Oliver Twist

This is another classic that was a disappointment. I couldn’t care about anything in the book.

Most of the contrasts made in the book are simple and often played as an unfunny joke. I can’t tell if this is because the book is older and might have been received better at that time. The Jewish character was one of the hardest to read. I know older books have a casual racism to them, but this was really a hammer to the head.

Oliver himself is lifeless, which makes the idea that all these random people become obsessed with him hard to take. I found him too passive in the story. There is not enough personality to help you root for him.

The ending wasn’t bad, as it closed off all the storylines quite well. This is not a classic book that I would recommend.