Welcome to the second post (of three) for Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Participants made their first post earlier this month. We only have one more post to go to have conquered this early piece of Dickens' writing.On to the second volume! I should warn you there may be slight spoilers, but nothing major.
I need to be quite honest: I am really enjoying this novel. I have been captured by the story. I want to solve the mystery of Oliver's birth, see Fagin go down, and get the satisfaction of a somewhat happy ending.
In this volume, we pick up where we left off. Oliver, a pawn of the evil Fagin, was left behind after being shot during the failed robbery. Left in a ditch, Oliver finds his way to the nearest house in hopes of finding help. Just so happens that he arrives at the same house he was sent to rob.
The people, Mrs. Maylie and Rose, who live there, take pity on the wounded Oliver and begin to nurse him back to health. You can tell that they sincerely feel for Oliver as he confides his story to them in detail. He finally begins to feel safe here, and happy.
We also get introduced to Mrs. Maylie's son, Harry, who just so happens to love Rose. He wants to marry her, but because of mysterious circumstances surrounding her birth, she is not as socially "high" as dear Harry. I foresee some connection to Oliver's own mysterious beginnings.
There are also a few scenes with Mr. Bumble-one of those men who ran the workhouse where Oliver was born. He is approached at the very end of this volume by a mysterious man who wants information about the nurse who was there when Oliver was born. All we really know is that his name is Monks.
Insanity.
I am completely suckered in and I am so glad I don't know where this story is headed. Dickens is surprising me. I was convinced I was going to hate this as much as his other work before I began, and while he does drag on a bit, I don't find this to be even in the same league as the other novels I've read. Because while he is certainly touching on some deep and serious topics, he does make some light of them. You don't HAVE to feel the seriousness unless you want to. But it is there, and worthy of discussing once you finish. :)
Anyway, I am looking forward to getting some answers and seeing how everything turns out in the end.
If you finished this section, please leave me a link to your post so I can link it up here! Then share and participate and discuss this to your heart's content! ;)
Bookworm1858
I didn't like this second part as much as the first part because I thought it dragged a bit. However I am really psyched for the last third to see how Dickens ties everything together!
ReplyDeleteMy Post
I really should read this soon. I've always put it off out of fear. Dickens. Oh, Dickens.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're finding a Dickens you can somewhat enjoy! I'm afraid I've been told this one isn't a good one for me, plus I'm pretty turned off Dickens by Bleak House...
ReplyDeleteI finished reading last week. =X I really thought I wouldn't even be able to keep pace with the read-along (because I've been so busy and because I wasn't enjoying the book at first). But, after the first 80-pages or so, I started plowing through it and, in the end, I did enjoy it quite a bit. Not my favorite Dickens, but still good (better than A Tale of Two Cities, in my opinion).
ReplyDeleteI won't say anything else, because I don't want to spoil it for those keeping time with the check-in dates, but I did post my review over on my blog if anyone is ahead or wants my overall opinion. =)
Thanks again for the push to finally read this! It's been on my shelf for years.
I'm just going to be doing one post at the end for time reasons, but so far I am also enjoying it a surprising amount. There are enough characters now that sometimes the names throw me off a bit, but overall it's not too bad. Probably my favourite is Mr. Bumble and some of his behaviours. Overall, definitely curious to find out what happens next, especially the story of Oliver's birth.
ReplyDeleteI, too, foresee some unexplainable coincidences ahead. LOL. I like this one more than Great Expectations, though, and it's turning out to be a pretty quick read. I can't wait to find out who Oliver's parents are. :)
ReplyDeleteHere's my post: http://yourmovedickens.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-readalong-part-2.html
I'm still loving this, although I did think this middle section dragged a bit. I can't wait to find out the ending!
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I LOVED Oliver Twist. It's melodramatic and it's full of amazing, unrealistic coincidences but it's still one of my favorite Dickens, right up there with Bleak House. They're both great but it's fun to see how his work evolved. I need to start another Dickens soon -- maybe Dombey and Son.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to see you still enjoying OT:) Here is my second post...
ReplyDeletehttp://bookpsmith.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-read-along-post-two.html
Won't have a chance to read everyone else's posts until Tuesday:( Something to look forward to...
I'm lagging on this book. For the first time, I'm not in love with a classic. I'm not sure it's Dickens' fault, because the story and writing are sound. Maybe I'm just in a mood? I meant to read this in a week, and I'm not even half through yet, two weeks later. I don't love it. It's very dark, I think, and to me feels very faraway, narratively. The 'voice' of the narrator seems snide, and it annoys me. I 'feel' Dickens more than the characters.
ReplyDeleteI finally posted mine. Sorry I'm so late. I'm still not loving it, but I have hopes that the last section will improve for me.
ReplyDeletehttp://kristilovesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-check-in-2.html
I, too, am enjoying this book more than I thought I would!
ReplyDeleteHere's my second post:
http://cindy-somanybookssolittletime.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-read-along-part-two.html
Here's my second post: http://fewmorepages.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-readalong-book-2.html
ReplyDeleteI was kind of hesitant to pick up reading after the first check-in, so I'm a little late. But I started to like the book better with this section so it shouldn't be a problem for the last check-in. :)
I know it is early but I am leaving a link to my third post on OT due to computer hard drive issues. Wasn't sure when I would be back to normal blogging operations:)
ReplyDeletehttp://bookpsmith.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-read-along-post-three.html