Differences

I had seen Oliver!, the musical adaption of Oliver Twist, before reading the novel. Upon finishing the book, I thought I would watch it again to compare the two. The biggest difference, obviously, would be the music. The music does not take away from the themes of the book, but it seems less relatable. Oliver Twist, the novel, seems much more real than the musical. Though I did not think the music necessarily adds to the story, I think "Where is love?" is a very powerful song. It reaffirms Oliver's loneliness and, with the the actor(s) emotions, adds to that.

In some versions of the musical, the very first scene, Oliver's birth, is skipped. It seems odd that such an important scene is skipped. With the skipping of the first scene and the added music, the musical is not as strong in its message. Some smaller differences include; making Bette Nancy's sister, removing character motives, and Bill Sikes' dog has a better fate. All in all, not much was changed, but it made the adaption less strong.