Nicholas Nickleby (Penguin Classics)

by Charles Dickens

Nicholas Nickleby (Penguin Classics)

published

November 1st 1999 by Penguin Classics

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binding

Paperback, 864 pages

isbn

0140435123 (isbn13: 9780140435122)

description

Our hero confronts a large and varied cast, including Wackford Squeers, the fantastic ogre of a schoolmaster, and Vincent Crummles, the grandiloquent ...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1222)

All ratings | 5 stars (457) | 4 stars (571) | 3 stars (416) | 2 stars (83) | 1 star (21) | avg 3.91

all | this edition

Brad

Brad rated it:

(review of isbn 0749307579)

06/27/07

bookshelves: novel

When the name of the cruel schoolmaster is Wackford Squeers you just know it's going to be good. Nicholas himself can sometimes be a bit prissy but this serves well as a foil for the many extreme characters that surround him (and he's a lot more feisty than the relatively milquetoast David Copperfield). This is classic Dickens at the height of his powers.

My generic comment about Charles Dickens:
First of all, although I am a partisan of Dickens' writing and have read and relished most his ...more

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Maurine

Maurine rated it:

(review of isbn 1904633846)

06/08/08

Read in June, 2008

What a book. I had no idea what infinite charms 19th-century literature holds for me. I have never read Dickens strictly for pleasure before, but this is the book to do it. Nicholas Nickleby is not a wimp! That's what I loved about it. He stands up for himself in a way that I always longed for in, say, Great Expectations. He is quite an admirable character. Also, what an awesome villain. It's the same inexplicable hatred for our hero as in Othello. And, of course, the ending is satisfying and ti...more

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1 comments

Isil

Isil rated it:

09/07/08

bookshelves: angleterre, litterature, victorien, xixe

Read in January, 2008

Nicholas Nickleby a plus de défauts que les autres romans de Dickens. L’intrigue est présente et bien menée (on a la présence d’un jeune homme qui ignore tout de son propre passé, un mystérieux inconnu...) mais à un moment, elle est perdue dans quelques scènes sans grand intérêt. Néanmoins, sur plus de 1000 pages, ils y en a moins d’une centaine qui m’a parue plus faible et encore ces moments ne sont pas indignes et ralentissent peu l’action, certaines sont même des éléme...more

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Margaret

Margaret rated it:

(review of isbn 0140431136)

08/04/08

Read in January, 1979

When I first went to the UK and was doing my version of A Tour Round the Whole Island of Great Britain, which involved many hours alone on British Rail and in B&Bs, this was the only book I took with me - and it was the only one I needed. Because of their length, you could probably say the same about any of Dickens' novels, but somehow this story of two young people going out for the first time to travel through the world on their own (albeit by necessity and not by choice) and meeting all ...more

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Jill

Jill rated it:

05/12/08

Read in May, 2008

I just finished Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. Wow, what an emotionally draining but compelling piece. I loved it because even though it is filled with SO much tragedy, Love and Kindness win in the end.

This book reminds all of us, that money doesn’t equate to happiness and that it is our relationships that matter at the end of the day. It also reminds us of the law of reciprocity; what goes around comes around. Though we cannot always know the effects of our actions we can be ...more I just finished Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. Wow, what an emotionally draining but compelling piece. I loved it because even though it is filled with SO much tragedy, Love and Kindness win in the end.

This book reminds all of us, that money doesn’t equate to happiness and that it is our relationships that matter at the end of the day. It also reminds us of the law of reciprocity; what goes around comes around. Though we cannot always know the effects of our actions we can be certain that giving love leads to happiness and hatred leads to sorrow. If we give love, then we will have no regrets.

Briefly.. this story is of a family who becomes destitute upon the death of the father Nicholas Nickleby Sr. The mother and 2 teenagers Nicholas Jr. and Kate go to their uncle for help. The uncle, Ralph Nickleby who is VERY wealthy (And very similar to A Christmas Carol’s Scrooge) OFFERS little help, and the help he does offer is very unsuitable.

For instance he bribes a con man to let Nicholas be a teacher at his “school”. The school is not a school at all, but rather a farm prison where children are used as slave labor and are beaten. Half way through the book you are literally ready to kill Ralph Nickleby. He is just evil and has no love, but the love of money. I don’t want to give too much away, but I bawled at the end when 2 characters: one you love, and one you hate die. Despite this upset, I think it ends beautifully, (happily ever after) with a double wedding. I finished with the feeling that justice does exist.

