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Finally! I was waiting for you to reply. Legolas Send a noteboard - 09/02/2011 07:28:53 PM
I read it when I was a kid, in Norwegian. I really need to reread.

Probably, then, yes. Of course, I still haven't read any other Dickens except A Christmas Carol, so you're still way ahead of me. ;)
Well, it is an early novel. It does not surprise me terribly that he may be a little unsubtle. Even later on, subtlety is not his strong point, although I think he may have cut back a little on the hammering -- certainly if he does it directly in Oliver Twist. As I said, I need to reread.

It's not so much direct hammering as it is hammer-like sarcasm. Which, you know, per definition isn't direct, but still it's extremely hard to miss the real meaning.
Dickens is, in my opinion, not very good at writing good guys. They are always bland and kind of washed out.

Is it a mean generalization to say that seems to be true for many Victorian writers, and some earlier ones too? (Yes, Fanny Price, I'm thinking of you.)
Quite possibly. Even the grisly bits take on a certain nostalgic tint in much modern fiction (I haven't read the Faber book yet), in part because of Dickens.

*nods* I haven't read that much modern fiction in the Victorian age, that I can think of, but yeah, seems plausible.
I quite like the artificial happy endings. Precisely because they are often so clearly artificial.

I think you may be overestimating most readers with the "so clearly" comment. Definitely the readers at the time. As for liking them, I wouldn't have minded a happy ending so much if it had involved the interesting characters - but no, those meet horrible endings one and all. Which is fine in itself, but, you know, then don't bore me with a happy ending for the uninteresting characters... oh well.
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Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist Legolas - 01/02/2011 08:55:22 PM 7691 Views
I need to reread this one Camilla - 09/02/2011 06:06:06 AM 1475 Views
Finally! I was waiting for you to reply. Legolas - 09/02/2011 07:28:53 PM 1506 Views
Sorry. I have been particularly swamped the past couple of weeks. Camilla - 09/02/2011 07:36:52 PM 1522 Views
That's okay, I haven't been that active either. Legolas - 09/02/2011 09:16:59 PM 1487 Views
Re: That's okay, I haven't been that active either. Camilla - 09/02/2011 09:29:26 PM 1706 Views
I am rather surprised that nobody else is weighing in on this Camilla - 10/02/2011 10:23:24 PM 1306 Views
You and me both. Especially when my reviews of rather more obscure books do get replies... *NM* Legolas - 10/02/2011 10:24:45 PM 708 Views
A Christmas Carol would be his most famous book, methinks. Rebekah - 10/02/2011 10:29:00 PM 1376 Views
There are many candidates Camilla - 10/02/2011 10:29:54 PM 1250 Views
I think Oliver Twist is far more famous internationally. But maybe that's just around here. *NM* Legolas - 10/02/2011 10:30:22 PM 704 Views
It was the first one I heard about Camilla - 10/02/2011 11:21:44 PM 1277 Views
I agree DomA - 12/02/2011 01:11:54 PM 1433 Views
I was busy with a work audit the days it was first visible here (3 day settings for me) Larry - 10/02/2011 11:40:04 PM 1332 Views
Re: I was busy with a work audit the days it was first visible here (3 day settings for me) Camilla - 10/02/2011 11:44:21 PM 1383 Views
There is that Larry - 10/02/2011 11:48:19 PM 1269 Views
I had assumed I had alread read this but I haven't. How did that happen? Tashmere - 16/02/2011 01:24:36 AM 1329 Views
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