Oliver Twist

Born and brought up in the workhouse, the orphaned Oliver, having run away, has his famously fateful encounter with the Artful Dodger in the teeming streets of London and this falls into the hands of Fagin's gang of thieves.

Although every effort is made to turn Oliver into an accomplished thief he resists, finding temporary rescue in the form of benevolent Mr Brownlow.

Oliver has many more trials to endure before the redemptive ending.

In this novel Dickens wanted to show clearly the nature of good and evil and 'the principle of Good surviving through every adverse circumstance, and triumphing at last'.

Though the harsh realism of the novel attracted much criticism when it was published Dickens was unapologetic.

The truth contained in "Oliver Twist", he maintained, 'needed to be told'.

Charles Dickens' classic novel is read by Martin Jarvis.

Complete and unabridged.