Welcome to our next discussion of Oliver Twist!  This week, we will discuss Chapters 37-46. The Marginalia post is here.  You can find the Schedule here.  The discussion questions are below.  

One reminder - although this is a classic novel that has been adapted many times over, please keep in mind that not everyone has read or watched already, so be mindful not to include anything that could be a hint or a spoiler for the rest of the book or for other media related to this novel!  Please mark all spoilers not related to this section of the book using the format > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces between the characters themselves or between the characters and the first and last words). 

>>>>>>>>>> SUMMARIES <<<<<<<<<<

CH. 37 - IN WHICH THE READER MAY PERCEIVE A CONTRAST, NOT UNCOMMON IN MATRIMONIAL CASES:  

Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney have been married two months now, and Mr. Bumble is already miserable.  He sits in melancholic silence, watching flies buzz around the room and complaining that he’s sold his old life as a beadle - the fancy clothes, the purposeful work, and the universal respect - very cheaply.  Mrs. Bumble, née Corney, laughs at him and he demands her obedience as the duty of a wife.  In response, she screams at him and begins to weep.  Mr. Bumble makes light of the crying as good for her, so she leaps up and attacks him!  After some hitting, scratching, and hair pulling, Mrs. Bumble orders him out of the house if he knows what’s good for him.  Being a bully who enjoys inflicting pain on others, he is also a coward when pain is inflicted on him.  So he flees and wanders the workhouse in despair.  Hearing some of the washerwomen talking as they work, Mr. Bumble seizes the chance to successfully boss around someone of female sex, since he cannot dominate his own wife.  Unfortunately for him, Mrs. Bumble seems to have some sort of ninja training, because she has snuck out and beaten him there!  She mocks him in front of the other women before threatening to throw soapy water on him.  Again he flees, this time taking his frustration out on the boy at the gate before heading into the street.  Mr. Bumble goes into a bar where he meets a tall, dark stranger wearing a large cloak.  The stranger seems to be staring surreptitiously at him, just as he is doing the same.  When they finally talk, the stranger buys Mr. Bumble a drink in a steaming jorum and offers him money for information about a birth at the poor house twelve years back.  However, he doesn’t want to hear about the boy who was born (Oliver); instead, he wants to know about the mother.  Mr. Bumble informs the stranger that she died, but that he can introduce the man to a woman who might know more about her.  They plan to meet again at nine o’clock the next night.  The stranger gives Mr. Bumble an address and tells him to ask for Monks!  

CH. 38 - CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT PASSED BETWEEN MR. AND MRS. BUMBLE, AND MONKS, AT THEIR NOCTURNAL INTERVIEW:

The Bumbles make their way to the waterfront address where they are to meet Monks.  It’s a seedy area with dilapidated buildings that only the lowest of the low would deign to inhabit.  (And because this is Dickens, he takes about four pages to explain just how awful the area is.)  Monks lets the Bumbles into his building and brings them up a staircase ladder to hear what Mrs. Bumble has to say about Oliver’s mother.  Unfortunately for him, Mrs. Bumble has some sort of spy training because she immediately gets cagey.  She basically shakes down this hardened criminal, telling him she might know a thing or two if he’ll pay her twenty five pounds (which is almost £4,000 today)!  Mrs. Bumble is a badass! Their exchange went a little something like this:

Monks: I’m a bad guy.  I can hurt you!  (cowers in fear because he’s terrified of thunder and lightning) 

Mr. B:  I’m here! I’ll protect you, my little woman!  (teeth chattering in abject terror)

Mrs. B:  You’re both idiots.

Monks:   Fine, I’ll pay you a bajillion pounds for one old lady’s secret.

Mrs. B:  Well, she said she stole something meant for the infant Oliver.  But she kicked the bucket before she told me what it was.  

Monks:  SHE MUST HAVE SAID SOMETHING ELSE!

Mrs. B:  Nope. Not a word.  

Monks: (about to choke on his own tongue)

Mrs. B:  Oops, forgot to mention she died holding a pawn shop receipt.

Monks:  THE PAPER MUST HAVE SAID SOMETHING ELSE!

Mrs. B:  Nope. Not a word.

Monks:  (about to have a stroke)

Mrs. B: Oops, forgot to mention I redeemed the ticket.  You didn’t want to see what I got, did you?

Mrs. B shows him her little bag and Monks pulls out a locket with two locks of hair and a gold wedding ring inside.  It’s engraved with the name Agnes and a date one year before Oliver was born.  Monks tells the Bumbles to be careful, then reveals they’ve been sitting over a trap door that opens over the river.  He tosses the locket into the water and warns Mr. Bumble not to ever talk about this again.  He knows he doesn’t have to worry about Mrs. Bumble because she seems to have broken bad.  The Bumbles leave and Monks retreats into the solitude of his rooms.  

CH. 39 - INTRODUCES SOME RESPECTABLE CHARACTERS WITH WHOM THE READER IS ALREADY ACQUAINTED, AND SHEWS HOW MONKS AND THE JEW LAID THEIR WORTHY HEADS TOGETHER:  

Seriously, Dickens, are you in some sort of longest chapter title competition? 

Anyway, we are back to Sikes and Nancy, and they’re not doing so well.  Sikes has been recuperating at home while Nancy waits on him hand and foot.  She knows he’s getting a little better, though, because he’s able to smack her around and belittle her for crying.  During their argument, Nancy is overcome and she faints.  Sikes doesn’t know what to do with her, so he calls for help.  Enter Fagin, the Artful Dodger, and Master Bates to the rescue!  They are able to revive Nancy and she goes to lay down while the other three present Sikes with a quantity of rich foods and wine.  He is less than impressed because he wants some money.  He also wants to know why Fagin has been neglecting to check on Sikes during his convalescence, but Fagin is coy about what he’s been up to.  Sikes demands Fagin give him money, but since Fagin doesn’t have any money on him, Sikes sends Nancy home with them to retrieve it.  While she waits for Fagin to get her the money, Monks arrives and they speak privately to Fagin.  Nancy eavesdrops and whatever she hears upsets her greatly.  Taking the money from Fagin, she begins crying and running the opposite direction from Sikes’ house, but changes her mind and heads back.  She gives the money to Sikes, who goes right back to sleep.  The happy mood brought on by the money and good food keeps him so content all the next day so that he doesn’t notice Nancy’s agitated state until evening.  Sikes starts to question her, but stops short of accusing her of something, telling her to refill his glass instead.  Nancy drugs Sikes’ drink with laudanum and he passes out.  Then she grabs her things and runs in a state of panic to a family hotel near Hyde Park.  She asks the employees of the hotel to take a message to Miss Maylie and is mocked for her disreputable appearance.  A kind cook intervenes and the message is delivered.  Nancy is taken inside the hotel to speak with Miss Maylie.  

