Bill Sikes has got to be one of the best (worst?) literary villains ever. Between he and Fagin my nightmares will have ample resources for a long time. Oliver Twist is not my favorite Dickens, but his almost oppressive commentary on the time is great to read, even if it does feel a little too cheery at the end after all the gloom, doom and a little gore. I would recommend this book just for it's amazing descriptions of London's nighttime and weather. Its like an additional (creepy) character in the novel and the passages about them are so beautifully worded.