In Fagin the Thief, Allison Epstein recounts the life of Oliver Twist's Fagin. Oliver appears in this novel a few times, but this is Fagin's story, from his childhood in London's isolated Jewish neighborhood to his adult life raising and "teaching" orphans from the street. In fact, Fagin's first street child was Bill Sykes, a character who remains a presence in Fagin's life, a sometimes friendly, frequently menacing presence.

Fagin the Thief is a melancholy read. Good moments arrive, but are always precarious. Day-to-day life is never having enough money to be sure of meals and spending most nights in insalubrious pubs. In the last third, the novel moves into a narrative arc in which we see Fagin's life at risk. It's not until the last few pages that readers know whether he's survived.

Epstein's novel may have found its genesis a novel by Dickens, but it is very much Fagin's story and he's an interesting man to spend time with. The reader doesn't always approve of his choices, but the reader certainly understands them. If you're looking for a read based in sorrow, but leavened with moments of connection and community, you'll find Fagin the Thief a treat.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

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.

TY BookBrowse and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Review of “Fagin the Thief”

I read “Oliver Twist” several decades ago, and was fascinated by the opportunity to read this re-imagining of the villain of Dicken’s novel set in the mid-nineteenth century. Somewhat to my surprise, it is a sympathetic Jacob Fagin that 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.

The storyline also emphasizes 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, that boys sought 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 in a different way 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 and NetGalley for providing a pre-publication version for review.

In 18th c London, if you were poor and fatherless and Jewish your chances in life were slim. Jacob Fagin’s beloved mother sewed to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. She made sure that he studied with the rabbi and read him books. One day Fagin wandered out of his safe neighborhood and was tolerated by a gang of boys. Then, he observed a man with rings on his fingers as he picked a man’s pocket. Fagin followed him and asked that the man teach him to be a thief.

By the time Fagin’s mother died, he was accomplished in his career, but homeless and on his own. His mentor rebuffed his appeals. Vowing to never love or trust again, he found a woman willing to give him a place on the floor to sleep in exchange for caring for her daughter in the daytime. When she came home, Fagin’s work day began.

Forced out by the family who rented the one bed, Fagin found an empty building to occupy. His success as a thief who had never been caught drew desperate young people to his door. And he takes them in, teaches his craft. He becomes attached to them. There is the Artful Dodger, “the greatest pickpocket London ever saw.” Bill Sikes, the angry, abused, boy who can’t allow himself to be soft; dangerous, but still loved by Fagin. And Nancy, whose heart and joy win over all her know her–even Sikes.

Fagin the Thief freely reimagines the character from Dickens’ Oliver Twist, creating an outstanding and fully realized man with a heartbreaking story, making Dickens’ version look like a version forged by a demand for evil criminals and despicable Jews to hate. Even Sikes gains sympathy, twisted as he was by his upbringing. But Oliver, who has a minor role, in the end is smirking and superior.

“”Every modern adaptation of Oliver Twist has to deal with the Fagin problem,” Epstein writes in the afterword. Dickens made alterations to later editions, removing hundreds of references to the word Jew after receiving a letter from a Jewish woman noted that the book “encouraged a prejudice against the despised Hebrew.”

Epstein calls her novel “an exercise in imaginative empathy.” Fagin contends with the cruel realities of his time: the deep antisemitism, the weighted judicial and punitive penal system, the plight of workers who toil in poverty, the lack of medical care and early death from disease, homeless children left to fend for themselves. By understanding the character’s backstory we care about them.

That empathy does not stop with the characters in her novel. We are reminded that two hundred some years later we haven’t resolved these social ills. Antisemitism and racism, a broken system that funnels too many into prison, lack of universal and affordable health care, childhood poverty and homelessness, still destroy lives.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

Fagin the Thief is a well crafted tale featuring the well known literary characterFagin from Dickens ‘Oliver Twist’
The novel is well written with a story that does not disappoint. The author has woven in the sense of Mystery and intrigue.
Other authors have used similar techniques ,that is taking the original characters from a published book and re-creating a new story with similar characters and location.
The book is a good read has literary value, and I do recommend it
SS

Allison Epstein has done a wonderful job fleshing out the character of “Oliver Twist(‘s)” Jacob Fagin. If you enjoy books like Sarah Miller’s “Marmee” or modern retellings or additions to the Jane Austen stories, “Fagin the Thief” may fill several happy hours of reading.

Epstein begins her imagining of Fagin when he is six years old. She skips around throughout the book but each chapter head includes the date, so it is easy to follow the plot.

Along with Fagin, the author also expands on the lives of Dodger, Nancy, Oliver Twist, and Bill Sikes, as well as Sike’s dog, Bullseye. The story moves quickly. It is so well-written that I really did feel as if I was reading a part of Dickens I’d never found before.

“Fagin the Thief” was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to BookBrowse for allowing me to read a pre-release copy. This is my honest review.

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!

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.

Stephen King when writing asks,, What if… In Fagin the Thief, Allison Epstein asks that question about the most loathed characters of Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. In Epstien’s deft and creative hands, we are reintroduced to the original Fagin and Bill, but are also thrust into a deeper study of who they may have been before they were brought to life through Dickens’ pen. Epstein’s work is meticulous in its research, the handling of Fagin’s treatment as a Jew, and her splendid use of language. The reader from the start is drawn into the threatening and dark streets of 19th century London, but this time will find themselves cheering along not the little boy, Oliver, but rather those who we have seen as monsters for nearly two hundred years. Only a skilled storyteller can pull that off! A five star read, especially for Dickens’ fans. Thank you to Doublday, NetGalley, and BookBrowse.com for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review. (Coming out February 2025) For the Game: MC is in legal trouble.

I saw a review on another platform encouraging readers to take this book on its own terms and not as a companion to Oliver Twist, and as someone who is only vaguely familiar with Oliver Twist from decades ago in school, I can say I definitely enjoyed this novel! I did appreciate the author's note about what they changed and why, and I expect I'll come to appreciate their changes even more once I revisit the original. I will also say that I greatly appreciated Epstein's decision not to sanitize Fagin, but rather, present the WHY of him. Long story short: A morally gray main character you can't help but care about (if not root for), lovable (and hate-able) side characters, a rich historical atmosphere, and gorgeous writing to boot - really, what more can you ask for in a book?

For anyone who grew up loving Dickens stories, especially for anyone who read/watched/loved/performed in Oliver, here is the backstory to one of the most beloved characters from Dicken’s imagination.
How did Fagin get to the place where we meet him in Oliver Twist?
Part origin story, part retelling, all homage. You can tell the author loves this story and loves this character.
There’s a chunk in this book between Fagins upbringing and meeting Nancy where the book almost lost me, I think because even though I already have images of Fagin from the movie, I struggled with the era matching the writing style. It felt more like a modern story and didn’t capture that Dickensian feel with the dialogue.
You also do have to “let it go” a bit how the story, once stating to align with Dickens, is changed. Bill and Nancy and Bet and Oliver and Dodger are all there, but how the story lands at the end will have purists thinking “but, but…” The author explains this in the author notes and who’s to blame and author for writing their own story, but it’s the hazard of any homage book, song, movie, etc, isn’t it?
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a fair review. The opinions are my own.
I give it 4 stars. I really did enjoy it in the second half. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.