Nicholas Nickelby is left dependent on his villainous Uncle Ralph after his father dies. He becomes an usher at the miserable Dotheboys Hall and an actor before working for the benevolent Cheeryble brothers, but his troubles are far from over. There's his sister Kate to be rescued, his Uncle Ralph and friend Sir Mulberry Hawk to be foiled. Meanwhile, he has fallen in love with the beautiful, but utterly unattainable, Madeleine Bray...
Nicholas Nickelby is Charles Dickens' second 'proper' novel, and in all honesty, towards the end, this fact becomes quite apparent. Sure, Nickelby has Dickens' quintessential mix of intricate detail, tragedy, and comedy, but in several sections, most notably in the novel's sweet ending, you get the impression that this is the work of a hazy, formative Dickens. One who hasn't quite come to grips with the architectonics of his craft yet. One whose enthusiasm sometimes wanes.
That said, tension and pace are far from wanting in Nicholas Nickelby as the vices of Uncle Ralph and his co-conspirators are gradually unveiled. As a reader, you are disgusted at the depths to which the malice of these men transcends- 'perhaps [he'll] drown himself, or cut his throat!'-and yet, often feel compassionate when they are dealt with justice. Indeed, from the Nickelbys' vegetable-flinging neighbour, to the hilariously sycophantic Mr Mantalini, the vivid, quirky characters in Nicholas Nickelby are consistently interesting.
The Kenwigs family comprise my favourite characters. Determined to acquire fortune and thus gain respectability, the whole family virtually worship their rich, single uncle. Aside from the satirical humour to be gleaned from the Kenwigses' infatuation with status, I feel that through them, Dickens is unmistakably pointing out the rigidity and insularity of Victorian social hierarchy, This is one of the things I really liked about Nickelby: Dickens' rousing descriptions of poverty and social injustice that still have power nearly two hundred years on. Admittedly, there are some emotions in the novel such as love and hatred that aren't always carried off convincingly, but for the sake of its social advocacy, relevance, and humour, Nicholas Nickelby is well worth a read.
With thanks to fanpix.net for the image
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