, 2013 at 1:34 PM
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Calia
A great old English book very British boy Oliver is raised in a 'workhouse'. I read it like, 60 years ago and found it wonderful but I am the son of a Brit mother so read lot's of Brit literature and loved that one.
posted by
WileyJohn
on April 2, 2013 at 1:18 PM
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calia14
MIt’s lovely, touching, and exciting very awesome so do read it love. BC-A, Bill’s R®st
posted by
BC-A
on April 2, 2013 at 11:52 AM
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Whenever I see "classics" at the goodwill or a thrifty book store for less than a dollar, I pick them up. I think that's how this one came to find it's home on my shelf. It's very well written, but the experience it is taking me through is emotional in all the worst ways so far
posted by
calia14
on April 2, 2013 at 9:43 AM
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I myself have not read it. I need to.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on April 2, 2013 at 9:27 AM
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