Oliver Twist
It is because I think so much of warm and sensitive hearts, that I would spare them from being wounded. The impact of this classic, essential contribution to Victorian literature is still being felt today. With iconic characters like the Artful Dodger, and the titular orphan's famous request for "more," Oliver Twist is the definition of a classic, and shows Dickens at his best: writing about poverty and giving a spotlight to the working class.
Charles Dickens is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. Perhaps the most famous author of serialized narratives, Dickens popularized cliffhanger endings; one such cliffhanger, from The Old Curiosity Shop, even led to riots on the docks of New York—so desperate were the public awaiting the fate of their favorite character. He was so influential, the term Dickensian is now used to describe poor social conditions or cartoonishly repulsive characters.