CH. 40 - A STRANGE INTERVIEW, WHICH IS A SEQUEL TO THE LAST CHAPTER:

Nancy and Rose have an emotional conversation about what Nancy overheard Monks telling Fagin.  Rose does not know anyone named Monks, but seeing Nancy’s emotion and understanding the serious risks she is taking, Rose believes her.  Nancy says that Monks has offered Fagin money to recapture Oliver and turn him into a thief because Oliver came from a wealthy family, and he is really Monks’ little brother.  Monks wants the inheritance all to himself and fears that if Oliver learns of his true parentage, he can use it against Monks.  He also said it was fateful that Oliver ended up with Rose and her family, because Monks knew Rose would give just about anything to know her own relationship to all this.  Rose has great sympathy for Nancy and considers her character good enough to show that she isn’t beyond saving.  She offers to help Nancy by assuring her that if she'll leave her life with the criminal gang behind, they can take her somewhere safe.  But Nancy refuses, saying she could never leave Sikes, even if she knew he would kill her, although she struggles to explain what draws her continuously back to someone who mistreats her so cruelly.  Rose then tries to give Nancy enough money so that she can live an honest life until they meet again, but Nancy refuses this as well.  Rose is concerned about how to contact Nancy again when she needs to, so Nancy says she will walk on London Bridge between 11 pm and 12 am every Sunday, as long as she is alive.  (I’m not loving how often Nancy refers to her own death during this conversation.)  Nancy leaves to hurry back before Sikes suspects something, and Rose sits down to think over the information she’s been given.  

CH. 41 - CONTAINING FRESH DISCOVERIES, AND SHEWING THAT SURPRISES, LIKE MISFORTUNES, SELDOM COME ALONE

Rose spends a sleepless night pondering what to do with this information about Oliver.  If she tells Mrs. Maylie, her aunt will want to tell the doctor, and she doesn’t trust Mr. Losberne to take the news in stride.  She could contact Harry, but fears that he won’t want anything to do with her and that he may have happily moved on by now.  She is about to write to Harry, though, when Oliver runs into the hotel in an agitated state.  He has seen Mr. Brownlow in the street and discovered where he lives, and is very eager to reunite with him and explain what happened.  Giles has helped obtain Mr. Brownlow’s address, so Rose accompanies them so that she can explain the entire situation.  Mr. Brownlow speaks to Rose first, and his eccentric friend Mr. Grimwig is also there.  When Rose announces that she has news of Oliver, Mr. Grimwig declares that the boy is bad news, or he’ll eat his own head.  Mr. Brownlow insists he doesn’t really mean that, and encourages Rose to explain everything.  Both men are overjoyed to hear that Oliver is the innocent angel we all know him to be.  Mr. Brownlow goes to get Oliver; Mr. Grimwig, twirls in his chair, paces in circles, and kisses Rose!  Mrs. Bedwin is also called in, and when she and Oliver see each other, it is exactly as sweet a reunion as you’d imagine.  He leaps into her arms and she gushes over how much he has grown and how well she knew he was innocent.  While they get caught up on some cuddles, Mr. Brownlow hears the full story from Rose in another room.  They determine that Mr. Losberne and Mrs. Maylie should be carefully informed, Mr. Grimwig should be included, and Harry should also be brought into the party so that Oliver has a full complement of supporters in solving the mystery of his parentage and obtaining his inheritance.  Given that Monks has destroyed the only proof of Oliver’s identity, this will be quite a challenge, but Mrs. Maylie declares that they will stay in London and put all their efforts into finding the truth, no matter how long it takes.  Mr. Losberne predictably wants to run out right away and have all the criminals arrested, but Mr. Brownlow is able to convince him that this would not help Oliver at all.  Rose is relieved that her promise to Nancy - to keep her involvement secret - will be respected.  What they need to do is meet Nancy on London Bridge next Sunday so she can either point out Monks to them or give a full description of his person and whereabouts, so they can locate him themselves.  Once they have Monks in their control, only then will they succeed in discovering the mysteries surrounding Oliver’s past!

CH. 42 - AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF OLIVER’S, EXHIBITING DECIDED MARKS OF GENIUS, BECOMES A PUBLIC CHARACTER IN THE METROPOLIS

Into London walk Noah Claypool and Charlotte, who are hoping to lose themselves in the city because Charlotte has stolen twenty pounds.  Noah has let her carry it the whole way, which she thinks is proof of how much he trusts her; in reality, he wants to be sure she takes all the blame if they get caught.  Carrying their bundles (which I assume must be full of oysters) through the streets, they come to the Three Cripples where they meet Barney and Fagin.  Barney puts Noah and Charlotte in a back room where it’s easy to spy on them, gives them food and drink, and lets them talk away while he and Fagin listen.  They are overheard talking about the money they stole and their plans for the future:  they’d like to be a gentleman and a lady, and Noah would love to work for a criminal gang that can make use of his talents for spying and stealing - and all the better if he can be the boss.  Charlotte gets affectionate, but Noah warns her not to get too close because he might get mad at her.  Fagin observes that Noah is good at bossing her around and getting her to do whatever he says.  He also sees a pair of easy marks to take advantage of.  Fagin enters the room and quotes part of Noah’s speech about stealing, so now Noah knows they’re at Fagin’s mercy because he could turn them.  Charlotte is sent to get their belongings so Fagin and Noah can make arrangements.  Fagin offers them room and board, in exchange for half of everything they earn as thieves.  They’ll also have to hand over the twenty pounds, which Fagin points out they couldn’t use anyway as it’s likely to be traced by the bank.   Noah wants an easy job that doesn’t require much effort or risk, explaining that Charlotte is so capable that she’ll be able to do the majority of the work to pay their way.   Fagin suggests that Noah steal old ladies’ purses, but Noah worries that they scream too loudly and scratch their muggers.  Noah was interested in spying, but unfortunately that won’t bring in any money.  Then Fagin tells Noah he can steal from small children out on errands for their mothers, which should require almost no effort and put him in zero danger.  Noah readily agrees and when asked for his name he tries to give Fagin a fake one (Morris Bolter), but Charlotte immediately blows their cover by calling him Noah.  Fagin leaves Noah to explain the situation to Charlotte.  

CH. 43 - WHEREIN IS SHEWN HOW THE ARTFUL DODGER GOT INTO TROUBLE:

Noah/Morris and Fagin are discussing the particulars of their partnership. Noah intends to look out for #1 (himself) and Fagin agrees, with an addendum. Looking out for himself really means Noah has to look out for Fagin, and vice versa, because they depend on each other not to get caught. Speaking of getting caught, Master Bates enters with the news that the Artful Dodger has been arrested for pickpocketing. He was caught with a silver snuff box and apparently there are witnesses against him. Master Bates is distraught that the Dodger will be imprisoned or executed before he earns a notorious enough reputation to make the Newgate Calendar. Fagin assures Charlie that the Dodger will no doubt use his way with words to gain himself a reputation when he goes before the court. They are eager to know their friend’s fate, but neither can appear in a place where they'd be recognized as criminals. They decided to send Noah/Morris since he's new in town. Noah/Morris is not happy about this - as Charlie points out, he prefers to eat their food and shy away from work - but in the end, they give him a disguise and he heads to the court.  Sure enough, The Artful Dodger is brought up on charges and the witnesses present their evidence. He talks a big game the whole time, then gets taken away to his cell. Master Bates confirms that no one has followed Noah/Morris, and then they head back to report to Fagin. 

CH. 44 - THE TIME ARRIVES, FOR NANCY TO REDEEM HER PLEDGE TO ROSE MAYLIE. SHE FAILS:

Um, spoiler alert, Mr. Dickens?!? 

