Charles Dickens

A young orphan, Oliver is left to fend for himself until he is befriended by a band of young thieves who quickly train him in their craft. But Oliver is not content to be a thief for he knows that life holds great joys and true happiness cannot be stolen, but must be earned.

"Charles Dickens's first historical novel, set during the anti-Catholic riots of 1780, is an unparalleled portrayal of the terror of a rampaging mob, seen through the eyes of the individuals swept up in the chaos."--Jacket.

Martin Chuzzlewit is the story of two Chuzzlewits, Martin and Jonas, who have inherited the characteristic Chuzzlewit selfishness. It contrasts their diverse fates of moral redemption and worldly success for one, with increasingly desperate crime for the other. This powerful black comedy involves hypocrisy, greed and blackmail, as well as the most famous of Dickens's grotesques, Mrs Gamp.

In this novel, Dickens creates the Victorian industrial city of Coketown, in northern England, and its unforgettable citizens, such as the unwavering utilitarian Thomas Gradgrind and the factory owner Josiah Bounderby. The result is this famous critique of capitalist philosophy, the exploitative force that Dickens believed was destroying human creativity and joy. This edition includes new notes to the text.

Dickens tells Oliver's story of being born in a workhouse and raised on a child farm until he is given work as a coffin maker's apprentice. Oliver is mistreated by the coffin maker's wife, and he escapes to London where he meets the Artful Dodger and Fagin, who are pickpockets.

Oliver is a homeless kitten who roams the streets of New York City. There, he is taken in by a gang of homeless mutts who survive by stealing from others. During one of these criminal acts, Oliver meets a wealthy young girl named Jenny Foxworth. This meeting will forever change his life.