Physical description

Nicholas Nickleby.
Author: Charles Dickens.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, London.
Date: 1966-1987 (See note section this document for more information on Edition).
Blue leather hardcover, Spine has Author and Title in gold lettering. The spine has a Library label.

Publication type

fiction

Inscriptions & markings

The label on spine cover with typed text PAT 828 DIC
Paste down front end paper has a sticker from Warrnambool Public Library
Front loose end paper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Service

Summary

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was one of the great English novelists of the Victorian era, famous for vivid characters, social criticism, and stories that were first published in serial form. He began as a journalist, rose to enormous popularity during his lifetime, and wrote major works such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations.
“Nicholas Nickleby” starts out as a good hearted but vulnerable young man whose family is left poor after his father’s death. His uncle, Ralph Nickleby, is cold and exploitative, and Nicholas is sent to work at Dothe boys Hall, a school run by the abusive Wackford Squeers family. There Nicholas witnesses appalling treatment of the children, escapes, and takes the mistreated boy Smike with him.
After that, the novel follows Nicholas through a series of adventures in London and beyond as he protects his sister Kate, resists his uncle’s schemes, and finds decent allies such as the Cheeryble brothers. The plot mixes melodrama, comedy, family loyalty, and moral struggle, ending with justice restored and the worthy characters rewarded.