October 01, 2016 • book review • Oliver Twist • product review

We’ve teamed up with the lovely people at Bloomsbury Publishing on the launch of the eagerly awaited third book of the Guinea Pig Classics series, ‘A Guinea Pig Oliver Twist’.

Piggy pawfect dream team Tess Newall and Alex Goodwin have teamed up once again to bring us this delightful guinea pig themed adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, which we all know and love.

There was much excitement and anticipation here at Everything Guinea Pig HQ as we eagerly awaited the delivery of our review copy. Beside himself with excitement, Humphrey was eager to open the parcel and start reading all about the adventures of his fellow piggy friend Oliver Twist.

COVER & QUALITY

This string bound little hard back edition is of typically excellent Bloomsbury calibre and quality. The pages are a good weight, the printing clear and crisp the photographs exceptionally high definition (all the better for admiring those adorable little fluffers). The cover showcases Oliver, our furry little hero, in a dramatic shot against a Victorian London skyline and the title ‘A Guinea Pig Oliver Twist’ takes foil printed pride of place.

PLOT & STORY LINE

Oliver Twist is a classic that we all know and love and has been adapted many times for stage, screen and radio. The abridgement of this particular edition has been penned by Alex Goodwin, who has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Whilst heavily abridged (for obvious reasons) the key scenes are all there and the story manages to flow well without being too heavy.

We imagine that for the vast majority of purchasers (us included) this book is an excuse to see our favourite furry friends all dressed up and looking adorable, not that we need one of course! For this, it is perfect, a light hearted adaptation of a classic, beautifully told through guinea pig characters.

PHOTOGRAPHS

We must give special recognition to the time and dedication that has clearly been invested in the creation of the wonderfully elaborate costumes and scenery. We take our hat off to photographer Belmondo, if you've ever tried to photograph a guinea pig wearing a costume you'll appreciate what a remarkable achievement perfectly poised piggy photographs are! The intricacy and accuracy of the props and costumes used for the photographs is exemplary, bearing in mind of course that everything has had to be created in miniature! Tess Newall’s experience and expertise as a set designer certainly shows as every single photograph in the book immerses you in the scene, engaging you with the character and their setting beautifully. For us, the combination adorable guinea pigs and outstanding photography is what makes this little book a delight to read.

CONCLUSION

We have thoroughly enjoyed reading and reviewing this wonderful little book and feel that it’s a great addition to the Guinea Pig Classics range. We’re sure any guinea pig lover would be over the moon to receive this as a stocking filler on Christmas morning and can imagine the whole family (guinea pigs included, as demonstrated by Humphrey) being enthralled with its story and characters. We were particularly impressed by the inclusion at the end of the book that encourages readers to support their local rescue centres should they be considering adopting a guinea pig. As a pro-rescue business, Everything Guinea Pig is delighted that this has been recognised and certainly helps to earn some brownie points in our book.

If you’d like to get your paws on a copy of A Guinea Pig Oliver Twist, we’re delighted to report that it is now available to order from our online store here.