Physical description

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.
Author: Charles Dickens.
Publisher: Chapman & Hall Ltd, London.
Date: 1844-1932. (See note section this document for more information on Edition).
Green leather hardcover with title on spine in gold lettering, Charles Dickens signature on front cover written in gold lettering. The spine has a Library label and no Volume information.

Publication type

fiction

Inscriptions & markings

The label on the spine with typed text PAT 823.8 DIC
Front fly cover has the word “With Frontispiece”
Paste down front end paper has a sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service
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.