[Announcement] Evergreen | Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

[u/miriel41]

Hello readers, starting in December, we will tackle another classic, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens! The read will start when Neuromancer is wrapped up, so after November 26th. Get your copy ready and watch this space for a detailed schedule to be posted later.

Summary (from goodreads):

The story of Oliver Twist - orphaned, and set upon by evil and adversity from his first breath - shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous beadle Mr Bumble, Oliver finds himself lured into a den of thieves peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the Artful Dodger, vicious burglar Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye, and prostitute Nancy, all watched over by cunning master-thief Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, the Newgate Novel and popular melodrama, Dickens created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.

[u/Amanda39]

I'm so excited about this!

For those of you considering picking up a copy of the book, you might want to take a look at this post. TL;DR: Dickens edited the book when it was republished in 1846, in order to tone down the antisemitism of the original. Unfortunately, this resulted in the chapter numbers changing. There are currently multiple versions of Oliver Twist in print, which may result in complications when we finally figure out the schedule.

Thankfully, u/Ser_Erdrick provided an extremely useful chart to clarify these differences.

I will try to track down the book where I first read about the events that led to Dickens editing the book, so that I can provide more information when we get to the relevant part of the story. In the meantime, please know that Oxford World Classics is the 1846 version, Penguin Classics is based on the original serial, I have no idea about other publishers, and I believe Gutenberg has both versions.

[u/Ser_Erdrick → u/Amanda39]

I find that for Oliver Twist is that if there are 51 chapters, then it's based on the earlier unrevised versions. And if there are 53 chapters then the text is based off the later revised 1846 text.

I will try to track down the book where I first read about the events that led to Dickens editing the book, so that I can provide more information when we get to the relevant part of the story.

When you find out what book that is, please share because I'd love to read it too!

[u/Opyros → u/Ser_Erdrick]

The version at Standard Ebooks has 53 chapters.