Oliver Twist

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Nadia May

Set in London's backstreet slums, Oliver Twist is the story of a workhouse orphan captured and thrust into a den of thieves, where some of Dickens' most depraved villains preside: the incorrigible Artful Dodger; the barbarous bully Bill Sikes; and the terrible Fagin, whose knavery threatens to send them all to the gallows. This was the first of Dickens' works to depict realistically London's impoverished underworld, and to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime. At the heart of the drama, however, is Oliver, the orphan whose unsullied goodness leads him to salvation and who represents Dickens' belief in the principle of good triumphing at last.(P)1995 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Decidedly unsentimental in its depiction of poverty and the criminal underworld, especially in its portrayal of the cruel Bill Sikes." (Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature)

Nadia May's narration is spot on

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have both read, and listened to this book. The narration that Nadia May does is one of the better ones. She has a way of elevating her voice between characters, really making you feel for Oliver, cry with Nancy, feel disgusted with Bill Sykes, and feel the cunningness of the artful dodger. it is anything but monotoned. Story of Oliver Twist is perhaps one of better well known Dickens books, but it is a must listen to. the intricate detail and plot twist makes you want to delve even deeper into the intrigue and subtle mystery of the identity of poor orphan Oliver. Dickens details of the scenes are quite intense, where you can feel the cold that Oliver feels and smell the poverty all around, while not getting bored with copious amounts of dry details. The book immediately tantalizes the mind as within the very first minutes it demands your attention and you can't help but be give in and loose yourself in the book. There are some parts of the book where it is slow, but only enough to give rise to depth in narration. I first listened to this exact narration of this book when I was 10yrs old and instantly fell in love with it. And now as a young adult I still give fall In love with it every time I put my earbuds in.

Have you listened to any of Nadia May’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, she did an amazing job on Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

oh most definately