Oliver Twist Full Text

TREATS OF THE PLACE WHERE OLIVER TWIST WAS BORN AND OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING HIS BIRTHAmong other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from...

TREATS OF OLIVER TWIST'S GROWTH, EDUCATION, AND BOARDFor the next eight or ten months, Oliver was the victim of a systematic course of treachery and deception. He was brought up by hand. The hungry...

RELATES HOW OLIVER TWIST WAS VERY NEAR GETTING A PLACE WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A SINECUREFor a week after the commission of the impious and profane offence of asking for more, Oliver remained a c...

OLIVER, BEING OFFERED ANOTHER PLACE, MAKES HIS FIRST ENTRY INTO PUBLIC LIFEIn great families, when an advantageous place cannot be obtained, either in possession, reversion, remainder, or expectanc...

OLIVER MINGLES WITH NEW ASSOCIATES. GOING TO A FUNERAL FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE FORMS AN UNFAVOURABLE NOTION OF HIS MASTER'S BUSINESSOliver, being left to himself in the undertaker's shop, set the la...

OLIVER, BEING GOADED BY THE TAUNTS OF NOAH, ROUSES INTO ACTION, AND RATHER ASTONISHES HIMThe month's trial over, Oliver was formally apprenticed. It was a nice sickly season just at this time. In c...

OLIVER CONTINUES REFRACTORYNoah Claypole ran along the streets at his swiftest pace, and paused not once for breath, until he reached the workhouse-gate. Having rested here, for a minute or so, to...

OLIVER WALKS TO LONDON. HE ENCOUNTERS ON THE ROAD A STRANGE SORT OF YOUNG GENTLEMANOliver reached the stile at which the by-path terminated; and once more gained the high-road. It was eight o'clock...

CONTAINING FURTHER PARTICULARS CONCERNING THE PLEASANT OLD GENTLEMAN, AND HIS HOPEFUL PUPILSIt was late next morning when Oliver awoke, from a sound, long sleep. There was no other person in the ro...

OLIVER BECOMES BETTER ACQUAINTED WITH THE CHARACTERS OF HIS NEW ASSOCIATES; AND PURCHASES EXPERIENCE AT A HIGH PRICE. BEING A SHORT, BUT VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER, IN THIS HISTORYFor many days, Oliver...

TREATS OF MR. FANG THE POLICE MAGISTRATE; AND FURNISHES A SLIGHT SPECIMEN OF HIS MODE OF ADMINISTERING JUSTICEThe offence had been committed within the district, and indeed in the immediate neighbo...

IN WHICH OLIVER IS TAKEN BETTER CARE OF THAN HE EVER WAS BEFORE. AND IN WHICH THE NARRATIVE REVERTS TO THE MERRY OLD GENTLEMAN AND HIS YOUTHFUL FRIENDS.The coach rattled away, over nearly the same...

SOME NEW ACQUAINTANCES ARE INTRODUCED TO THE INTELLIGENT READER, CONNECTED WITH WHOM VARIOUS PLEASANT MATTERS ARE RELATED, APPERTAINING TO THIS HISTORY'Where's Oliver?' said the Jew, rising with a...

COMPRISING FURTHER PARTICULARS OF OLIVER'S STAY AT MR. BROWNLOW'S, WITH THE REMARKABLE PREDICTION WHICH ONE MR. GRIMWIG UTTERED CONCERNING HIM, WHEN HE WENT OUT ON AN ERRANDOliver soon recovering f...

SHOWING HOW VERY FOND OF OLIVER TWIST, THE MERRY OLD JEW AND MISS NANCY WEREIn the obscure parlour of a low public-house, in the filthiest part of Little Saffron Hill; a dark and gloomy den, where...

RELATES WHAT BECAME OF OLIVER TWIST, AFTER HE HAD BEEN CLAIMED BY NANCYThe narrow streets and courts, at length, terminated in a large open space; scattered about which, were pens for beasts, and o...

OLIVER'S DESTINY CONTINUING UNPROPITIOUS, BRINGS A GREAT MAN TO LONDON TO INJURE HIS REPUTATIONIt is the custom on the stage, in all good murderous melodramas, to present the tragic and the comic s...

