Classical literature is something I always had to read in school, not always enjoying it as I should.   As an adult, I am creeping back into my childhood haunts: authors like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, L.M. Montgomery…the list goes on.

This week, I am rediscovering “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens, a novel that I read when I was in high school.  Most know about the orphan boy, his dealings with Fagin, the Artful Dodger, and Bill Sikes from the movie versions, but that, as Paul Harvey would say, is not the end of the story.

I failed to remember how brutal the poor were treated, how deplorable living conditions were if you were not rich and how awful it was to be an orphan (or even a child) during Dickens’ era.  Ultimately, Oliver is saved from his wretched life and cared for as we hoped he would be. 

After reading this book, my advice to you, the reader, is plain and simple.  Revisit old books.  Be a part of their world once more.