NICHOLAS NICKLEBY by Charles Dickens Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings and Complete Career of the Nickleby Family Our hero Nickleby confronts a large cast, including Wackford Squeers, the fantastic ogre of a schoolmaster, and Vincent Crummles, the grandiloquent ham actor, on his comic and satirical adventures up and down the country. Punishing wickedness, befriending the helpless, strutting the stage, and falling in love, Nicholas shares some of his creator's energy and ...
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NICHOLAS NICKLEBY by Charles Dickens Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings and Complete Career of the Nickleby Family Our hero Nickleby confronts a large cast, including Wackford Squeers, the fantastic ogre of a schoolmaster, and Vincent Crummles, the grandiloquent ham actor, on his comic and satirical adventures up and down the country. Punishing wickedness, befriending the helpless, strutting the stage, and falling in love, Nicholas shares some of his creator's energy and earnestness as he faces the pressing issues of early Victorian society.
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I adored this book. Yes, it's long, with lots of characters, and plots, and side trips. But it's got delicious villainy in it, and equally delicious come-uppances, and unlikely heroes, and humor, and fun, and pathos.
Wonderfully memorable characters will get under your skin and stay with you forever. Who will ever forget Smike, and think of him without choking up just a little? Or Sir Mulberry Hawke, and thinking of him without a shiver of disgust? Or the Squeerses, and think of them without wanting to laugh and puke all at the same time? Or Newman Noggs, and think of him without cheering his heroism?
I've already written that Our Mutual Friend is my favorite Dickens novel. This comes a very, very close second. But be sure to get an edition (like the New Oxford Illustrated Dickens series) that comes with a list of characters, so you can keep them straight -- you'll need it!
