Oliver Twist.

DICKENS, Charles.

$1,500.00

Item Number: 149159

London: Bradbury & Evans, Whitefriars, 1846.

First single volume edition of “the most perfect of all the Dickens novels” (Virginia Woolf). Octavo, bound in full polished calf by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. With black and white illustrations done by George Cruikshank. In near fine condition, bookplate to the front pastedown. Housed in a custom marbled slipcase.

A social novel that critiques the harsh realities of poverty and injustice in Victorian England through the story of its orphaned protagonist. Born in a workhouse and subjected to cruelty and exploitation, Oliver endures a series of hardships, including mistreatment by the parish authorities, forced involvement with a gang of criminals led by Fagin, and the constant threat of corruption. The novel exposes the failures of the Poor Law and the brutal conditions faced by the underprivileged, particularly children. Through a mix of realism, satire, and sentimentality, Dickens highlights themes of social inequality, crime, and moral resilience. Ultimately, Oliver’s journey from suffering to eventual security serves as both a compelling narrative and a powerful critique of the systemic neglect of society’s most vulnerable members.