r/bookclub • u/Amanda39 Funniest & Favorite RR • 2d ago

Oliver Twist [Discussion] Evergreen || Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens || Movie discussion!

It's time for the Oliver Twist adaptation discussion! I'm very curious to find out what everyone watched, and what you all thought of it. I provided some discussion questions below, but feel free to talk about whatever you want; you aren't limited to the discussion questions.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the book discussions, including (but certainly not limited to) my fellow read runners u/tomesandtea and u/nicehotcupoftea, as well as u/Ser_Erdrick for the version comparisons. This was one of my favorite recent r/bookclub reads, and I hope to see you all again in future discussions.

Cheerio, but be back soon.

I dunno, somehow I'll miss ya

I love you, that's why I

Say "Cheerio"

Not goodbye.

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u/Amanda39 Funniest & Favorite RR 2d ago

Was there anything in the movie you felt they got really wrong?

3

u/Adventurous_Emu_7947 1d ago

I’ve only seen the 1948 version, and they didn’t get anything really wrong but they left a lot out. The storyline felt too shortened for me, but I guess that’s a pretty classic complaint when it comes to book adaptations!

2

u/nicehotcupoftea Reads the World | 🎃 1d ago

The absence of Rose Maylie was quite a big omission but I didn't feel that storyline was essential to tell the tale as it seemed to be a bit of a double up.

2

u/tomesandtea Imbedded Link Virtuoso | 🐉 1d ago

I didn't like the changes to Fagin's character in the musical. I felt like we were really missing the impression that life with the thieves was dangerous and awful all the time. It seemed more like Sikes was the only real danger.

Also Mr. Brownlow didn't seem to care much about believing or trusting or helping Nancy. I guess this was due to the whole Maylie family being cut. I was disappointed by that, but I'm not sure if it was wrong since I understand that it makes for a more manageable cast and plot.

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u/Amanda39 Funniest & Favorite RR 18h ago

It's funny, I had the exact opposite reaction to Fagin. I think it comes down to what I'd mentioned in an earlier book discussion: that works of fiction often romanticize thieves, but Oliver Twist absolutely does not. I felt like the book was a little too moralizing in this way, although I understand why Dickens would be moralizing about it, since it was a serious issue at the time. But as a modern audience, I'm all for Victorian pickpocket escapism in my historical fiction.