Oliver Twist

I enjoyed the triollogy from Bryce Courtney, the man now  gone in fact, but still around in word.

I enjoyed his triolgy, "The Potato Factory", "Tommo and Hawke" and "Solomon's Song".

It was obvious to me that Bryce used the theme of 'Oliver Twist' from Charles Dickens in the Potato Factory, and in Tommo and Hawke, even to the use of the  character 'Sparrow'.

I guess it is easier to make a story based on other stories of historic tales, it the copyright has lapsed, but  I do feel that people of this standard should sty to theri own genre, and style of writing.

I had the same trouble with James A Mitchener in  the saga works of the books, Hawaii, Texicana and a couple of others.

It was whilst reading Texicana that I noticed that some of the research material read very differently to the manner in which Mitchener usually wrote.  I spent some time to find out that Mitchener used many ghost writers to research passages of  his books, and did not bother to change the research the passages to his own way of writing.  I do not read Mitchener any more.

It is difficult to find a purist writer,  but when you do, the book retains if flavour to the end.