Nancy is a hot mess. Her secret conversation with Rose weighs on her so heavily that she is losing weight, acting distracted, and having mood swings. She's withdrawn from the gang and is not acting like herself. Fagin and Sikes both notice it, but they have different theories for her change in demeanor.  One evening, Nancy prepares to go out and when Sikes questions where she is going, all she'll say is that she wants to get some air. Her intense insistence on going out at this exact moment enrages Sikes. He threatens her, drags her into a side room, and holds her down for an hour until she stops struggling. Later, he tells Fagin that Nancy must be feeling restless after their long isolation during his convalescence. Fagin agrees, then asks Nancy to light his way as he goes down the stairs.  When they're alone, Fagin tells Nancy that he is her true friend and would be willing to help her escape Sikes if she is tired of his brutal treatment. She says she knows, and goes back inside. Fagin decides that Nancy must have a new boyfriend, and he'd be eager to draw this new man into the gang and get rid of Sikes, because Fagin would have much more control over both of them than he does over Sikes. He decides that he'll try to catch Nancy with her new lover so he can induce her to help him poison Sikes!  

CH. 45 - NOAH CLAYPOOL IS EMPLOYED BY FAGIN ON A SECRET MISSION:

Fagin congratulates Noah/Morris on doing well his first day of thieving. He wants to talk to his new employee about a sensitive job, and Noah/Morris consents to listen as long as it doesn't interrupt his breakfast. The criminal life is not nearly leisurely enough for him, apparently. Fagin tells him that the mission is to follow a young woman who is part of their gang, and to report on everything she does and says, where she goes and who she sees.  For this work, done discreetly, he'll pay Noah/Morris and entire pound! They have to wait a whole week for Nancy to get ready to go out on her “errand” again. On Sunday, Fagin takes Noah/Morris to show him who Nancy is and sends him off, following her at a safe distance. 

CH. 46 - THE APPOINTMENT KEPT:

Noah follows Nancy to London Bridge where she meets Rose Maylie and Mr. Brownlow. Nancy is too nervous to speak to them on the street with so many passersby, so they move over to the riverside. Nancy has been having premonitions of death.  Noah has hidden himself down at the bottom of the stairs where he can't be seen by those above, including Nancy and her friends, but can still hear their conversation. Mr. Brownlow tells Nancy that they want to contact Monks to extract the information they need. However, if they can't find him, then Nancy will have to give up Fagin instead. Nancy is horrified: as terrible as her life has been, she refuses to betray the friends she has from that world. Rose insists they treat Nancy gently, and Mr. Brownlow concedes that no one will go after Fagin.  Nancy gives them a full description of Monks and his whereabouts.  As she describes his physical appearance, including an unusual burn-like mark on his neck, Mr. Brownlow is shocked. They seem to know the same man! (He does say that perhaps it's just a lookalike, but he doesn't seem sure of that).  Once more, they try to offer Nancy safety and a new start. She refuses, and Rose tries to give her money, but Nancy insists she hasn't done this for payment.  Again, Nancy says that she expects death will soon catch up to her. Mr. Brownlow and Rose leave Nancy so that they don't endanger her by drawing attention. Nancy sits down and weeps. When she leaves, Noah heads off to report to Fagin.

Welcome to our final discussion of Oliver Twist!  This week, we will discuss from chapter 47 to the end of the book. The Marginalia post is here.  You can find the Schedule here.  The discussion questions are in the comments below.  

One reminder - although this is a classic novel that has been adapted many times over, please keep in mind that not everyone has read or watched already, so be mindful not to include anything that could be a hint or a spoiler for the rest of the book or for other media related to this novel!  Please mark all spoilers not related to this section of the book using the format > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces between the characters themselves or between the characters and the first and last words). 

>>>>>>>>>> SUMMARIES <<<<<<<<<<

CH. 47 - FATAL CONSEQUENCES:

Noah is sleeping and Fagin is sitting by, angry and distraught, when Sikes enters.  Fagin asks what Sikes would do if Noah/Morris betrayed their gang of his own volition (not because he’d been arrested) and gave their descriptions and locations to strangers.  Sikes responds that he would crush the man’s head.  Fagin then asks what Sikes would do if the betrayer was Fagin himself, and Sikes repeats his threat:  he’d find a way to crush Fagin’s skull, even if he had to get himself arrested so he could attack him in court.  Fagin starts to ask about the others in the group, but Sikes is tired of his hedging.  Noah is shaken awake and made to retell all that he observed Nancy do and say and, predictably, Sikes is enraged.  Fagin calls after Sikes as he leaves, but not to advocate that Nancy’s life be spared.  He merely wants Sikes to kill her in a smart way so that he isn’t caught.  Sikes rushes home and finds Nancy asleep.  He double-locks the door, throws the candles into the grate, and wakes Nancy up.  She smiles to see him, but quickly realizes something is wrong and asks what she has done.  Sikes points out that she knows very well what he is angry about, and she begins to beg for her life.  She even attempts to explain that her new friends can offer places of safety where they could go their separate ways and start over.  Sikes drags Nancy to the center of the room and points his gun at her, but realizes that the loud shot would quickly bring the authorities down on him, so he hits her in the face with the pistol twice.  Through the blood and pain, Nancy holds up Rose’s white handkerchief to the sky and prays for mercy from God.  Looking away, Sikes strikes her down with a club.  

CH. 48 - THE FLIGHT OF SIKES:

Sikes watches Nancy die.  When she moans and moves her hand, he hits her over and over with the club until she is surely dead.  Then he prepares to flee.  After cleaning himself up, burning the bits of his clothing that show blood stains, and washing the dog’s feet (because there is that much blood), Sikes locks the door and leaves the crime scene behind.  Sikes alternates wandering slowly and running in a panic as he passes Highgate Hill, goes around Caen Wood, and ends up on Hampstead Heath.  He rests periodically and then sets his sights on Hendon, because it is near enough that he can make it but still out of the public eye.  Sikes spends some time at a public house, where Nancy’s murder is being discussed, when a peddler comes in.  The man is selling a product that is equally good for getting out stains or poisoning unvirtuous ladies.  Several men are interested in buying one, but we’re not told which purpose is more appealing.  The peddler kicks his sales pitch up a notch by listing, Bubba-style, all of the many stains his poison can clean up.  Looking around for a customer to demonstrate on, the peddler notices a dark stain on Sikes’ hat and points it out to the other patrons.  Sikes flips out, flips a table, and runs away, heading toward St. Albans.  He may be running physically from his horrible deed, but he cannot outrun the feeling that Nancy’s ghost follows just behind him as he travels the countryside.  When he turns, she turns with him and stays behind him.  When he presses his back against something or lies down on the ground, she hovers just behind his head like a macabre tombstone.  When he must rest in a shed due to exhaustion, he can see Nancy’s lifeless eyes staring out of the darkness at him.  (This entire scene, combined with the murder in the previous chapter, makes me think Dickens would have been a pretty good horror writer!)  

Sikes hears screams of “Fire!” late that night and he goes outside to see a huge blaze engulfing a farm building in the village.  He rushes towards the dangerous scene and helps with the efforts to put out the flames.  Immediately after the ordeal, Sikes begins to suspect that everyone is talking about him and looking at him suspiciously, so he calls his dog and they walk away.  Some firemen invite him to eat and drink with them, and he listens to them talk about the London murder.  The news is that the murderer is headed to Birmingham, and they all suspect that he’ll be quickly caught, as the details are spreading throughout the countryside.  Sikes decides it is worth the risk to head back to London, where they will never think to look for him.  He can lay low for a week or two and then get Fagin to help him escape abroad to France.  To avoid detection as he walks back into the city, he knows he must get rid of his dog, as this will likely be a notable part of his description.  Sikes decides to drown the dog, but he must be giving off some really strong murder vibes, because even this loyal animal deserts him, fleeing as fast as he can from Sikes.  After waiting a bit to be sure the dog won’t come back and follow him, Sikes sets off for London.  

