Book description
Penguin Classics e-books give you the best possible editions of
Charles Dickens's novels, including all the original illustrations,
useful and informative introductions, the definitive, accurate text as
it was meant to be published, a chronology of Dickens's life and notes
that fill in the background to the book.
The work of a young novelist at the height of his powers,
Nicholas Nickleby is one of the touchstones of the English
comic novel. Around the central story of Nicholas Nickleby and the
misfortunes of his family, Dickens created some of his most wonderful
characters: the muddle-headed Mrs Nickleby, the gloriously theatrical
Crummles, the slow-witted orphan Smike, the pretentious Mantalinis and
the mindlessly cruel Squeers and his wife. The novel's loose,
haphazard progress harks back to the picaresque novels of the 18th
century, particularly those of Smollett and Fielding. Yet its
exuberant atmosphere of romance, adventure and freedom is overshadowed
by Dickens' awareness of social ills and financial and class insecurity.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) started his career as a writer with
the phenomenally successful Pickwick Papers (1836-7). NICHOLAS
NICKLEBY appeared in 1838 and was swiftly followed by 'The Old
Curiosity Shop' (1840-41). Dickens is considered as one of the
greatest novelists in the English language.
Mark Ford is currently lecturer at University College, London and
writes regularly for the London Review of Books, The Times Literary
Supplement and the Guardian.