HOW OLIVER PASSED HIS TIME IN THE IMPROVING SOCIETY OF HIS REPUTABLE FRIENDSAbout noon next day, when the Dodger and Master Bates had gone out to pursue their customary avocations, Mr. Fagin took t...

IN WHICH A NOTABLE PLAN IS DISCUSSED AND DETERMINED ONIt was a chill, damp, windy night, when the Jew: buttoning his great-coat tight round his shrivelled body, and pulling the collar up over his e...

WHEREIN OLIVER IS DELIVERED OVER TO MR. WILLIAM SIKESWhen Oliver awoke in the morning, he was a good deal surprised to find that a new pair of shoes, with strong thick soles, had been placed at his...

THE EXPEDITIONIt was a cheerless morning when they got into the street; blowing and raining hard; and the clouds looking dull and stormy. The night had been very wet: large pools of water had colle...

THE BURGLARY'Hallo!' cried a loud, hoarse voice, as soon as they set foot in the passage.'Don't make such a row,' said Sikes, bolting the door. 'Show a glim, Toby.''Aha! my pal!' cried the same voi...

WHICH CONTAINS THE SUBSTANCE OF A PLEASANT CONVERSATION BETWEEN MR. BUMBLE AND A LADY; AND SHOWS THAT EVEN A BEADLE MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE ON SOME POINTSThe night was bitter cold. The snow lay on the g...

TREATS ON A VERY POOR SUBJECT. BUT IS A SHORT ONE, AND MAY BE FOUND OF IMPORTANCE IN THIS HISTORYIt was no unfit messenger of death, who had disturbed the quiet of the matron's room. Her body was b...

WHEREIN THIS HISTORY REVERTS TO MR. FAGIN AND COMPANYWhile these things were passing in the country workhouse, Mr. Fagin sat in the old den--the same from which Oliver had been removed by the girl-...

IN WHICH A MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER APPEARS UPON THE SCENE; AND MANY THINGS, INSEPARABLE FROM THIS HISTORY, ARE DONE AND PERFORMEDThe old man had gained the street corner, before he began to recover th...

ATONES FOR THE UNPOLITENESS OF A FORMER CHAPTER; WHICH DESERTED A LADY, MOST UNCEREMONIOUSLYAs it would be, by no means, seemly in a humble author to keep so mighty a personage as a beadle waiting,...

LOOKS AFTER OLIVER, AND PROCEEDS WITH HIS ADVENTURES'Wolves tear your throats!' muttered Sikes, grinding his teeth. 'I wish I was among some of you; you'd howl the hoarser for it.'As Sikes growled...

HAS AN INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE INMATES OF THE HOUSE, TO WHICH OLIVER RESORTEDIn a handsome room: though its furniture had rather the air of old-fashioned comfort, than of modern elegance: there...

RELATES WHAT OLIVER'S NEW VISITORS THOUGHT OF HIMWith many loquacious assurances that they would be agreeably surprised in the aspect of the criminal, the doctor drew the young lady's arm through o...

INVOLVES A CRITICAL POSITION'Who's that?' inquired Brittles, opening the door a little way, with the chain up, and peeping out, shading the candle with his hand.'Open the door,' replied a man outsi...

OF THE HAPPY LIFE OLIVER BEGAN TO LEAD WITH HIS KIND FRIENDSOliver's ailings were neither slight nor few. In addition to the pain and delay attendant on a broken limb, his exposure to the wet and c...

WHEREIN THE HAPPINESS OF OLIVER AND HIS FRIENDS, EXPERIENCES A SUDDEN CHECKSpring flew swiftly by, and summer came. If the village had been beautiful at first it was now in the full glow and luxuri...

CONTAINS SOME INTRODUCTORY PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO A YOUNG GENTLEMAN WHO NOW ARRIVES UPON THE SCENE; AND A NEW ADVENTURE WHICH HAPPENED TO OLIVERIt was almost too much happiness to bear. Oliver fel...

CONTAINING THE UNSATISFACTORY RESULT OF OLIVER'S ADVENTURE; AND A CONVERSATION OF SOME IMPORTANCE BETWEEN HARRY MAYLIE AND ROSEWhen the inmates of the house, attracted by Oliver's cries, hurried to...

