Nicholas Nickleby
Posted: Thursday, August 5, 2010 by Karis As A Trader in Labels: Nicholas Nickleby
Customer Reviews
Not his best work, but a very good read!
This is a good introduction to Dickens for those who haven't yet read any. The plot is interesting, the characters memorable, and the twists and turns are less convoluted than of some of his other works, such as Tale of Two Cities or Great Expectations. Nicholas is a bit too good to be true, but he does have a quick temper that gets the best of him at times. Descriptions of a Yorkshire boarding school are rather grim, but the author's comments indicate that it is a fairly accurate representation. This book has it all, good guys in tough circumstances, bad guys of various sorts, social and political commentary, and a love story or two.
Wonderful (but what Dickens text isn't?)
Dickens' ability to write outrageously hilarious scenes consistently leaves me floored (and fangirling!) and /Nicholas Nickleby/ is no exception in this respect. Dickens is also tremendously skilled at rendering poetic, heartbreakingly beautiful sentimental scenes, and those also find their place in the plot of /NN/.
This is definitely earlier Dickens - he hasn't quite attained the writing maturity that characterizes what I consider his masterpieces (David Copperfield, Little Dorrit, Bleak House, Great Expectations) but it is nevertheless a wonderful read. Early Dickens is still masterful writing.
My only qualm with the text is a qualm I have with Dickens in general, his female leads are so bland. Kate Nickleby is basically another Agnes -- too passive and good for me to like. The rest of the characters, however, are wonderfully rendered (Newman Noggs! Smike (sob)! and of course, the Squeers!).
The Kindle edition was relatively free of typos (at least, I don't remember too many of them marring my reading).
Enjoyable, pulpy, summer read
There's nothing so entertaining as reading a Dickensian description of a letter being dropped in shock by its reader, and it then fluttering to the floor.
