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lexiemoon321's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
amandalywarren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
No piece of classic literature has a chokehold on me the way this book does. From my first introduction to it in 2013, I have loved it with my whole heart. And while it isn’t a perfect story, I will always adore it.
In Nicholas Nickleby, Charles Dickens presents a heartwarming tale about navigating grief and young adulthood, filled with lifelike details, subtle humor, and social commentary. In perhaps one of the earliest English books about found family, Dickens presents us with a protagonist that is young and flawed, yet determined not to sacrifice his values or the well-being of his loved ones.
This book is filled with colorful friends and terrible villains—the kind who hide behind a veneer of respectability, as well as the kind who don’t. Dickens should be (and has been) applauded for how vividly he portrays his characters and settings. The story springs to life with ease, as long as you’re not the kind of reader who gets bogged down with lots of detail and description.
This book’s serial publication is painfully obvious, with the beginning of each chapter often recapping the end of the last. But the continuity of the story is beautiful, given its length. If you love a narrative that takes you through all the emotions of the human experience, be sure to read this one.
If you were in my cast in 2013, know that I thought of each of you fondly as your characters came to life in these pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Gaslighting
isobelline's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
The theatrical Dickens
I liked this one better than Oliver Twist, but not as much as Pickwick. What intrigued me about this one was its theatrical aspect, as a good chunk of this novel is devoted to Nicholas' time with the Crummels troupe. Dickens in general seems to be a very theatrical author: at one point of his life he was himself an actor, so he had a very intimate knowledge of the stage. I think this link is worth exploring further and I will probably be looking into it as I go further.
Newman Noggs and Miss La Creevy were really fun secondary characters (I really seem to like secondary character, huh)
I liked this one better than Oliver Twist, but not as much as Pickwick. What intrigued me about this one was its theatrical aspect, as a good chunk of this novel is devoted to Nicholas' time with the Crummels troupe. Dickens in general seems to be a very theatrical author: at one point of his life he was himself an actor, so he had a very intimate knowledge of the stage. I think this link is worth exploring further and I will probably be looking into it as I go further.
Newman Noggs and Miss La Creevy were really fun secondary characters (I really seem to like secondary character, huh)
youarenotthewalrus's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Death, Sexual assault, and Suicide
jon288's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't think I'd listen to a longer audiobook than Don Quixote, but this one beats it (by 20 mins). The narrator wasn't the best, which took away from my enjoyment somewhat. I ended up listening to it at 1.4x speed, which helped. Kinda fun, and often wittily written, but for some reason I'm just not a huge fan of Dickens
zurpel's review against another edition
5.0
I’m slowly but steadily falling in love with Charles Dickens’ work. Nicholas Nickleby is a wonderful story about how poverty and hardship can make you happier than a fortune. The book focuses on the Nickleby family, living in 19th century England. After the death of his father Nicholas, his sister and mother are appealing to Nicholas’ uncle Ralph Nickleby. Ralph is a made man without any recognizable conscience. In answer to this appeal Ralph sends Nicholas as assistant teacher to a boarding school under the direction of a man who is just as greedy and conscience-lacking as Ralph himself.
I’m not going deeper into the plot, because this is one of the rare books I read recently that actually made me want to read on to find out what would happen next. For once I was not sitting there thinking “oh, it’ll turn out OK in the end … they might be in a fix now, but of course he’ll save the day by some heroic deed”. Charles Dickens managed to write a vivid narrative that makes it easy for the reader to imagine themselves in 19th century England. He also draws great characters, and even though Ralph and his companions might sometimes seem slightly stereotypical, I actually experienced even them as round characters with more depth than the first impression might suggest.
My favourable impression of this book is strengthened by the audiobook, read by Simon Vance. He does a wonderful job of reading this book and giving every character his individual voice without overdoing it.
I’m not going deeper into the plot, because this is one of the rare books I read recently that actually made me want to read on to find out what would happen next. For once I was not sitting there thinking “oh, it’ll turn out OK in the end … they might be in a fix now, but of course he’ll save the day by some heroic deed”. Charles Dickens managed to write a vivid narrative that makes it easy for the reader to imagine themselves in 19th century England. He also draws great characters, and even though Ralph and his companions might sometimes seem slightly stereotypical, I actually experienced even them as round characters with more depth than the first impression might suggest.
My favourable impression of this book is strengthened by the audiobook, read by Simon Vance. He does a wonderful job of reading this book and giving every character his individual voice without overdoing it.
bellsb00ksandwritings's review
5.0
What a wonderful book with a wonderful story. It made me laugh and it made me cry, but most of all it made me fall in love with the kindhearted gentleman that Nicholas is.
This book reminded me once again why Dickens is one of my favourites.
This book reminded me once again why Dickens is one of my favourites.