'The power of Dickens is so amazing, that the reader at once becomes his captive' — William Makepeace Thackeray

The story of Oliver, an orphan who...

'The power of Dickens is so amazing, that the reader at once becomes his captive' — William Makepeace Thackeray

The story of Oliver, an orphan who runs away from the workhouse only to be taken in by a den of thieves, shocked readers with its depiction of a dark criminal underworld populated 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, Oliver Twist created an entirely new kind of fiction. Scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, the novel is filled with an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.

Edited with an introduction and notes by Philip Horne.