A workhouse orphan runs away to London and falls in with a gang of apprentice thieves.
Oliver Twist (subtitled The Parish Boy's Progress) was only Charles Dickens' third novel (1839), and lacks the subtlety of many of his later ones, yet it remains one of his most famous. It's one of Dickens' angriest books, skewering Britain's petty authority and heavy-handed legal system, as well as the harshness of the recently-introduced workhouse system. The urban corruption of innocent youth struck a nerve in the public, and the Y.M.C.A. was created partly in response to these fears. The most controversial character, the thief supervisor and fence Fagin, has often prompted accusations of anti-Semitism.
After two years of online events, we're finally returning to meeting in person at Dora Keogh!