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Oliver Twist

The Audible Dickens Collection

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Oliver Twist

Written by: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Jonathan Pryce
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About this listen

This Audible Exclusive production revisits one of Dickens' most popular novels: Oliver Twist, narrated by internationally acclaimed, award-winning actor Jonathan Pryce.

Part of the Dickens Collection, an exclusive series of unmissable performances, Oliver Twist is a gleaming example of the genius and foresight of Charles Dickens.

When young orphan, Oliver Twist, is sold into an apprenticeship with an undertaker, he leaves behind years of miserable servitude and mistreatment at an English workhouse. Hoping to move on to better things, he decides to escape his new, equally dreary surroundings and head to London.

It is there that the novel unravels as Oliver meets a host of larger-than-life characters, including The Artful Dodger, a high-ranking member of a juvenile pickpocketing gang, and their elderly leader, Fagin.

Desperate for affection and the sense of belonging that he has never known, Oliver unwittingly throws himself into a life of petty theft, which soon takes a violent turn with the introduction of one of Dickens' most terrifying characters, Bill Sikes.

Exposing the cruel and inhumane treatment of orphans in 19th-century England, Dickens created one of the most significant social novels of all time. With it, he condemned the establishment for neglecting homeless children and leaving them vulnerable to recruiters who would exploit and abuse them. Oliver Twist cemented Dickens’ reputation as one of the most talented, influential and revolutionary of English authors.

Following his father’s incarceration, Charles Dickens had to abandon his studies at a young age and set to work in a factory so as to support himself. Despite his short-lived education, Dickens went on to write 15 novels, various articles, novellas and short stories. He lectured and led campaigns for children's rights and education and arguably became the ultimate self-made man.

Jonathan Pryce is an award-winning actor of the stage and screen. He is best known for Brazil, Glengarry Glen Ross, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series as well as his widely recognised performances as High Sparrow in HBO’s Game of Thrones and Cardinal Wolsey in BBC’s Wolf Hall.

Jonathan most recently starred opposite Glenn Close in the critically acclaimed film The Wife, directed by Björn Runge. He can soon be seen as Don Quixote in Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and in the upcoming Netflix feature film The Pope, directed by Fernando Meirelles, in which he stars as Pope Francis opposite Anthony Hopkins.

Public Domain (P)2019 Audible, Ltd
Classics Coming of Age Fiction Literary Fiction England Classics Collection
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What listeners say about Oliver Twist

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Terrific performance by Jonathan Pryce

This is a great way to enjoy the classics.
I listened while reading the paperback.
There were differences in word choices and how chapters were divided, but nothing that change or diminish the importance of the story.

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Experience a Classic!

I'm 60 years old and never knew the whole story. It was tragic how Oliver and the other orphans were treated which resulted in a pretty dark and depressing story.

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Can drag in spots but when it's good it's AMAZING!

Oliver Twist is a classic for a reason and Jonathan Pryce's narration makes it just that much better. Due to the serialization of the original story it does seem padded in some ways, but when the tale starts to move it really takes you away to the streets of mid 19th century London. All the characters are richly brought to life in writing and audio performance... Bill Sikes and Fagin are two of the greatest villains in the last 200 years. Get it, stick with it, and you will be rewarded.

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Sadness

I liked pretty much everything
It was a pretty depressing story
But good story line
Good characters

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Conquered At Last.

Despite being a wordy MF, and arguably a terrible human being, Dickens sure can write. Jonathan Pryce was the real hero, though.

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Fantastic performance ! Thoughtful and touching

loved this audiobook. would recommend to anyone who likes Dickens or Victorian writing in general.

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So dark.

Great narration. And you have to appreciate how Dickens brought to life the incredible suffering of the poor, laying stark the hypocrisy of those like the Beadle or the cruelty of those who judge Rose's parentage, for some readers who might otherwise have been sheltered from it in their own comfort.
But it is often hard work to get through.

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I had no idea how antisemitic this book is.

Even for the time and place in which it was written, this book stands out for its virulent antisemitism. The villain Fagin is characterized by virtually every trope there is.

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Disappointing Dickens

This story hasn’t stood the test of time well. It reflects the attitudes and prejudices of a bygone era. In recent years I’ve been a big Dickens fan, enjoying A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations and even A Christmas Carol. In addition to the socially incorrect issues, I found the plot melodramatic. My attention at times drifted, causing me to miss parts of the story. Jonathan Pryce’s narration was very good, however, giving distinct voices to an amazing array of characters.

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A classic but yet very hard to follow

I’ve known for years this book is a ‘classic’ so I was excited to listen to it but after about half way through I found it every hard to follow. I didn’t even finish it because I had no clue what was happening. It is written in the 1800s so keep in mind some of the terms aren’t considered “political correct” for todays day and age. The past 1/4 was very dark with death / hanging which I was not expecting at all.
I also found it was hard to follow the characters because their they went by more than one name or there was just so many characters it was hard to tell who was talking when.
Overall not a book I would read / listen to again nor recommend. Pick something else.

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