Oliver Twist (Classic Starts Series) » (Modern Retelling)

Charles Dickens is probably the greatest novelist England ever produced. His innate comic genius and shrewd depictions of Victorian life -- along with his memorable characters -- have made him beloved by readers the world over. In Dickens' books live some of the most repugnant villains in literature, as well as some of the most likeable (and unlikely) heroes.

One of the first English novels to feature a child as its protagonist, Oliver Twist, published in 1838, moves through the Victorian underworld to tell a suspenseful tale of innocence threatened—yet ultimately triumphant. Mining memories of his own youth to imagine the experiences of the foundling Oliver, Dickens creates a heartbreaking drama full of unforgettable characters. This Nonesuch edition presents the author's final text and all of the illustrations Dickens himself selected to complement his words.

The Legendary Nonesuch Dickens, issued in the 1930s, presented the writing of the foremost English novelist in its most distinguished format. Upon its original publication, the set was hailed as "one of the most glorious publishing achievements of our time." Now the peerless Nonesuch standards have been revived in new editions of Dickens' most beloved works, introducing a new generation of readers to these masterpieces of literature, illustration and book design.

The Nonesuch Press was founded in London by Francis Meynell in 1923. Applying the refinement and expertise of the private press aesthetic to commercial publishing, Nonesuch books were among the most elegant and treasured volumes produced in the first half of the twentieth century. The fabled Nonesuch Dickens was the Press' most ambitious project, treasured both for its quality and its rarity: only 877 twenty-four volume sets were issued, and complete original sets have sold recently at auction for more than $30,000.

Employing modern printing technology seven decades later, each book in the revived Nonesuch Dickens replicates the enduring editorial and design excellence of its inspiration at an affordable price.