Oliver Twist

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.

About the Talking Classics

These audio books represent some of the greatest works of fiction ever written in the English language. Each expertly abridged novel has been selected for its narrative power, range of characters and its place in our literary heritage. Authors span the full spectrum from the brooding romance of the Bronte sisters and George Elliot to the gothic charms of Charles Dickens and Henry James.

Talking Classics is narrated by assembly of well-known and prolific actors, including Martin Shaw, Hannah Gordon, Jenny Agutter, Martin Jarvis, Joanna Lumley and Robert Powell. Originally issued on audio cassettes in the early 1990s, each story is presented over a double CD, running at approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes each.