'Oliver Twist' is one of Dickens most enduringly popular novel. Like many of his novels, its central theme is the hadship faced by the dispossessed. It is a fantastically crafted and engrossing novel, in which Dickens follows the life of young orphan boy, Oliver,who grows up amidst desperate poverty in London in the early 19th century. 'Oliver Twist' is an excellent introduction to Dickens, and patient readers will find this novel accessible. While clearly enjoyable at the superficial level, the novel also makes a powerful statement about poverty and the power of human spirit in the face of depravity.