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There are currently 18 member reviews
for Fagin the Thief
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Lani S. (Narberth, PA)
a masterful interpretation
Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein is a remarkable reimagining of Fagin from Dicken's Oliver Twist sure to delight fans of Dicken's works. Set against the backdrop of 19th -century London, Fagin was raised by his mother Leah until her death when he was 16. During that period he was taken under the wing of a pickpocket who taught him the skills of the trade. He became a skilled artisan evading police and collecting goods while living in an abandoned building. Here he takes in several orphans who have no where else to go and teaches them what he has learned along the way. One of his orphans, Billy Sikes, was to become one of London's most daring housebreakers but ultimately lead to chaos within the "family."
A wonderful character study, Fagin emerges as a man shaped by the brutal realities of poverty, Jewish prejudice, and circumstance. As he gets tangled deeper in the world of crime, his internal struggle becomes evident with his desire for survival and the choices he is faced with. Though he is manipulative I couldn't help but find him a sympathetic character at times, though his actions continued to be morally questionable.
Epstein paints a wonderful picture of the harsh economic and social conditions of Victorian England, broadcasting the difficulties of survival for the gang of child thieves under Fagin's wing. Oliver Twist makes a cursory introduction as well as the Artful Dodger from Dicken's book. Nancy, the prostitute, who fell in love with Billy Sikes, plays a prominent and compelling role as well. The author's focus on the psychology and motivations of the characters makes this reinterpretation feel grounded and believable. While there is no straightforward redemption arc or a clear -cut portrayal of good vs evil, this terrific book offers a powerful insight on how individuals navigate systems of power and survival while highlighting the complexity of human nature. This book is a winner!
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Barbara H. (Thomasville, GA)
A Nest of Thieves!!
When I first started this book I almost sent BookBrowse a "Just not my forte" note - but I decided to read on and now must say I absolutely loved this book!! It was a depiction of early to mid- nineteenth century London at its best and its worst.. It enveloped sadness, hatred, kindness, selfishness - and just the simple joy in living. The characters in Epstein's novel were so vivid and each one so different from the other as were the scenes depicted in this story so vivid of a sordid London. I, as the reader was transported to a much seamier time and place and side of life that is unknown to most of us. Yet the novel was so full of life!!
For me this was one of those rare books that one does not want to end -but alas, all good things must come to an end!
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Dan W. (Fort Myers, FL)
Oliver Twist Revisited
I admit at first that I was struggling with the narrative of this book. In fact, I reread the beginning chapters several times to comprehend the content and format of this book. However, the more that I continued reading this book, I became a captive reader. By the time I had read more than 50 percent of this book, I became so engrossed in the book I that anxiously awaited the availability of my time to read as many pages as possible. I couldn't foresee how the book would end, but when I reached that end, I was totally captivated. What an enjoyable experience I had reading this book and encourage others to embark on the trials and tribulations experienced by the characters in this book.
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Jim T. (North Ridgeville, OH)
A Different Fagin
I read Oliver Twist several decades ago and was fascinated by the opportunity to read this reimagining of the villain of Dicken's novel set in the mid-nineteenth century. Somewhat to my surprise, a sympathetic Jacob Fagin appears in Allison Epstein's novel. Jacob is a boy abused by his father, who was also a thief, and loved by a mother who tried to point him in a different direction, to no avail.
I took an interest in the extreme anti-Semitism in London at that time, as Jacob Fagin was a secular Jew, but a Jew nonetheless. The attitude toward him by society was, "Of course, he's a thief, he's a Jew, isn't he?" The story takes us through his early life as a ragamuffin pickpocket on the street, eventually becoming a master thief. In the Dickens story, it appears that Fagin deliberately gathered boys into his lair, sending them out into the streets to pick the pockets of the rich and bring the spoils back to him.
Epstein presents a different storyline: Boys seek him out to escape their fate and be trained by him. He becomes a reluctant rescuer of these boys. Jacob is not a kindly hero, but he does have a soul and a conscience, of sorts. Oliver, interestingly enough, is not a major character in this novel but does appear and takes part, against his will, in an abortive home robbery that goes awry.
At this point, Epstein imagines a different story concerning the violent Bill Sikes and his girlfriend Nancy, which becomes the main focus of the rest of the book. Without giving spoilers away, they all come to an end differently than in Dicken's novel. If your remembrance of Dicken's version is strong, you might object to Epstein's version, but I frankly thought it was well done and actually made more sense. And a novel is, after all, a novel, so the author can go anywhere they wish. I highly recommend it. Thanks to BookBrowse for providing a pre-publication version for review.
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Sandi W. (East Moline, IL)
A deeper probe of Fagin...
3.5 stars Thank you to BookBrowse and Doubleday for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Publishes Feb 25, 2025.
I am pretty skeptical about retellings. Seldom do I care for the changes that are made to the original story or characters. However with this book, it was not so much a retelling as it was a deeper probe and continuation into the lives that Dickens made popular.
We are reintroduced to Fagin, as an adult. Along with Nancy, Bill Sikes, Dodger and the dog, Bullseye. Fagin takes them all under his wing, along with a few more, and makes sure they are the best pickpockets in Victorian London. Until Sikes tries a job that puts them all under the thumb of the law.
I will be following the writing career of Epstein, having enjoyed this book. Sadly to say, her other two books are in eras that I do not particularly like to read about, so hoping that a future book will liken back to a time period that I do enjoy.
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Karen P. (Silver Spring, MD)
Alterate take on Oliver Twist
Fagin the Thief treads the now familiar trope of an alternate POV of a classic story. It does so without the Antisemitism of the original and makes Fagin out to be a sympathetic character dealing with the extreme poverty of 19th century London and early loss of parents. he is given a childhood thieving mentor which he in turn becomes to other boys over time. I'll not spoil the ending but it was satisfying.
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Laurie B. (Jacksonville, FL)
Well written
An interesting re-telling of Oliver Twist. The author writes well and offers interesting insight into the characters. The historical background and depiction of the "justice" system was intriguing.
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