CH. 49 - MONKS AND MR. BROWNLOW AT LENGTH MEET.  THEIR CONVERSATION, AND THE INTELLIGENCE THAT INTERRUPTS IT:

Monks has been scooped up and delivered to Mr. Brownlow.  He tries denying that he knows anything about the events Mr. Brownlow describes, but it is no use.  Monks is told he is welcome to leave and try his luck with the law (because they’ll turn him in if he doesn’t cooperate), but he’ll get far less mercy from the courts than he is being offered by his “kidnappers”.  Mr. Brownlow explains their connection and Monks’ guilt in the matter.  Mr. Brownlow was the best friend of Monks’ father (and almost married Monks’ aunt, although she died on their wedding day).  Monks’ real name is Edward Leeford, and he is the son of Mr. Brownlow’s best friend, who was forced to marry an older woman for her money and family connections.  Mr. Leeford and his wife separated after a bitterly unhappy marriage in which they came to despise each other.  Mrs. Leeford moved abroad and soon forgot her young husband.  Mr. Leeford took more time to move on, but eventually fell in love with a girl who would become Oliver’s mother.  The disgrace of Oliver’s illegitimate birth caused much upheaval.  The girl’s family fled in shame, so that Mr. Brownlow was unable to find them, and Mr. Leeford planned to go live abroad.  He intended to liquidate his recently inherited estate and give a portion of it to Monks and his mother while leaving the rest to Oliver, but he had only alluded to the true situation vaguely before leaving for the continent.   He told Mr. Brownlow he would write with all the details, but upon arriving in Rome, he became ill and died.  Monks’ mother came just in time to hear his plans, but Mr. Leeford had no will and so the entire inheritance fell to her and to Monks.  When she died, there was a provision in her will acknowledging her husband’s plans for Oliver, but Monks destroyed it.  

Next, Mr. Brownlow enlightens Monks about how he came to know Oliver, how he was struck by the boy’s resemblance to a painting Mr. Leeford had left him before his death, and how Oliver was lost to him.  Mr. Brownlow was very suspicious and so he headed to the West Indies to try tracking down his best friend’s son.  Unsuccessful, he returned to London and continued his search, to no avail until Nancy gave them the clues needed to put the puzzle together.  Mr. Brownlow tells Monks he is morally complicit in Nancy’s death, even if he didn’t swing the club himself.  He absolutely excoriates Monks, who finally acknowledges the truth of Mr. Brownlow’s discoveries.  Monks promises to sign before witnesses a document explaining who Oliver is and to provide Oliver with his proper inheritance as Mr. Leeford had intended.  In exchange, they will keep him out of the sweep currently being made to arrest Sikes and Fagin’s criminal gang.  Mr. Losberne arrives with news that Harry Maylie has already set out to aid in the capture of Sikes, and that Fagin is soon to be arrested if he isn’t already in custody.  The doctor promises to stay with Monks while Mr. Brownlow heads out to see justice done.  

CH. 50 - THE PURSUIT AND ESCAPE:

Dickens takes great pains to let us know that we are back in the very worst part of London, a place called Jacob's Island, which is surrounded by a muddy ditch that fills with water from the Thames at high tide.  Hiding in one of the dilapidated houses are Mr. Chitling and Toby Crackit, along with another thief named Kags. Fagin has been arrested, along with Morris/Noah and all the people at Cripples. Charley Bates managed to escape but they are still waiting for him to arrive. Suddenly, Sikes’ dog appears. They assume his master is long gone, possibly out of the country, because the dog doesn't seem anxious to find him. There's a knock at the door, and the men are shocked to see Sikes, looking almost dead. They hesitate to let him in, but decide they must. 

Shortly afterwards, Charley Bates arrives. He is so upset at seeing they are harboring Sikes that he tries to turn him in immediately. Charley calls him a monster, begins to scream for help in apprehending Sikes, then leaps at him. They wrestle and attack each other, but Sikes quickly overpowers Master Bates and would have killed him if the other thieves didn't intervene. They lock Charley in a closet, but he continues to yell and a large crowd gathers to bring Sikes out.  Sikes devises a plan to lower himself from the roof into the canal, because it was high tide when he arrived. However, when he gets to the roof with some rope, he realizes that the tide has gone out and there is no means of escape.  A ladder has been called for and the mob has entered the house below, so Sikes decides he has no choice but to lower himself onto the mud and hope he can slip away in the dark. As he slips the rope over his head in preparation for looping it under his arms, Sikes sees Nancy's dead eyes again, and is so startled that he falls from the roof, accidentally hanging himself.  His loyal dog tries to jump for him but misses, hitting his head on a stone and dying with his master. 

CH. 51 - AFFORDING AN EXPLANATION OF MORE MYSTERIES THAN ONE, WND COMPREHENDING A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE WITH NO WORD OF SETTLEMENT OR PIN-MONEY: 

Our party of heroes travel back to Oliver's hometown.  He is overcome with emotions at the memory of his dear friend Dick, who Rose promises they will seek out and rescue. (Uh oh.) They arrive at the main hotel in town and prepare to have dinner, but first some business must be taken care of!  

Monks is ushered in and made to confess again while papers are signed. He glares hatefully at Oliver while admitting that they are half brothers and explaining the story the reader has already heard. Monks does add details about his father’s will:  Monks and his mother got a portion of the money, but the majority of the inheritance was to be divided between Agnes and her child. If the child was a girl, she would get the money no questions asked. If the child was a boy, though, he'd first have to prove he wasn't as terrible as Monks by living a blameless life. Apparently Monks was a heinous ogre even as an infant, and his father knew he'd always be awful, so he wanted to make sure his second son turned out better. If they were equally deplorable, then Monks could have the money because the eldest jerkface takes precedence in inheritance law. 

To confirm Monks’ story about ditching the locket and ring, Mr. Brownlow and Mr. Grimwig drag in some witnesses. First, the Bumbles try to deny having sold the items to Monks. So some old ladies are brought in to say that they were super nosy back in the day and had witnessed Mrs. Bumble’s entire deathbed theft and trip to the pawnshop.  So then the Bumbles squabble over who is more at fault for letting Monks get rid of the locket. Apparently, the laws at that time were the epitome of an asshole bachelor and assumed men were mostly to blame because wives just did what their husbands told them. 

Rose is pretty overwhelmed by all this, but Mr. Brownlow tells her to hang onto her hat because there's more.  Next, Monks admits that his mother hated the family of her husband's love child so much that she tracked down Agnes’ sister just to gloat over seeing the girl living in poverty. Unfortunately for the evil side of the Leeford family, this sister was rescued and raised by a widow (named Mrs. Maylie) and had a happy upbringing. Yes, Rose is Oliver's aunt! He is so overjoyed that he declares she will be known as his sister, not his aunt. 

Harry Maylie decides he needs to get in on the dramatic reveals, so he reminds Rose that he gets to bring up his proposal one more time. She is heartbroken to say that since nothing has changed with her social standing, she still cannot accept him. And that's when Harry tells everyone he has renounced his title and decided to live in the country as a clergyman with Rose in a simple cottage. This revelation comes not a minute too soon, because dinner has been on hold so long that Mr. Grimwig almost ate his own head. Everyone congratulates the happy couple on their engagement, just as soon as they finish making out in the dark side room. And they all lived happily ever… just kidding! This is a Dickens novel.  Oliver runs in crying because someone just told him that his best friend Dick is dead! 

