Nicholas Nickleby: Background, Resources, Reading Schedule

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Our group read for mid-May-July 2020 is Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. Hope you'll join in with me.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He was born in Portsmouth on 7th February 1812 to John Dickens, a naval clerk, and Elizabeth Dickens. Charles’s father, John Dickens had a poor head for finances and was extravagant, always living beyond their means. Because of this reason, the family remained poor. But despite their poverty, Charles’s early childhood was a happy one. With his father imprisoned in 1824 for debt, things turned upside down, and Charles at the age of twelve was sent for work in Warren’ Blacking factory to support family finances. This was quite a traumatic experience for young Charles who felt betrayed by his elders. His psychological trauma was further intensified at his mother’s insistence that he should continue work at the factory even after a family inheritance saved his father from disgrace and improved their financial situation. With his father’s interference, he was able to continue his education for another three years. At the age of fifteen, he became an office boy at a lawyer’s office while studying short-hand. With time, he became a free-lance reporter at Doctor’s Commons court, and by 1832, he has become a successful Parliamentary short-hand reporter.

Charles Dickens’s literary success began in 1836 with his serial publication of The Pickwick Papers . The success and the wide popularity of the story secured his place as a novelist. He wrote fifteen novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories, and non-fiction articles. His works enjoyed unparalleled popularity in his lifetime. And even today, his works are still widely read. Many consider Charles Dickens as the greatest novelist the Victorian era produced. Given the popularity his works have retained over time, this cannot be doubted.

One can also consider him as a social reformer, for many of his writing contributed to bringing about some major social and legal changes into Victorian England. Apart from writing Dickens also edited the magazine Household World , and founded and edited All the Year Around . He died on 9th June 1870, and this year we are celebrating his 150th death anniversary.

A comprehensive biography can be found in the Victorian web
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/d...,
in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles..., and Biography https://www.biography.com/writer/char...

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Nicholas Nickleby is the third novel written by Charles Dickens following The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist. Nicholas Nickleby was originally published in twenty monthly installments from March 1838 to September 1839. The story centers on the life and adventures of young Nicholas Nickleby. Left penniless after his father’s death, and with no support from his uncle, young Nicholas Nickleby must find his way in the world to support him, his mother and sister.

One of the driving forces for Dickens to pen this novel was to expose the ugly truths, and the cruelties practiced in the Yorkshire boarding schools. He also questioned the quality of these institutes and the qualification of its schoolmasters to educate children. The novel brought attention to that quarter and certain reforms were made and culprits were punished.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Reading Schedule:

Week 1: 17th May: Chapters I - VI
Week 2: 24th May: Chapters VII - XII
Week 3: 31st May: Chapters XIII - XVIII
Week 4: 7th June: Chapters XIX - XXIV
Week 5: 14th June: Chapters XXV - XXX
Week 6: 21st June: Chapters XXXI - XXXVI
Week 7: 28th June: Chapters XXXVII - XLII
Week 8: 5th July: Chapters XLIII- XLVIII
Week 9: 12th July: Chapters XLIX - LIV
Week 10: 19th July: Chapters LV- LX
Week 11: 26th July: Chapters LXI - LXV

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Ebook can be found in Gutenburg - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/967

An audiobook can be found in Librivox -
https://librivox.org/nicholas-nickleb...

Kindle edition can be purchased (if you wish that is) https://www.amazon.com/Charles-Dicken...

[Tr1sha]

I would like to join you in this read, Piyangie.

[Daniela]

me too If I can download it from the Gutenberg Project (sometimes they don't work on my kindle)

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Trisha wrote: "I would like to join you in this read, Piyangie."

Happy to hear that you would join me, Trisha.

[Allison]

Haven’t been in the reading mood lately but would love to reread this. First read it as a teenager, 20 odd years ago!

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Daniela wrote: "me too If I can download it from the Gutenberg Project (sometimes they don't work on my kindle)"

I hope it'll work for you, Daniela. Perhaps you could check on the Amazon Kindle edition in the link given above.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Allie wrote: "Haven’t been in the reading mood lately but would love to reread this. First read it as a teenager, 20 odd years ago!"

Happy to hear that you would join in, Allie. This is my first reading of the book too.

