'p''b'''The power of Dickens is so amazing, that the reader at once becomes his captive'' WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY'/b''br''br'The story of the orphan Oliver, who runs away from the workhouse to be taken in by a den of thieves, shocked readers with its depiction of a dark criminal underworld peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the arch-villain Fagin, the artful Dodger, the menacing Bill Sikes and the prostitute Nancy. Combining elements of Gothic romance, the Newgate novel and popular melodrama, 'i'Oliver Twist'/i' created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.'br''br'Edited with an Introduction and notes by PHILIP HORNE'/p'