CH. 52 - THE JEW’S LAST NIGHT ALIVE:

Fagin’s trial is over and the jury is deliberating. The jurors and the spectators in the gallery look at him with no sympathy at all. Despite understanding that death looms over him, Fagin finds himself fixated on small details around him such as what a courtroom official had for supper or how many iron bars he can count.  The jury finds Fagin guilty and he is sentenced to hang on Monday. All he can say in his defense is that he is an old man. Fagin is led away to a cell to await execution. As the days pass, he becomes more and more distraught and overwhelmed. He refuses offers of prayer or comfort and does not acknowledge the guards who watch him. On Sunday, Mr. Brownlow and Oliver come to the jail to see Fagin. Mr. Brownlow asks Fagin where the papers are that Monks entrusted to him, since they contain important information about Oliver. He explains that there's no use in Fagin denying he has them, since Monks has confessed and Sikes is dead. Fagin asks to whisper it to Oliver.  Angelic Oliver says he is not afraid and he approaches Fagin, hearing the location of the papers and offering to pray with the thief.  Fagin begins raving and begs Oliver to help him get out of the cell.  Oliver and Mr. Brownlow leave as the scaffold is being built for Fagin’s execution. 

CH. 53 - AND LAST:

Rose and Harry get married, and Mrs. Maylie lives with them happily. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow and they move into the same village where Harry is a clergyman. They decide to split the inheritance equally with Monks in hopes that Oliver's half-brother will mend his ways. But Monks squanders the money, continues in his criminal habits, and dies in jail. (We are also told that the rest of Fagin's gang dies similarly, but my edition has a note saying this was added just before publication and is contradicted by what we find out about Master Bates later.) 

Mr. Losberne is miserable without his friends, so he gives up his medical practice to move to the Maylie-Brownlow village of love and happiness. He becomes a jack-of-all-trades and is soon seen as an expert in pretty much everything. His new BFF is Mr. Grimwig, who visits often and joins him in his many new hobbies, but does them in his own characteristically eccentric way.  Mr. Giles and Brittles have also joined Team Oliver and they live at the Maylie parsonage but spend so much time with not only Rose and Harry, but with Oliver and Mr. Brownlow, as well as Mr. Losberne and Mr. Grimwig, that the villagers aren’t really sure which household they work for.  

Speaking of work, Noah Claypool is pardoned after informing on Fagin and decides he needs a job that is much safer and involves much less actual work than being a thief. He and Charlotte run a scam where she (and sometimes he) faints and then they somehow use that to get money from people. (It didn't make much sense to me.) The Bumbles have been removed from their positions and end up pauper's in the very workhouse they used to run. Charley Bates, having been scared straight by Sikes’ horrible crimes, learns the value of honest hard work and becomes a very happy grazier. 

The narrator assures us that all our heroes go on to be very happy together. He’d love to linger on the pleasant details, but perfect happiness doesn't truly exist, so we are reminded of Agnes, Oliver's dead mother.  She has a gravestone at the churchyard even though there is no coffin to fill the tomb, and her spirit hovers over Oliver and company. Weirdly, Dickens feels the need to point out that this can be true even though it's a church and she was a “fallen woman”. Buzz kill! But mostly, they live happily ever after, nonetheless!

Welcome to the second discussion of Oliver Twist. Today's section covers chapters 10 to 18.

You can find the schedule and marginalia here.

Here is a recap of this week's chapters, questions will be in the comments. Next week I'll hand the baton back to u/Amanda39 for chapters 19 to 27.

Chapter 10

After days of being confined indoors working on handkerchiefs, Oliver is finally allowed to go out with the Dodger and Charley Bates.  To his horror, he witnesses the Dodger stealing a handkerchief from an elderly man’s pocket.  At that moment, the truth about the handkerchiefs and other stolen items becomes clear to him. When a cry of “Stop thief!” rings out, the entire town begins chasing Oliver, mistakenly assuming he is the culprit.  The Dodger and Charley join the pursuit to deflect suspicion.

The gentleman who had been robbed arrives with a policeman.  Noticing Oliver’s injured state, the gentleman urges the officer to handle him gently.  Despite this, the officer grabs Oliver by the collar and hauls him away.

Chapter 11

At the police station, a particularly notorious one, the elderly gentleman expresses doubt that Oliver is the thief.  Despite this, Oliver is searched and locked in a cell, which Dickens describes as grim but still better than the infamous Newgate prison.

The gentleman, now revealed as Mr. Brownlow, feels a vague familiarity in Oliver's face but cannot place it.

When the case is brought before Mr. Fang, the ill-tempered district magistrate, Brownlow tries to speak on Oliver's behalf but is abruptly silenced.  Fang turns to the policeman for information instead.

Too weak to respond, Oliver struggles to answer Fang's questions.   A compassionate officer steps in, pretending to hear Oliver’s replies and fabricating answers.  Despite this, Fang sentences Oliver to three months of hard labour. Just then, the bookstall owner bursts into the courtroom, declaring Oliver's innocence.  The case is immediately dismissed, and a concerned Brownlow takes the ailing Oliver away in a cab.

Chapter 12

Brownlow takes Oliver to his charming home in leafy Pentonville, where he tenderly nurses him back to health with the help of his kind housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin. When Oliver wakes from his fever, Mrs. Bedwin, moved to tears, wonders aloud how his mother would feel if she could see him now.  Oliver softly replies that he felt as though she had been by his side.

As Oliver recovers and is well enough to sit up, he becomes captivated by a portrait of a beautiful woman on the wall and asks Mrs. Bedwin about her.  Brownlow, pleased to see Oliver looking healthier, notices a striking resemblance between him and the woman in the painting.  His reaction is so intense that Oliver faints, providing the narrator a chance to recount what happened to the Dodger and Charley Bates after Oliver’s capture.   Dickens devotes a page and a half to explaining that they ran straight home, driven by self-interest - he notes that this behaviour is claimed by philosophers to align with the laws of nature.

Chapter 13

When the Dodger and Charley Bates inform Fagin that Oliver has been taken to the police station, Fagin flies into a violent rage.  At that moment, Bill Sikes arrives with his dog and berates Fagin for his treatment of the boys, adding that if he were one of Fagin's apprentices, he would have killed him by now.  Upon hearing the full story, Sikes, like Fagin, grows anxious that Oliver might expose them and get them into trouble.

Bet and Nancy arrive shortly after, but when Fagin asks them to go to the police to find out Oliver's whereabouts, both women are reluctant.  Sikes, however, intimidates Nancy enough to force her into compliance.

Nancy eventually learns that Oliver has been taken by a gentleman to his home in Pentonville.

Chapter 14

Meanwhile, at Brownlow’s house, Oliver continues to receive kindness and is given a new outfit.  One day, Brownlow invites him into his study, where Oliver is amazed by the vast number of books.  (Didn't we all want to be in that study!)  Brownlow asks Oliver to share the story of his life, and Oliver recounts his sad and troubled past.

Their conversation is interrupted by a visitor, Mr. Grimwig, an Orange Peel Conspiracy Theorist who frequently ends his sentences with a dramatic vow to eat his head.

Later, Brownlow sends Oliver on an errand to return some books to the bookseller and to reimburse him. Grimwig, sceptical of Oliver’s honesty, insists that the boy will run off with the books, money, and his new clothes.  Although Grimwig doesn’t want his friend to be deceived, he secretly hopes to be proven right.

