Oliver Twist

De: Charles Dickens

Narrado por: Simon Vance

One of Charles Dickens' most popular novels, Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan who dares to say, "Please, sir, I want some more". After escaping from the dark and dismal workhouse where he was born, Oliver finds himself on the mean streets of Victorian-era London and is unwittingly recruited into a scabrous gang of scheming urchins. In this band of petty thieves, Oliver encounters the extraordinary and vibrant characters who have captured audiences' imaginations for more than 150 years: the loathsome Fagin, the beautiful and tragic Nancy, the crafty Artful Dodger, and the terrifying Bill Sikes, perhaps one of the greatest villains of all time.

Rife with Dickens' disturbing descriptions of street life, the novel is buoyed by the purity of the orphan Oliver. Though he is treated with cruelty and surrounded by coarseness for most of his life, his pious innocence leads him at last to salvation - and the shocking discovery of his true identity.

Public Domain (P)2008 Tantor

Classic tale of struggle

Classic tale of an innocent boy who survives against the incredible odds of the poverty system in 19th c England. The formal language of the story by today’s is brightened by the irony and sarcasm that exposes the truth of individual characters and most of all the cruel parochial system that is abused for personal benefit by those who run it. Oscar’s survival against all the odds through childhood is amazing. His decision to travel to London saves him as that’s where he finds friends with sufficient kindness and the means to help him that he likely could never find in his hometown.

Absolutely fantastic

It has all, pathos, irony, humour, the fall and restitution of an innocent boy. All manner of human frailty and human redeeming qualities. Excellently written and told.
The reader was great in his portrayal of all the characters.
A triumph of English literature that stands the test of time.
Thoroughly recommended.

Narrator the best

If I could give a rating above five stars to this narrator, I would. He brought every unique character to life and brilliantly interpreted Dickens’s masterful words

Simon Vance is a brilliant narrator!

Dickens work is superb. That said, to bring it to life in a recording takes an actor with consummate skill. That actor is Simon Vance. I choose my recorded books simply by saying which ones are narrated by Simon Vance. I recommend very highly, extremely highly, another book recorded by him: The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. I have listened to it nearly a dozen times.

Amazing narration!

I had never read Oliver Twist and found it to be the most heartwrenching and loving story, both at the same time. What truly amazed me was the narrator, his skill in how he had such completely different voices for each character, it was like listening to a play, not just one person. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if they have already read the book.