The thing I loved most about this book is THE CHARACTERS!!!! You have so many side characters that are so well described that you feel like you really know them (and all their flaws). One thing I didn’t like was the reality that humans are not always good and how charity is rare in society (especially Dickens’ society). Overall a good book that makes you think, though depressing at times, I think it left me wanting to be a better person.

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Paul

Paul rated it:

05/11/08

bookshelves: victorian

Wow, what a trial. I loved Great Expectations, I tolerated Oliver Twist, but Nicholas Nickleby was a bear to get through. I bought the book years ago in error, thinking it was on a college course reading list. This book sat on my shelf until I finally decided to take a crack at it last fall. After about 200 pages, I put it down and it just kind of sat there. Then I decided to download a pdf copy from google books in an effort to read a little bit each day at work on my lunch break. Didn’t enjo...more

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2 comments

Tiffany

Tiffany rated it:

08/20/08

Read in January, 2008

Next to A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities, this has been my favorite Dickens novel. I painted a lot of boxes listening to the unabridged version of this book on tape, but what fun! I just loved it. If you get a reader who can do all the voices and accents, this book just comes alive.

I have so much admiration for Dickens, his characters become so real. I've decided to go back to my college days studying literature this year and teach myself a class in a favorite author or two, but I ...more

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Kressel

Kressel rated it:

(review of isbn 0140620575)

04/07/08

bookshelves: classics, fiction

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in July, 2005

Dickens hardly needs my recommendation, but I figured many people might be intimidated by this 930-page tome. I certainly was at first, but then I decided to tackle it as its first readers did – little by little. It was published as a weekly serial, so I took it slowly until I was hooked. And by then, who needed the story to end? But the ending is a doozy. Wow, wow, wow!

Dickens originally wrote the book as an expose on Yorkshire orphan schools, so the most famous scenes are early in the bo...more

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Nicole

Nicole rated it:

02/13/08

bookshelves: classic

I was reading this novel on my own using Kurzweil Classic Literature -- this is a program that reads the text aloud to me while the actual word is highlighted, so you get both visual and audio stimulation at the same time -- I actually liked this setup, and found that it made me pay closer attention to the different writing styles of different authors. This novel came into circulation about the same time as Hardys', but Dickens' novels were much more popular and universal. They were widely read...more I was reading this novel on my own using Kurzweil Classic Literature -- this is a program that reads the text aloud to me while the actual word is highlighted, so you get both visual and audio stimulation at the same time -- I actually liked this setup, and found that it made me pay closer attention to the different writing styles of different authors. This novel came into circulation about the same time as Hardys', but Dickens' novels were much more popular and universal. They were widely read by boys and girls alike. This particular novel was no exception! It is the epic tale of one boy, and the struggles he must endure throughout his life in order to achieve happiness.

There are so many great characters in this novel. Dickens is a master when it comes to character development. Mrs. Nickleby is so hilarious, and when you read some of the stupid things she says, you just want to roll your eyes at her naivety. She is so oblivious, and thinks everybody is madly in love with her, including the crazy old man who keeps throwing vegetables over the fence. They are offerings to his beloved, and it is this huge conspiracy to say that he is crazy, because after all, these accusations are only made by greedy relatives who want to inherit all of his money. And the suitors hitting on her beautiful daughter are really interested in the mother because they look more like sisters than mother and daughter. This whole tale is full of wonderful characters that help Nicholas through many obstacles, so in a way, I could relate to this story.

I loved the Yorkshireman, and Mr. Squeers, the phenomenon, Spike, and of course, we cannot forget the villain, Mr. Nickleby. This novel had everything from humor to injustice to tragedy and the eventual happy ending where love conquers all, and good overcomes evil.

Outstanding book! I really was not impressed at all by the movie, but at least it inspired me to read the book, because "the movie had great potential to be an amazing book!" So at least the movie got me to read a great book!

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Melissa

Melissa rated it:

09/14/08

Read in January, 2004

It’s times like this that I really get frustrated that I can’t safely file away all my memories and impressions of every book I read to pull out years later and examine without the memory having suffered any decay that time so often causes those occupants of my brain. Then I could truly know if Nicholas Nickleby were my favorite Charles Dickens book of those that I’ve read, as I was willing to declare it before I realized that I could hardly remember the earliest two that I had rea...more

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Silvana

Silvana rated it:

(review of isbn 1853262641)

01/29/08

bookshelves: classics, own

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in January, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

*minor spoilers alert*

I have read at least five novels by Dickens and only two of them with a rather different formula compared with the others, namely “Great Expectations” and “The Christmas Books”. Nicholas Nickleby, unfortunately, is included in the "standard" category.