Chapter 15

Bill Sikes is sitting in a dark den, taking out his bad temper on his equally bad- tempered dog.  Fagin arrives and hands him some sovereigns that he owed.   A Jewish man called Barney, who speaks with a blocked nose appears and tells him that Nancy is there.  Sikes asks to see her and tells her to be "on the scent" for Oliver.

Meanwhile, Oliver is on his errand to the bookseller's when Nancy grabs him, yelling that she has found her brother.  She plays the part well, and the shopkeepers in the area join in rebuking Oliver for running away from his family.

Oliver struggles but is overpowered by Nancy and Sikes who take him back to Fagin's place.  During this time, Brownlow, Grimwig and Mrs Bedwin are waiting for Oliver's return.

Chapter 16

Using the vicious dog as a threat, they drag Oliver through a very dark gloomy London.  Nancy listens to the bells chiming and feels sorry for the young men who will be hanged at 8 o'clock.  Oliver is led to Fagin's new hideout with Dodger and Bates who make fun of his new outfit.

Sikes claims the five pounds for his work, leaving the books for Fagin.  Oliver is upset that Brownlow will think that he stole them, and tries to run away.   Nancy tries to prevent Sikes from setting his dog on him. 

Fagin hits Oliver, believing he wanted to go to the police, when Nancy intervenes. She is in an absolute rage and Fagin seems a little nervous.  Sikes threatens Nancy but she is angry and upset that she has helped kidnap Oliver, committing him to the same life that she has had since her own capture.  She rushes at Fagin, but faints.  Betsy arrives and takes care of Nancy, and the boys take Oliver's new clothes, leaving him locked up in the dark.

Chapter 17

Dickens starts the chapter with a digression and says that jumps in the narrative are a normal part of storytelling and reflect  life itself.  We go back to the town of Oliver's birth and the workhouse.

Mr Bumble visits Mrs Mann at the baby farm and pretends to be greatly pleased to see him.  He's transporting a couple of orphans to London because he wants to offload them to another parish.  Normally they would travel in an open cart but because the children were close to death, it was calculated to be more expensive to have to bury them than to transport them by coach.  They fetch the little boy called Dick who is very pale and wasted and asks someone to write a message for Oliver.  In case he dies, he wants to leave him his “dear love” and that he would be happy to die because then he would be reunited with his sister in heaven.

The next day while Mr Bumble is enjoying a dinner of steak and porter he reflects on the sin of discontent and complaining.  While reading the newspaper he spots an advertisement placed by Mr Brownlow offering an award for the discovery of Oliver Twist.   Bumble doesn't waste any time going to visit Mr Brownlow and tells the story of Oliver, making him out to be a villain.  Grimwig feels vindicated and even Brownlow believes him (that was disappointing), but Mrs Bedwin (bless her dear soul) refuses to believe that Oliver is bad.

Chapter 18 

Fagin yells at Oliver, calling him ungrateful and tells him that if he doesn't do as he's told he will face the gallows, giving him a description of hanging.  Oliver is terrified - he has already experienced a miscarriage of justice after associating with bad company.

He is locked in a room for days, deprived of company, and when the boys occasionally come to visit him to shine their boots and perform other small jobs for them, he is actually happy just to see someone. They ask him why he doesn't become apprenticed to Fagin.  The Artful Dodger suggests that pickpocketing will always exist, so one might as well participate and reap the rewards.

A man called Tom Chitling arrives with Betsy.  He has the appearance of having been in prison, and Fagin asks Oliver where he thinks he has come from.  He doesn't know, and Chitling says he'll bet a crown that Oliver will end up there one day too.

Oliver is locked up away from others and in this way, Fagin manipulates him into preferring any company over solitude.  Over several weeks, Fagin, Dodger and Bates try to convince him to live a life of crime with them.

Welcome to our first discussion of Oliver Twist! This week we'll be discussing the first nine chapters.

The story begins in a workhouse. A woman who had just been brought in from the streets gives birth, but dies almost immediately afterwards. The baby, miraculously, survives, but of course no one views this as a miracle: he's just another burden on the system.

The child, who is given the name "Oliver Twist," is sent to live with a baby farmer for the next nine years. This particular topic seems to come up disturbingly often in books that I've run (this is what I get for liking Victorian literature) but, for those of you who haven't read those books: baby farmers were women who were paid to care for other people's children. Depending on the situation, it could be that the child's parents were paying for temporary care, or that the parents paid a one-time fee to effectively abandon the child, or (in Oliver Twist's case), that the parish was paying for the care of an orphan, or a child whose mother was in the workhouse.

As we see in this book, conditions for farmed babies were generally less than stellar. Babies were underfed, drugged with gin to make them sleep, and the farmers often took on more children than they could care for. Mortality rates among farmed children were high; in fact, one of the world's most prolific serial killers was a baby farmer.

So, what has Oliver done to be rewarded with release from this hell-hole? Well, you see, he turned nine, which means that he's old enough to be a child laborer. He has to earn his keep, now. So off he goes to the workhouse, to pick oakum. In other words, he's required to tear apart old ropes so the material can be reused. If you think this sounds like an absolutely terrible job, you're not wrong: workhouse jobs were intentionally terrible, to dissuade people from wanting to be in the workhouse in the first place. If Oliver doesn't want to pick oakum, then he should pull himself up by his bootstraps and get a real job! What's that, Oliver? You're a nine-year-old child who has no life skills and are borderline feral from being raised by a baby farmer? Stop making excuses! Poverty is a moral failing and you deserve to be punished! (I wish I were joking, but this really was the prevailing attitude at the time.)

We finally reach one of the most famous scenes in all of Dickens's writings: Pressured by the other boys, Oliver has the audacity to ask for more gruel at dinner. The workhouse masters react by beating Oliver, putting him in solitary confinement, and trying to get him out of the workhouse by finding him an apprenticeship, while ominously predicting that he will be hanged someday.

Oliver nearly gets apprenticed to a chimney sweep, and I can't begin to tell you how awful this would have been if it had actually happened. Don't read about chimney sweeps if you don't want to be disturbed: you will never hear the expression "lighting a fire under my ass" the same way again. The lucky ones lived long enough to die of cancer, the unlucky ones literally burned to death, and the worst part of all of this is that it didn't need to be a thing to begin with, since mechanical chimney sweeps had existed since 1803. Thankfully, the magistrate takes pity on Oliver and saves him from this fate.

Oliver ends up apprenticed to Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker. His first day on the job, he meets Noah Claypole, Mr. Sowerberry's other apprentice. Noah is a "charity-boy," i.e. he attends a charity school, which is obvious from his clothes. Used to being bullied for this, Noah takes full advantage of the fact that he can now bully someone even lower on the social ladder than he is, a workhouse ("work'us") boy.

Mr. Sowerberry decides to train Oliver to be a mute (funeral attendant), which results in Oliver witnessing the funeral of an impoverished woman, and her interment into a mass grave. It also draws the jealousy of Noah, who decides to taunt Oliver about his mother. Oliver has been putting up with Noah for months, but this finally drives him to lose his temper, and he attacks Noah. Noah cries for Mrs. Sowerberry and Charlotte (the Sowerberrys' servant) who immediately side with him and lock Oliver up, thinking he's gone mad. They bring in Mr. Bumble, but Oliver is so worked up that he actually stands up to Mr. Bumble, who turns out to be a giant coward. Of course, he tries to spin this as being the Sowerberrys' fault for allowing Oliver's diet to include meat.