IS A VERY SHORT ONE, AND MAY APPEAR OF NO GREAT IMPORTANCE IN ITS PLACE, BUT IT SHOULD BE READ NOTWITHSTANDING, AS A SEQUEL TO THE LAST, AND A KEY TO ONE THAT WILL FOLLOW WHEN ITS TIME ARRIVES'And...

IN WHICH THE READER MAY PERCEIVE A CONTRAST, NOT UNCOMMON IN MATRIMONIAL CASESMr. Bumble sat in the workhouse parlour, with his eyes moodily fixed on the cheerless grate, whence, as it was summer t...

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT PASSED BETWEEN MR. AND MRS. BUMBLE, AND MR. MONKS, AT THEIR NOCTURNAL INTERVIEWIt was a dull, close, overcast summer evening. The clouds, which had been threatening al...

INTRODUCES SOME RESPECTABLE CHARACTERS WITH WHOM THE READER IS ALREADY ACQUAINTED, AND SHOWS HOW MONKS AND THE JEW LAID THEIR WORTHY HEADS TOGETHEROn the evening following that upon which the three...

A STRANGE INTERVIEW, WHICH IS A SEQUEL TO THE LAST CHAMBERThe girl's life had been squandered in the streets, and among the most noisome of the stews and dens of London, but there was something of...

CONTAINING FRESH DISCOVERIES, AND SHOWING THAT SUPRISES, LIKE MISFORTUNES, SELDOM COME ALONEHer situation was, indeed, one of no common trial and difficulty. While she felt the most eager and burni...

AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF OLIVER'S, EXHIBITING DECIDED MARKS OF GENIUS, BECOMES A PUBLIC CHARACTER IN THE METROPOLISUpon the night when Nancy, having lulled Mr. Sikes to sleep, hurried on her self-imp...

WHEREIN IS SHOWN HOW THE ARTFUL DODGER GOT INTO TROUBLE'And so it was you that was your own friend, was it?' asked Mr. Claypole, otherwise Bolter, when, by virtue of the compact entered into betwee...

THE TIME ARRIVES FOR NANCY TO REDEEM HER PLEDGE TO ROSE MAYLIE. SHE FAILS.Adept as she was, in all the arts of cunning and dissimulation, the girl Nancy could not wholly conceal the effect which th...

NOAH CLAYPOLE IS EMPLOYED BY FAGIN ON A SECRET MISSIONThe old man was up, betimes, next morning, and waited impatiently for the appearance of his new associate, who after a delay that seemed interm...

THE APPOINTMENT KEPTThe church clocks chimed three quarters past eleven, as two figures emerged on London Bridge. One, which advanced with a swift and rapid step, was that of a woman who looked eag...

FATAL CONSEQUENCESIt was nearly two hours before day-break; that time which in the autumn of the year, may be truly called the dead of night; when the streets are silent and deserted; when even sou...

THE FLIGHT OF SIKESOf all bad deeds that, under cover of the darkness, had been committed within wide London's bounds since night hung over it, that was the worst. Of all the horrors that rose with...

MONKS AND MR. BROWNLOW AT LENGTH MEET. THEIR CONVERSATION, AND THE INTELLIGENCE THAT INTERRUPTS ITThe twilight was beginning to close in, when Mr. Brownlow alighted from a hackney-coach at his own...

THE PURSUIT AND ESCAPENear to that part of the Thames on which the church at Rotherhithe abuts, where the buildings on the banks are dirtiest and the vessels on the river blackest with the dust of...

AFFORDING AN EXPLANATION OF MORE MYSTERIES THAN ONE, AND COMPREHENDING A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE WITH NO WORD OF SETTLEMENT OR PIN-MONEYThe events narrated in the last chapter were yet but two days ol...

FAGIN'S LAST NIGHT ALIVEThe court was paved, from floor to roof, with human faces. Inquisitive and eager eyes peered from every inch of space. From the rail before the dock, away into the sharpest...

AND LASTThe fortunes of those who have figured in this tale are nearly closed. The little that remains to their historian to relate, is told in few and simple words.Before three months had passed,...