[Frances]

I'll be joining you on this-this and Oliver Twist are the only 2 Dickens novels I haven't read so looking forward to almost completing the list.

[Frances]

Piyangie wrote: "Ebook can be found in Gutenburg - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/967

An audiobook can be found in Librivox -
https://librivox.org/nicholas-nickleb...

Kindle edition can be purc..."

If you use Apple products you can also download it for free from iBooks.

[Kerstin, Moderator]

The podcast Victoria's World had an episode of Charles Dickens as well.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Frances wrote: "I'll be joining you on this-this and Oliver Twist are the only 2 Dickens novels I haven't read so looking forward to almost completing the list."

Wow! Only two to complete the list. That is great. I'll be reading two Dickens books this year - Nicholas Nickelby and Little Dorrit, so I'll have read 9 novels out of 15. Anyway happy that you'll be joining in. I've heard great things about this book, so pretty excited.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Kerstin wrote: "The podcast Victoria's World had an episode of Charles Dickens as well.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast..."

Thanks for sharing, Kerstin.

[Bruce]

I read this a few months ago, and while disturbing, I thought it was a great novel. I actually thought it was better as a “social novel” than Oliver Twist, although Oliver Twist was the better novel. I’m also currently reading The Old Curiosity Shop.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Bruce wrote: "I read this a few months ago, and while disturbing, I thought it was a great novel. I actually thought it was better as a “social novel” than Oliver Twist, although Oliver Twist was the better nove..."

You could participate in our discussion as we go along.

[Tr1sha]

If anyone is interested, this is one of the books that Dickens wrote while living in London in the house that is now the Dickens Museum. Obviously the museum is closed to visitors at the moment, but if you look at its website you can see photos showing both inside & outside the house. It’s at www.dickensmuseum.com

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Trisha wrote: "If anyone is interested, this is one of the books that Dickens wrote while living in London in the house that is now the Dickens Museum. Obviously the museum is closed to visitors at the moment, bu..."

Thanks for sharing the information with us, Trisha. Two years ago, I visited the place. I cannot express my feelings about being there in words. It is one of the most memorable moments of my life.

[Tr1sha]

Piyangie, I’m so pleased you went there. It’s hidden away & many people don’t know it’s there. I only looked for it after seeing it mentioned in a magazine article. When I visited the museum, one of the volunteers told me they have a lot of students but otherwise most of their visitors are from abroad. I thought it was beautiful & it actually made me want to read more of his books. Many of the London streets & buildings he writes about can still be found. I even found Barnards Inn one day, which was very unexpected.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

It is a beautiful place, Trisha. I can still be transported there in my mind. My only regret is that I couldn't purchase a book. Yes, Charles Dickens has used many real London places and streets in his books. I read in the introduction of my copy of David Copperfield that it is sort of a "tourist guide" of London because of the extensive use and places that Dickens takes us by his story. I've had a fancy to take a walk in all those streets and visit all those places that have survived. The same feeling has always entered my mind when reading Virginia Woolf whose love for London takes us through many roads and places in her books. Call me crazy, but I would like to trod on those roads one day pondering at what they thought and felt when they walking on them.

[Barb]

I am so looking forward to this group read!

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Barb wrote: "I am so looking forward to this group read!"

Me too. :) Happy to know you would join in.

[Beth]

One of my favorites. This will be a good project to re-read now.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Beth wrote: "One of my favorites. This will be a good project to re-read now."

Pleased to know you'll join in.

[Janet]

Very happy to join--I didn't realize you were reading this book next, but it's quite fortuitous because I am reading it and started about a week ago and enjoying it immensely.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Jane wrote: "Very happy to join--I didn't realize you were reading this book next, but it's quite fortuitous because I am reading it and started about a week ago and enjoying it immensely."

That is lovely, Jane. Looking forward to your views, once the discussion threads are open.

[Laurene]

Looking forward to joining in -- one of many Charles Dickens novels I have never read.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Laurene wrote: "Looking forward to joining in -- one of many Charles Dickens novels I have never read."

Happy to hear you'll be joining in, Laurene. It is one I've not read either, so pretty excited.

