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There are currently 18 member reviews
for Fagin the Thief
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Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)
A twist on Oliver Twist
I loved the first 3/4 of this novel. The Dickens novel, Oliver Twist, is the basis of this story but told from the point of view of Fagin. Unfortunately, I never read Oliver, although I did see the musical, so I'm not sure his much of Epstein's novel is complete reinvention. London of the 1800's comes alive and I felt a lot of empathy with many of the characters, who are complicated and multi dimensional. The ending was less successful for me, although I'm not sure of a satisfying ending was possible.
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Amanda B. (Moneta, VA)
Fagin - An Accounting
I was immediately drawn to the premise of the plot and wanted to learn more about the infamous Fagin from Dickens' Oliver Twist. However, the first half of the story is told at almost arm's length – a distance. It feels more like an accounting of Fagin's life, rather than being in his head to understand why he is who he is. Why does Fagin find pickpocketing so exciting in the first place? It's never explored, he just does. How did his loss drive him? That's never explored, just a summary of the early years he has on the streets. The plot was slow this first half as the author struggled to give Fagin motivation. But the second half of the novel was plot-driven and a page turner and fun to read. I enjoyed the author's take on what happened to the characters, but felt the point of this story was to show why. And I feel that question was never answered.
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Emily B. (Ellicott City, MD)
Reimagining of Oliver Twist
Fagin the Thief is a reimagining of Oliver Twist, from the perspective of Jacob Fagin - the best pickpocket in London. I completely missed that when I first read the description, and was just drawn to the story. I've never read Oliver Twist and all I know about it is the "please sir, I want some more" line I remember from some kind of parody.
For me, the book but it wasn't an easy read. Between chapters varying in times and the various characters, there wasn't an even flow. I was bored with the story at times and couldn't figure out where it was going.
The antisemitism in the book was prevalent and seemed overused. I know it was true to the time, and the author's note explained the origin of it from Oliver Twist. That being said, it was almost distracting and took my focus away from the rest of the story.
I'm fairly certain I was at a disadvantage not knowing the characters and their stories. This book may be better suited to someone familiar with Oliver Twist.
This book wasn't for me but I'd definitely read more from the author.
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Amber H. (Asheville, NC)
Not for me
Sadly, I found this book quite boring. So much of the book was detail after detail about petty theft. I didn't get a good feel for Fagin or the other characters in the book. I wish there was more insight into the characters relationships with each other, their own thoughts/beliefs, etc. I don't know that I feel like I took away a backstory to Fagin of Oliver Twist, which was a disappointment. This one just wasn't for me.
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