The work is set in the foggy city of London and tells the tragic life and experiences of an orphan. The protagonist Oliver grew up in an orphanage, experienced an apprenticeship, struggled to escape, fell into a den of thieves, and was forced to work with vicious murderers. He went through countless hardships. Finally, with the help of kind people, he found out his life experience and gained happiness.
The book exposed many social problems at the time, such as workhouses, child labor, and gangs recruiting young people to participate in crime. The book has been adapted into films, television and stage plays many times.