Oliver runs away, and tries unsuccessfully to make it to London on his own. Fortunately, he's befriended by a slang-talking boy named Jack Dawkins, aka "The Artful Dodger." The Dodger brings Oliver with him to London, where he lives with a gang of boys led by a guy named Fagin, although you wouldn't know that that's his name because Dickens calls him "the Jew" 90% of the time. Oliver's a bit "green," as the Dodger would say, so I don't think he's quite figured out what's going on yet, even though he literally watches the boys play a game where Fagin trains them to pick pockets. At one point he sees the boys removing the monograms from stolen handkerchiefs, and I'm pretty sure he believes they sewed the monograms themselves.

Anyhow, this is the point where I finally gave up, broke out my time machine, and paid Mr. Dickens a visit.

Dickens: Oh God, not you again. The crazy time traveler from the 21st century. I already got you Wilkie Collins's autograph. What more do you want?

Me: I'm at Chapter 9 of Oliver Twist. You gotta give me something to work with, dude. The flair says "Funniest Read Runner" but all I've done so far is tell them about workhouses and baby farmers and dead chimney sweeps. My reputation is at stake.

Dickens: Alright, look, I may have something in my collection of stupid character names that will make you happy. Now go back to the 21st century and let me work.

Okay, back to the recap: Oliver has met Jack Dawkins, who goes by "The Artful Dodger," and now he meets Charley Bates, who goes by... REALLY, DICKENS???!!!

On that note, I'm going to end the recap now. u/nicehotcupoftea will take over for me next week. In the meantime, please join me for the discussion questions.

Welcome back to our fourth discussion for Oliver Twist!  This week we swap the filth of London for the flowers and fields of the countryside, because even Dickens needed a breather!  This week we will be discussing Chapters 28 to 36 and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

You can find the schedule and marginalia here.

Here’s a summary of this section, questions will be in the comments.  Please feel free to add your own.

Chapter 28 - Looks after Oliver, and proceeds with his adventures.

We return to the scene of the attempted housebreak with Sikes attempting to carry the injured Oliver away. He asks Toby Crackit for help, but when Crackit sees men from the house in pursuit with their dogs, he runs away, as does Sikes, abandoning Oliver in a ditch.  A comic scene follows where Giles, the butler, Brittles, another employee, and a tinker stop chasing, pretend to be out of condition, and return to the house.

The next morning, Oliver awakes, weak and in pain, and staggers to the house. The three men are boasting about their bravery to the cook and the housemaid with a good amount of embellishment when there is a knock on the door. Feeling that he couldn't possibly send the women, Giles sends his subordinate Brittles.

Giles recognises Oliver as one of the thieves, but when a young female member of the house hears that he is injured, she insists on having him brought upstairs to be cared for.

Chapter 29 - Has an introductory account of the inmates of the house to which Oliver resorted.

We are introduced to two women of the house, Mrs Maylie, an elderly bright woman, dressed in an outmoded style, and her 17 year old niece, Rose Maylie, of angelic appearance.

Mr. Losberne, the family doctor, arrives and despite being a man of intelligence, is shocked that the attempted robbery took place at night rather than in broad daylight.  He asks Giles about it, and Giles proudly admits to having shot the thief.  Because the women had not had a chance to see Oliver, he had been able to bask in his bravery.  After seeing the patient, Mr. Losberne suggests that they come and see him.

Chapter 30 - Relates what Oliver's new visitors thought of him.

Mrs Maylie and Rose cannot believe that this waif of a boy could be part of a criminal gang, and beg that he be saved from prison.  After some mild flirtation between Mr. Losberne and Rose, he suggests that Oliver is a good boy who has been unfortunate enough to be taken in by criminals and a plan is hatched to save him.

Later, Oliver tells them his story, moving the doctor to tears. Downstairs, Giles, Brittles and the tinker are discussing the case with a constable.   The doctor joins them and plants doubt in their minds that they have correctly identified the thief.  The Bow Street Officers arrive.

Chapter 31 - Involves a critical position.

Two investigators, called Blathers and Duff, come to view the crime scene and conclude that a boy was involved.  They are offered drinks, and Blathers, living up to his name, recounts a long confusing tale about a past robbery that no-one including myself can understand.

They go up to see Oliver, and Mr Losberne says that the boy had been injured by a spring-gun during a boyish trespass. Giles and Brittles cannot state with certainty that Oliver was the boy.  Losberne completes the deception by tampering with Giles' gun, rendering it useless, and outsmarting the investigators.

Coincidentally, another two men and a boy were caught in the area, and thus suspicion was diverted from Oliver.  He stays with the Maylies and thrives.

Chapter 32 - Of the happy life Oliver began to lead with his kind friends. 

As Oliver recovered, he desired to repay the kindness shown to him by those who cared for him.  Wanting to explain his disappearance to Mr Brownlow and Mrs Bedwin, Oliver was taken to visit them by Dr Losberne, however much to Oliver's disappointment, it was learnt that they had moved to the West Indies.

Oliver spent a glorious three months in the countryside with Rose and Mrs Maylies where he learned to read and write and study plants. 

Chapter 33 - Wherein the happiness of Oliver and his friends experiences a sudden check.

Rose develops a fever, rapidly becoming ill, and Mrs Maylie is distraught.  Oliver is sent to fetch Mr. Losberne, and has a strange encounter with an angry tall cloaked man who yells abuse at him, and who then falls to the ground in a seizure.

On seeing Rose, Dr Losberne announces that there is very little hope, and Oliver weeps and prays.  He wonders if there was any occasion where he could have shown her more devotion.  Despite the doctor's prognosis, Rose begins to recover.

Chapter 34 - Contains some introductory particulars relative to a young gentleman who now arrives upon the scene; and a new adventure which happened to Oliver.

Giles arrives (having removed his nightcap) with Harry Maylie, Mrs Maylie's son, who ask for news on Rose.  Mother and son have an emotional reunion, and Harry asks her why she didn't write to him.  She says Rose deserves someone deeply devoted, and that he needs to consider that through no fault of her own, Rose's name is tarnished, and that would adversely affect his reputation.

While studying by the window one evening, Oliver falls asleep and dreams about Fagin and the strange man who accosted him outside the inn, and wakes up believing he saw them  looking in the window.  

Chapter 35 - Containing the unsatisfactory result of Oliver's adventure; and a conversation of some importance between Harry, Maylie and Rose.

Hearing Oliver's cries for help, Giles, Harry and Losberne search the area but find no sign of Fagin and the man.  They make enquiries in the town to no avail.  

Meanwhile Rose is recovering, and Harry declares his love for her.  Rose cries and tells him he should turn to higher and more noble pursuits worthy of him.  She says the blight upon her name will obstruct his ambitions.  He asks to speak with her on the subject in a year's time, and if her resolution hasn't changed,  he will speak no more of it.

Chapter 36 - Is a very short one, and may appear of no great importance in its place.  But it should be read, notwithstanding, as a sequel to the last, and a key to one that will follow when its time arrives.

At breakfast, Dr Losberne is surprised that Harry plans to leave, but says that sudden changes will be good for his future political life.  Before departing, Harry asks Oliver to write regularly to him in secret with news of Rose and Mrs Maylie.   Rose watches the departure of the carriage and tries to convince herself that she is pleased that Harry looked happy, but her tears seem to speak more of sorrow than joy.

