You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Dickens is one of my foundational, comfort authors but this was an absolute slog. Not one of his best. Read mostly because of the history of the death of Little Nell, which sent people into fits of lunacy at the time.
I don't really understand why this one is considered to be a "classic". The narrator disappears after the third chapter and, well, I wasn't remotely curious or entranced about any of it, especially Little Nell.
My first venture into the world of Dickens, and not likely to be my last.
Built upon great characters whose lives intertwine in ways I didn't expect. Full of wonderful descriptions and rambling story-telling. and in contrast to the books I normally read all loose ends were tied up at the end of the book.
Built upon great characters whose lives intertwine in ways I didn't expect. Full of wonderful descriptions and rambling story-telling. and in contrast to the books I normally read all loose ends were tied up at the end of the book.
The Old Curiosity Shop is Dickens’s fourth novel during the early period where he has not quite hit the prime of his writing talents. His skills are definitely on display creating larger than life characters, focusing in on social critique and economic inequality, telling interesting stories, exhibiting ever present humor, and showing the ability to go over the top with sentimentality. No one reading this book can forget Little Nell.
Based upon my personal tastes I rate the novels in the order they were written with the exception of The Pickwick Papers as my favorite of his first four books.
Based upon my personal tastes I rate the novels in the order they were written with the exception of The Pickwick Papers as my favorite of his first four books.
I don't think anyone has ever accused dickens of having focused plots, but this one seemed especially unfocused. The 'main character' becomes little more than a side character for the second half of the book, and then she dies. So yeah, I'm not really sure what dickens was thinking...it's like he got bored with that plot so he just shuffled things around and followed the other characters.
Even though there wasn't much to the plot, though, the characters were still signature dickens, which is the biggest reason I read his works.
Even though there wasn't much to the plot, though, the characters were still signature dickens, which is the biggest reason I read his works.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
2025 reads book 5
“And from the death of each day's hope, another hope sprang up to live tomorrow.”
The second Dickens book where I shed a tear at the ending, and I'm sure it won't be the last with how many Dickens novels I still have to read. How dare he end it like that honestly.
As usual with Dickens, another great critique on Victorian society and how it dealt with it's poor and unfortunate. Where I felt that Nell might have been a bit too good and pure at times, I did understand what Dickens was trying to do with her character. As usual we have a great mix between heartfelt and sad moments, and incredibly humorous ones. I don't know how Dickens keeps writing these hilarious characters, without them seeming too much or too dumb, but he manages it well every time!
Onto the next one!
“And from the death of each day's hope, another hope sprang up to live tomorrow.”
The second Dickens book where I shed a tear at the ending, and I'm sure it won't be the last with how many Dickens novels I still have to read. How dare he end it like that honestly.
As usual with Dickens, another great critique on Victorian society and how it dealt with it's poor and unfortunate. Where I felt that Nell might have been a bit too good and pure at times, I did understand what Dickens was trying to do with her character. As usual we have a great mix between heartfelt and sad moments, and incredibly humorous ones. I don't know how Dickens keeps writing these hilarious characters, without them seeming too much or too dumb, but he manages it well every time!
Onto the next one!