Similarities with “David Copperfield” can be felt, although of course Nicholas Nickleby is not an extensive bildungsroman. However, again it's about the life struggle of a young lad in facing the h...more *minor spoilers alert*

I have read at least five novels by Dickens and only two of them with a rather different formula compared with the others, namely “Great Expectations” and “The Christmas Books”. Nicholas Nickleby, unfortunately, is included in the "standard" category.

Similarities with “David Copperfield” can be felt, although of course Nicholas Nickleby is not an extensive bildungsroman. However, again it's about the life struggle of a young lad in facing the hard life in London during the 19th century. Unlike David, Nicholas was luckier, since although he was poor and with no father, he still had his mom and a sister.

Nicholas' story was started when his father died and his family were forced to asked for help from their uncle, Ralph Nickleby. Ralph was a successful businessmen known for his hard attitude and a bit an antisocial. He was not softened when he met his nephew & niece. In fact, his first encounter with Nicholas made them sworn enemies.

In urgent need for money, Nicholas received his uncle's offer to work as a headmaster's assistant in a school for boys in Yorkshire. Kate, his sister, received the offer to work in a clothing store owned by the Mantalinis. Both jobs ended in disaster. The Dotheboys school turned out to be a tormenting place for its pupils, and Nicholas finally ran away after a fight with the evil and greedy headmaster, Mr. Squeers.

Meanwhile, Kate was depressed not only because of her job, but also because her uncle was involved in a sinister scheme to marry her with Sir Mulberry Hawk, a rude and vulgar nobleman. Poor Kate, her naive and ignorant (and stupid) mother did not understand that her daughter was in a severe misery and she even pushed Kate to receive the marriage proposal.

Back to Nicholas. In his journey, he met with a bunch of theater actors led by the eccentric Crummles family. Desperate in finding jobs, he decided to join the group and tried his luck in becoming an actor...and succeeded. However, since he heard from the his uncle's weird yet kindhearted servant, Mr. Noggs, that Kate was in a deep trouble, he bade the theater farewell and rushed to London to rescue her sister. What I love about Nicholas is that he had the courage to face the evil people and he did not hesitate to use force without losing his gentleman attitude.

Anyway, the lives of Nicholas and Kate were getting better, especially when Nicholas found a new job as a clerk in a company owned by the Cheeryble twins. Nevertheless, Nicholas faced another problem, this time in his love life. A girl he fell in love to at the first sight (yikes), Madeline Bray, was going to be forced into a marriage with an old slimy sneaky man. The marriage was arranged by none other than...*drums rolled* Ralph Nickleby. Surprise surprise. Although Ralph did not aware that the girl had a connection with Nicholas, still I became more irritated with so many coincidences in this novel. There's always an event when a character happened to be involved with another character, and that happens repeatedly. How could the vast area of London & Yorkshire held a plot in which all the characters were connected? Almost unlikely if not impossible.

Dickens, I think, was sometimes too generic in making his plot. His main and foremost strength is with the characters. Not the leading characters of course, but the supporting cast. In this novel for instance, the characters of Mr. Noggs, Mr. Crummles, Miss La Creevy, are more interesting than the titular character. The same thing applies to "David Copperfield", where I found that Mr. Micawber, Steerforth and Mrs. Trotwood to be more appealing.

So, am I satisfied after reading this novel? Well, between yes and no. No because the coincidence factor and rather forced plot. Yes because of a reason which is hard to explain, hahaha....Er, maybe because of Dickens' storytelling finesse could make me kept on reading and imagine how the characters interacted. Or maybe because I've always loved reading classics novels like this one. I will not hesitate to read other Dickens' works. Bleak House, Martin Chuzzlewit, The Old Curiosity Shop, The Pickwick Papers, Hard Times…Bloody hell, there are still so many of them!...less

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Patricia

Patricia rated it:

07/28/07

bookshelves: fiction

Read in June, 1985

recommends it for: people with lots of time

Okay, I KNOW Dickens was a genius. I KNOW all intelligent, well-read people are supposed to appreciate him. So, if I give in on these points, do I have to actually FINISH one of his novels? I did JUST manage to complete "Nicholas Nickleby" with a lot of perseverance, grit, determination, and a summer where my then-partner was working late most nights. I've tried, but as yet failed, to make it through "David Copperfield," "Bleak House," and "The Pickwick Papers....more

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A.L.

