Oliver Twist

كتاب Oliver Twist
المؤلف: Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist is another masterpiece of "Charles Dickens", that appeared in serial form in two years from 1837 to 1839 and appeared in the book shape in 1838 in three volumes. "Charles Dickens" was well versed in the poverty of London, as he himself was a child worker after his father was sent to debtors' prison. His appreciation of the hardships endured by impoverished citizens stayed with him for the rest of his life and was evident in his journalistic writings and novels. "Dickens" began writing "Oliver Twist" after the adoption of the Poor Law of 1834, which halted government payments to the able-bodied poor unless they entered workhouses. Thus, "Oliver Twist" became a vehicle for social criticism aimed directly at the problem of poverty in 19-century London. This novel was very popular when it was first published, partially because of its scandalous subject matter. It depicted crime and murder without holding back -causing it, in Victorian London, to be classed as a "Newgate novel" (named after Newgate Prison in London). While critics often condemned such novels as immoral, the public usually enjoyed them. Because the novel was also published serially, the anticipation of waiting for the next installment (and its many cliffhangers) also likely contributed to its popularity.