A thrilling depiction of London's criminal belly, The Story of Oliver Twist, Orphaned and Attacked by Evil and Adversity From Its First Breath, shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous Mr Bumble pearls, Oliver finds himself drawn into a den of thieves populated by vivid and memorable characters: the Artful Dodger, the evil thief Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye and the prostitute Nancy, all guarded by the cunning thief master Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic romance, Newgate's novel, and popular melodrama, Dickens created a scathing new kind of fiction in his accusation of a cruel society, and permeated with an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery. ...