Filled with a gallant desire to help her in her plight, Dodger embarks on an adventure which leads him to become the hero of Fleet Street, to face down the demon barber Sweeny Todd, and even to meet the prime minster - as well as to make a 'nobby' new friend, a journalist by the name of Charlie Dickens. The irresistibly goodhearted smelly rogue, Dodger (with his equally smelly dog, Onan) bumps into Mister Charlie, and both recognise the other for what they are, and know that nothing will get past them.

Dodger - Sir Terry Pratchett

As Dodger's triumphant path ultimately brings him honour from the very highest rank of society, we cannot help but cheer not only for his success, but also for the success of this ebullient, funny and delightful novel. Terry also had strong and, some might even say, puritanical ideas about how much money he should accept in advance of a book’s publication. Dodger is a non- Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, about a tosher (young person who goes down the sewers looking for valuables; they're young because it's not a job that leads to a long life), who rescues a girl from apparent kidnappers, and finds himself in a very complicated situation when some well-off do-gooder charges him with finding out what's going on.

In the author's note, Pratchett admits that this is a work not of historical fiction but of historical fantasy. He considers himself a " geezer" and despite his young age he has earned respect amongst the poor in London.

Dodger | Terry Pratchett

He's a bit of a Deconstruction, though, since it's made absolutely clear that living on the streets is not happy-go-lucky. There are some definite Discworld style characters, Onan, Dodger's dog has been illustrated in a manner, and with such personality, I expected him to be able to speak or turn out to be a Wizard of the Unseen University on an expedition from the next universe over, except disguised as a dog. Instead I would steer newbie readers to the City Watch, William dW or Moist vL episodes of Discworld.

Through their activities (and from the recovered Simplicity herself), Charlie and Dodger learn that the girl had secretly married a prince of one of the German states and thereby become an obstacle to a planned political marriage. At one point Dodger is outraged that rich people have started plumbing their cesspits into the sewers, which weren't designed for that at all. Some readers grumble about the references to Charles Dickens … either they are too overt, spoiling the fun (but might encourage children to read Dickens)—or conversely that it might be enjoyed by those who have not read anything by Charles Dickens! And they would have carried on growing if they hadn’t met resistance from an unlikely source: Terry himself.