Currently Masterpiece Theater is showing Charles Dickens' pieces from now until May. This Sunday they are finishing the tale of Oliver Twist. The website breaks the tale down by chapters in the book, so one could watch their favorite chapters, or just parts of the tale. The next two weeks are devoted to David Copperfield, the version starring Dan Radcliff (of Harry Potter fame). The final two tales showing during this season of Masterpiece Theater are Little Dorrit and The Old Curiosity Shop.
I can't recall if I have ever read a Dickens novel or not. I might have read A Christmas Carol, or I just might have seen film interpretations enough to have a grasp on the jist of the story. A childhood favorite of mine pertaining to that story is A Muppet's Christmas Carol.
Just like Austen's novels, Dickens tales have been made into many different films. Disney used the names of characters in Oliver Twist to characters in one of my favorite cartoon movies, Oliver and Company. Another recent telling of the same story was adapted to New York City being the center of the story. August Rush had some similarities to Oliver Twist; for instance, Robin Williams' character is similar to that of Fagin. Though the ending of the movie was up to the audience, about whether or not the family got together and had their happy ending, the tale of a talented young boy left to live in an orphanage is classic Dickens.
I didn't realize that the characters in Oliver and Co. were from Oliver Twist. I've never read Oliver Twist, but I might have to just to catch the similarities. I'm struggling with Great Expectations, but I'm trying and catching on to his writing styles. :S
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