Abstract
The first Norwegian edition of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist was published in 1880. This thesis sets out to discover what has become of the novel and its many adaptations in Norway since then. Taking a comprehensive and inclusive view of how these texts produce meaning, this survey of the Norwegian translations of Oliver Twist examines both the external and internal features of the texts. The approach is mainly empirical, yet this thesis draws on a number of theoretical frameworks from different fields, including reception studies, adaptation theory, translation studies and history of the book. In this respect the thesis is interdisciplinary in nature. The Norwegian translations of Oliver Twist vary greatly both in form and content, from abridged children’s versions to full-length editions aimed at adults. As to structure, the thesis is divided into three main chapters: chapter one analyses the unabridged editions of Oliver Twist in terms of their foreignizing and domesticating features, chapter two examines the abridged children’s editions, with an emphasis on how their material features help shape their reception and chapter three investigates the Norwegian reception of the many film, television and musical adaptations of Oliver Twist.