Oliver Twist (Edited Classic)

Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is doomed to a life of misery and humiliation. He runs away to seek a better life, but falls in with some people who are up to no good. Will he resort to a life of crime to keep the only friends he has ever known? And who is the lurking stranger who seems to wish him ill? With every step he takes on the dangerous streets of London, the odds against Oliver increase.

Townsend Library classics have been edited to make them more accessible to todays readers. But the books have not been abridged in the sense of shortening them by sacrificing story development, character richness, and the authors voice. In our experience, abridged books result from a simplistic removal of large chunks of material or a formulaic translation that robs a book of its distinctive flavor. By contrast, as we produce a Townsend Library title, we seek to edit the material carefully and respectfully in order to preserve the qualities that have made the book a classic.

TL editors approach every book entirely on its own merits, guided constantly by these questions:

What will get in the way of a readers enjoyment of this wonderful story?

How can the story be made more readable while preserving the integrity of the original book?