An enjoyable romp with a combination of fictionalized real people (Dickens, Disraeli, etc)
And appropriated fictional characters Dodger and Fagin, both considerably improved in general empathy. Fun with some accurate slang and bits of history thrown in for good measure ( )

Terry Pratchett described Dodger, his 2012 coming-of-age story set in Victorian London, as a historical fantasy. The fantasy element is more muted than in most of Pratchett’s work. The novel’s world is peppered with historical figures such as Charles Dickens, Robert Peel, Benjamin Disraeli, and even Sweeney Todd, the barber. Verisimilitude is enhanced by facts drawn from Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor (1851). Pratchett has fun with Victorian slang and his Dickensian characters. He rehabilitates Fagan in the character of Solomon, a jeweler who is more than he seems. His Dodger is artful, but he is not a pickpocket. He is a "tosher," who searches the London sewers for money, jewelry, and other valuables. The plot involves a maiden in distress pursued by appropriately Victorian villains. I would love to know whether Pratchett intended to write sequels to Dodger. He certainly leaves the door open for one, but too many other projects and his final illness made any such plans moot. I note that Dodger has received quite a few lackluster reviews. I think that is because readers set the bar higher for him than they might for anyone else. Indeed, I prefer the Tiffany Achings YA stories to Dodger. That said, it is a readable and inventive book with much to enjoy. 4 stars. ( )

Did this on audiobook. It's not my favorite by this author, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to rate him lower than 3 stars. It's a neat idea—shortly after rescuing a woman in distress, a young man who calls himself Dodger meets a journalist named Charlie Dickens, and they join forces to protect the woman from the many forces working against her.

After listening to Pratchett's historical notes at the end of the book, I realized this was a love letter of sorts to the movers and shakers of social change in Victorian England. That made me like it more.

As a story, I didn't enjoy it as much as the Discworld novels, but history buffs might have more fun with it. ( )

Wonderful style and voice. Fascinating characters. Great fun! ( )

I always love the characters in Prattchet's books. Dodger is no exception. It is sprinkled with whit and humour as well as the grit and grime of London. I loved it! ( )