Nicholas Nickelby

When I talk about bands I like I find myself saying almost exclusively “I like their earlier stuff”, it seems the same is true of Charles Dickens.

Nicholas Nickelby became instantly one of my favourite books. I love the good-vs-bad family revenge story, it's sad and grippingly tense, and very funny. Dickens has a real eye for a funny name, and I've added some here.

When Nicholas' father passes, he, his mother and sister Kate have to trust in their uncle Ralph for support. And far from being a friendly benefactor (some of that later), Ralph is a tight-fisted curmudgeon. Nicholas is separated from his family and sent to work in a terrible school in Yorkshire (Dotheboys hall) under a brutal schoolmaster (Wackford Squeers, come on!). He escapes, standing up for the poor boys in his care, and flees with his new friend, Smike. In the meantime, Ralph is exploiting his niece's situation and having her harassed by powerful men for his own social capital.

What follows is a gripping story of Nicholas' journey to survive and save his family, protect his sister and bring down his uncle. The rest of the joyful ensemble features a performing troop Nicholas falls in with, Miss La Creevy the neighbour, his allies and colleagues the Cheeryble brothers and secretary Tim Linkinwater, Ralph's grumpy but kind-hearted clerk Newman Noggs, the wicked Squeers family, the Browdies, the Mantolinis, the Kenwigses, Wittiterlys, Brays and the terrible Sir Malberry Hawk who pursues Kate and wishes revenge on Nicholas. To keep such a rich ensemble, each having clear and independent lives is quite the achievement, and one of the things I've loved so much about the book.

On top of this, there's the tension. Nicholas has several run-ins with his uncle and the rogues gallery who are against his and his family's happiness, and each confrontation shines and is un-put-down-able.

I in part listened to the terrific audiobook version read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.