Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

37 reviews

rainydayscribe's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I picked up this book not being overly familiar with it. I think because it was adapted as a 90s cartoon film with animals, and because the only scene the vast majority of people are familiar with is "Please, sir, may I have some more?", it might seem to be a children's book of sorts. At least, I'd thought it was. Holy moly. It is gritty. Biting wit and irony is used to call out injustices. There are grizzly crime scenes and quite a lot of focus on trauma, and on how guilt can haunt someone to the end of their days. There's hope too, no doubt, and a lot of warmth, but it's certainly a novel full of heavy themes. And it's really good. A true page turner! I have a newfound respect for Dickens. I didn't appreciate him enough while reading him in school.
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boutimar000's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Should be required reading for people who need to escape narcissistic abuse and the destruction stay near those relations can cause in all your life and how when they try to get you involved in their bad deeds the trap they KNOW they are setting for you. And also to the people outside of those situations so they can take pity on people who have been groomed from youth to do wrong and that trouble that it takes to get out of it 
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shadymist's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

3.0

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alysson's review against another edition

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I don’t remember how far I got. All I remember is HATING the book.  
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lillygabriella's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I had only read an abridged children's version of this before and seen several movie adaptations, including a BBC miniseries, which upon reading the book I discovered was actually fanfiction. Only France goes hard for accuracy in their national literature I guess.  

So, if like me you have only seen movie versions, know that there was a lot of serious character rehabilitation performed in all of the movies, especially where Fagin, Nancy, and Jack Dawkins aka The Artful Dodger are concerned.

Other than that, it is pretty standard for a nineteenth century novel: Never use one word when fifty will do. Clearly the man was paid by the word. And was in this work definitely on the side of Nature over Nurture.

I'm glad I read it. It's good to know how the classics actually go.
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mpbookreviews's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

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godelewa's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

4.25

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matt_needs_medicating's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I really enjoyed the beginning, but found much of the rest to really draaaaaaaaaag on. Just watch the musical tbh, it’s a better time.
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tumbly_weed's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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sword_spider's review against another edition

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Endless, endless gratuitous injury done to a young child. This consisting of the writer - from the onset - having continual, and consecutive, awful things happen to the young child protagonist; without reprieve. He also keeps up a trend of bestowing physical beatings upon the child. 

This book (figuratively, and literally as there is also animal abuse) really, really enjoys kicking a dog when it's down. I got to the end of chapter 15 and could bear no more.

To Dickens' credit however, I will say that the world and scene-painting were very rich. He creates fascinating characters and his writing is extraordinarily witty. There was also seat-edging suspense. I find it unfortunate to have to put the book down.
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