OLIVER TWIST

ThisNortonCriticalEditinnofaDickensfavoritereprintsthe1846text,thelasteditionDickenssubstantiallyrevisedandtheonethatbestmirrorshistrueintentions.F'oreaseofcompre-hension,theeditorhascorrectedprinters'errorsandannotatedun|'amiliartermsandallusions."ThreeillustrationsbyGeorgeCruikshankandamapofOliver'sLondonarealsoincluded,"BackgroundsandSources"focusesonThePoorLawAmend*mentActof1834,whichiscentralbothtoDickensandtoOliver7itqst.Thelaw'sfar-reachingimplicationsareconsideredinsourcematerialsthatirlcludeparliamentarydebatesonThePoorLaws,aharrowingaccountofan1835Bedford-shireriot,andin"AnAppealtoFallenWomen."Dickens'st847openlettertoLondon'sprostitutesmgingthemtoturntheirbackson"dehaucheryandneglect"andtoseekrefuge.TenlettersonOliverTwist,rangingfrom1837to1864,arereprinted,includingthosetoRichardBentley,thenovel'spuhlisher;GeorgeCruikshank,thenovel'sillustrator;andjohnForster,Dickens'sclosefriendandI:uturebiographenInaddition,readerscantracetheevolutiono[:thenovelbuexaminingDickens'sinstall-mentandchapter-divisionplansaswellasenjoy"'SikesandNancy,"thetextofapublicreadingDickenscomposeclandperformedo[tentolargeaudiences."EarlvReviews"provideseightwitty,insightful,andattimesimpassionedreactionstothenovelandtoOliver'splightbyamongothers,WilliamMakepeaceThackerayandJohnForster(anonymously)."Criticism"includestwentyofthemostsignificantinterpretationsofOliverTwistinthetwentiethcenturyIncludedamessaysbyHemTJames,GeorgeGissing,GrahamGreene,J,HillisMiller,HarD,Stone,PhilipCollins,JohnBayIey,KcithHollingsworth,StevenMarcus,MrmroeEngel,JamesR.Kincaid,MichaelSlater,PhilDennisWalde,BurtonM,Wheeleler,Janet.arson.FredKaptan,RobertTracy,DavidMiller,JohnO.Jordan,andGarryWills.AChronologyandSelectedBibliographyarealsoincluded.