Anyone can simplify this sentence? I don't understand...?

Question

"Among other public buildings in a certain town which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, it boasts of one which is common to most towns, great or small, to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to this book."

Answer 1

A town I shouldn't name had several buildings, one of which, like most towns of any size have, was a workhouse, where the title character of this book (Oliver Twist) was born.


Dickens was (IMHO) ridiculously wordy, largely (I think) because he was paid by the word. A workhouse was kind of like a jail, but usually the inmates weren't criminals but debtors. They had to work off their debts, but basically couldn't because they were paid roughly nothing for their work.

By "mortality" he means "humanity". An item of mortality is just a person, just rather a grim way of looking at it. Must warn you: it doesn't get better. Rent the DVD.

Answer 2

"Among other public buildings in a certain town, in a workhouse was born the item of mortality whose name is prefixed in this book."

In other words, there is a workhouse in a town which produced an item which is referenced in the prefix of the book. Look for the item in the prefix. (The part that comes before the actual book content.)

Answer 3

along with other public buildings, this nameless town has a workhouse which is common to most towns. And in this workhouse is created the item of death whose name is added to the name of this book.

Answer 4

For various reasons, we'd better not name this town;
but like most towns, it had a workhouse,
where the person was born,
whose name is the title of this book.