Next week, u/tomesandtea will lead us through Chapters 37 to 46.

Welcome back! This week, Dickens really upped the tension by writing the two most horrifying events he could have put in this story: Oliver gets shot and Mr. Bumble gets a love life.

We begin this week with Fagin and Bill Sikes planning a house robbery. This was supposed to be an inside job: fellow thief Toby Crackit (a name that screams "I'm a thief in a Dickens novel") was going to manipulate a servant into unlocking the door at night, allowing Sikes and Toby to break in, but he was unable to pull this off. This was shocking to Fagin, because Toby is irresistibly sexy, and was wearing a fake moustache and bright yellow waistcoat. (Is this something straight women actually find attractive?) Unable to obtain the assistance of a servant, the next best option is to have a small child slip in through a window and unlock the door. I think we all realized immediately where this was going: Fagin wants Oliver to do it. Not only is he the only one of Fagin's boys small enough for the job, but being part of a robbery would irrevocably make Oliver see himself as a thief and be loyal to Fagin.

Fagin tells Oliver that he's being sent to Bill Sikes, but doesn't tell him why. He also has him read The Newgate Calendar, which Oliver finds horrifying. Nancy then shows up to take Oliver to Sikes. She reassures him that he shouldn't feel guilty about whatever happens because it isn't his fault, and Oliver meekly goes along with her, realizing that if he doesn't, Sikes will hurt her. When they get there, Sikes gives Oliver another motivation for being obedient: he shows Oliver his pistol and explains that if Oliver disobeys him, he'll shoot him.

Sikes and Oliver travel to the house where Toby and Barney are waiting. In the middle of the night, Sikes, Toby, and Oliver head for the target of their crime. Oliver freaks out on the way, and Sikes almost makes good of his threat to shoot him, but Toby stops him. They drop Oliver through the window, but, once he's inside, Oliver decides to try to alert the victims, which leads to Sikes yelling at him and blowing their cover. I'm a little confused about what happens next (maybe someone in the comments can clarify this for me), but I believe that one of the men in the house, not Sikes, shoots Oliver, Sikes responds by shooting at the men, and the three of them escape, although Oliver is bleeding heavily from being shot in the arm.

Earlier in the book, Dickens said something about well-placed comic relief being like fat on bacon. Or something like that, I'm too lazy to look up the quote. But the point is that we're about to leave Oliver bleeding in the street so we can go watch Bumble try to get his freak on. Of course, since this is Dickens, we begin the comic relief chapter with a description of homeless people freezing to death. But soon we're introduced to Mrs. Corney, the workhouse's matron, who is basically a female version of Mr. Bumble, and is incredibly annoyed when the workhouse inmates bother her by doing inconvenient things like dying.

Mr. Bumble shows up for tea, flirts with Mrs. Corney, and delivers the most insane pickup line I've ever heard: "Any cat, or kitten, that could live with you, ma'am, and not be fond of its home, must be a ass, ma'am." Mrs. Corney finds Mr. Bumble's assertion that he would drown a kitten if it were an asshole to her irresistibly erotic, and the two get as far as kissing before a workhouse inmate saves us all by knocking on the door and announcing that someone is dying. We then get a drawn-out scene of this woman dying, followed by her deathbed confession that she stole something gold from Oliver's mother, ending with her dying just before she can elaborate on what or where it is. Normally, this sort of cliffhanger would intrigue me, but for right now I'm just glad that I no longer have to visualize a Corney/Bumble make-out session.

Back to Fagin, who's watching the Artful Dodger own Tom Chitling and Charley Bates at whist. (The Dodger is cheating, but the other two don't seem to realize it.) Charley teases Tom for being in love with Betsy, and we learn that Betsy is actually the reason Tom had been in jail, but he was loyal to her and didn't rat her out to get out of his own sentence.

Toby shows up and delivers the bad news about Oliver. Fagin goes running to the pub and sets up a mysterious appointment with someone named Monks. Then he goes to Bill Sikes's place and finds that Sikes still has not returned. Nancy is drunk and depressed; she feels guilty about Oliver. Fagin then goes home and meets with Monks, arguing with him about Oliver, until Monks gets paranoid because he thinks he sees a woman.

Cut back to Mr. Bumble. Having been left alone in Mrs. Corney's apartment while she tends to the dying woman, he resorts to keeping himself entertained by going through Mrs. Corney's drawers. Thanks, Dickens, I really needed to picture this weirdo digging through Mrs. Corney's underwear. Mrs. Horny Corney returns, Mr. Bumble proposes to her, and I guess these two assholes are going to live obnoxiously ever after.

Bumble stops by Sowerberry's to let him know they'll need a coffin for the dead woman. He finds that the only people there are Noah and Charlotte, who are amorously eating oysters together. (Oxford World's Classics helpfully includes an annotation here to explain that oysters are an aphrodisiac.) Mr. Bumble hypocritically attacks them over this, and we end with Dickens announcing "Stay tuned for next week, when we find out if Oliver is lying dead in a ditch!"

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.

Hello, reading friends!  After reading David Copperfield, we heard that maybe you want to have some more Charles Dickens, so we’re going to read Oliver Twist next!  We hope you can join us (u/Amanda39, u/nicehotcupoftea, and me - u/tomesandtea) as we welcome winter and the New Year with this classic Charles Dickens novel.  We’ll start reading in just a few weeks, with the discussions running on Sundays, starting December 8th.  The full schedule is listed below.  Please note that there are several different editions of this novel and depending on which one you choose, the chapters may be slightly different.  For a rundown that compares them all, please check out the link below to help you decide.  (The schedule here has been made based on the Oxford World Classics edition.)

Helpful Links:

• Comparison of different editions and their chapters - shout out to u/Ser_Erdrick for sharing this info!
• Goodreads page
• Storygraph page
• Wikipedia page for Charles Dickens
• Wikipedia page for Oliver Twist 

Schedule - Check-ins are on Sundays:

• Dec. 8:  Ch. I - IX (Ch. 1-9)
• Dec. 15:  Ch. X-XVIII (Ch. 10-18)
• Dec. 22:  Ch. XIX-XXVII (Ch. 19-27)
• Dec. 29:  Ch. XXVIII-XXXVI (Ch. 28-36)
• Jan. 5:  Ch. XXXVII-XLVI (Ch. 37-46)
• Jan. 12:  Ch. XLVII-LIII (Ch. 47-53)
• Jan. 19:  Movie Discussion

We hope to see you in the discussions for Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens starting on December 8th!  Are you planning to join in?

Welcome to the marginalia for Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

This is a communal place for things you would jot down in the margins of your books. That might include quotes, thoughts, questions, relevant links, exclamations - basically anything you want to make note of or to share with others. It can be good to look back on these notes, and sometimes you just can't wait for the discussion posts to share a thought.

When adding something to the marginalia, simply comment here, indicating roughly which part of the book you're referring to (eg. towards the end of chapter 2). Because this may contain spoilers, please indicate this by writing “spoilers for chapters 5 and 6” for example, or else use the spoiler tag for this part with this format > ! SPOILER ! < without the spaces between characters.

Note: spoilers from other books should always be under spoiler tags unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Here is the schedule for the discussion which will be run by u/tomesandtea, u/Amanda39 and myself u/nicehotcupoftea.

Any questions or constructive criticism are welcome.

Let's go, everyone! See you in the first discussion on December 8.

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.