A.L. rated it:

10/24/08

bookshelves: classics, fiction

Read in October, 2008

recommended to A.L. by: quest to read the classics

This was a great story, but a long read as Dickens talks about stuff common in old London that must be weeded through. Dickens liked his descriptions!
Funny, when I read Pride & Predjudice I felt as if I better understood the era and as though I'd been dwelling there while reading, but I did not get that feeling at all from Mr. Dickens. Maybe it's because I'm a country gal and have little love for croweded cities such as the one this story takes place.
My absolute favorite piece of...more

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Aj rated it:

10/01/08

Why do people look at me oddly when they see me laughing out loud on the train to work, only to spot that I'm reading Dickens? Not every book Dickens wrote is my idea of a good time, but this one in particular is absolutely wonderful. I mean really, who can read about Nicholas, worried about his mother engaging in a perhaps scandalous flirtation with the crazy old man on the other side of their garden wall, "You know, there is no language of vegetables which converts a cucumber into a forma...more

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Dchoules

Dchoules rated it:

02/02/08

Read in February, 2008

Over the past few weeks my travels in the car have been pleasantly benefited by listening to an audio rendition of Dickens' third novel (circa 1839). Granted, my car travels naturally necessitated in plenty of unnatural breaks in the text, but Dickens' masterful storytelling made the trips quite pleasant nonetheless. The book is quite typical of Dickens, wrestling with many social injustices of his time. The protagonist, Nicholas, must find a way to survive himself and give support to his wid...more

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Karen

Karen rated it:

07/14/08

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Karen by: Book Club
recommends it for: lovers of the Classics

"Heaven suits the back to the burden." pg. 218 "Gold, for the instant, lost its lustre in his eyes, for there were countless treasures of the heart which it could never purchase." pg. 401 "Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; but it cannot be the pride of a mother in her children, for that is a compound of two cardinal virtues--faith and hope." pg. 566 In this classic tale, goodness prevails and evil is justly punished, but the continual changing of the plot's ...more

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Selena

Selena rated it:

07/15/08

Read in July, 2008

Wow, I loved this book. I was surprised that it did not end tragically or sadly like 'The Old Curiosity Shop' did. Dickens creates the most vivid and interesting characters. I think my favourite was Mr Mantalini :-P What a rogue!
The storyline was very engaging and had quite a few twists and turns. I did not forsee the ending at all and I felt very satisfied when the story ended.
The language is at times very involved and Dickens can be quite lengthy in his descriptions of _anything_. I had t...more

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Jill

Jill rated it:

(review of isbn 0812565843)

10/19/08

If you ever watch the movie for this, make sure you watch the version where Nicholas has BLACK hair, not blond. That's the better version. (not because of his hair, btw, I just find that the easiest way to distinguish between the two versions). Smike is my fav. character, Nicholas is a little too hot tempered for me. Actually, he tends to get on my nerves.

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Susan

Susan rated it:

02/28/08

Possibly my very favorite Dickens. Who can ever forget the battle of the brave young Nicholas against the horrid school master, Squeers? No-one does good vs. evil (with good always prevailing) like Dickens.

The heroines in this, as always in Dickens, are predictably milk-toast, but the minor characters wonderful. The much-suffering Nicholas's self-deluded and difficult mother is a delight. The bit where she mistakes a lunatic in the next garden over chucking vegetable marrows at her as an ex...more

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Ellen

Ellen rated it:

(review of isbn 01400.6454)

12/23/07

bookshelves: to-re-read

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in January, 1983

This book was an adventure for me when I read it as a young woman. I had seen the Royal Shakespeare Company's eight-hour production of Nicholas Nickleby on PBS, and I fell in love with Nicholas. Seeing the production first, did not detract from my reading of the tale, but I always saw Roger Rees as Nicholas in my mind as I read.

This edition was easy to read with plenty of background on Charles Dickens and the history of the times. I have not made it through all the notes in the back, but I...more

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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.91 (1539 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.91 (1385 ratings)
number of reviews: 121

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