[[deleted user]]

Looking forward to this read along! It's been ages since I read any Dickens so it's definitely time :) Wishing you all happy reading!! :) Emily

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Welcome, Emily! Happy to have you joining in with us. It is a good time to renew reading Dickens as we celebrate his 150th death anniversary.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Piyangie! Thanks for having me.. really looking forward to this read along... only a couple days to go!! :) Wishing you happy reading, Emily :)

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Emily Kate wrote: "Thanks Piyangie! Thanks for having me.. really looking forward to this read along... only a couple days to go!! :) Wishing you happy reading, Emily :)"

Thank you, Emily. I'll be starting soon with the first-week chapters. I'm having a slight migraine, but hopeful that I could cover them before the due time. :)

[Canavan]

It’s perhaps like recommending one read the Cliffs Notes version of a book, but I thought I would point out that Nicholas Nickleby has been adapted a number of times for both stage and screen. Of the ones I’ve seen, the worst (my opinion, of course) was a limited series that aired on BBC in 2012 in which the story was unaccountably modernized. The best was a stage adaptation by the Royal Shakespeare Company starring a very young Roger Rees. A ten-hour version premiered in the West End in 1980; a somewhat shorter 9-hour version of the play was filmed in 1982. I mention this in part because this 9-hour version is available for viewing on BroadwayHD (yet another one of those streaming platforms).

[Brenda]

I’m looking forward to this read, Dickens is a favorite.
I’ve just read the prelude which I like how Dickens gives a little account of the subject matter and some of the subjects.
I enjoyed hearing of the museum and the landmarks from his books in the earlier comments, it sounds fascinating!

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Canavan wrote: "It’s perhaps like recommending one read the Cliffs Notes version of a book, but I thought I would point out that Nicholas Nickleby has been adapted a number of times for both stage an..."

Thank you for sharing that tidbit, Canavan. I remember watching a 2002 movie version. But I cannot recall much of it - even whether I enjoyed it or not. I've not read the book yet, so it seems the movie has not left many impressions on me.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Brenda wrote: "I’m looking forward to this read, Dickens is a favorite.
I’ve just read the prelude which I like how Dickens gives a little account of the subject matter and some of the subjects.
I enjoyed hearing..."

Happy to have you with us here, Brenda.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

If anyone is interested in the illustrations of Nicholas Nickleby, you could view it here. https://www.charlesdickenspage.com/il...

[Brenda]

Piyangie - thank you for sharing the illustrations, they they gave me more to think about in my interpretation of the events so far.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Brenda wrote: "Piyangie - thank you for sharing the illustrations, they they gave me more to think about in my interpretation of the events so far."

You are welcome, Brenda! Pleased to know that it helps with your reading.

[Lady Clementina, Moderator]

One of my favourites of his--it was after reading this one that I really began to enjoy Dickens. Will dig out my copy and join in.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Lady Clementina wrote: "One of my favourites of his--it was after reading this one that I really began to enjoy Dickens. Will dig out my copy and join in."

Love to have you, Mallika. :)

[Daniela]

I was able to get the book on my kindle and it has the illustrations shared by Piyangie. People are uglier and older than I had imagined them to be!!

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Daniela wrote: "I was able to get the book on my kindle and it has the illustrations shared by Piyangie. People are uglier and older than I had imagined them to be!!"

Did you get the kindle from Gutenberg Daniela? I don't own a copy and am reading a Dover Thrift edition on Scribd. With this lockdown, I couldn't buy a copy. But I would like to own a copy with illustrations someday. :)

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Daniela wrote: "I was able to get the book on my kindle and it has the illustrations shared by Piyangie. People are uglier and older than I had imagined them to be!!"

They don't look striking, aren't they? Only Kate looks pretty. :)

[Robin]

I've just begun Nicholas Nickleby and would like to join the group. it sounds as though it is very disturbing but good social commentary. I seem to have it on my kindle in a Complete Works of Dickens, and doubt that it cost very much. Free or 99p I think.

[Piyangie, Moderator]

Robin wrote: "I've just begun Nicholas Nickleby and would like to join the group. it sounds as though it is very disturbing but good social commentary. I seem to have it on my kindle in a Complete Works of Dicke..."

Happy to have you, Robin.

[Daniela]

Yes Piyangie, I got it from the Gutenberg Project!