The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
- Brian Johnson
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
I finished my first book of the year with the lengthy but fun Charles Dickens novel, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. I didn't know a thing about this novel going into it. Hadn't even heard of it. But Easton Press released a gorgeous copy that included the original serial breakouts complete with the original advertisements and illustrations. I grabbed it even before realizing how long it was. I was not deterred by its length, though, weighing in at 623 pages (around 324 thousand words), and dove in on January 1st.
I like Charles Dickens though one of my friends referred to him as 'wordy.' I am inclined to agree with that assessment, but he was a writer of his time and adapted to the time's expectations. I think he was even paid by the word, which reinforces those expectations. Phenomenal story-teller, though. That said, Nicholas Nickleby, though quite good, is rather weak for a Charles Dickens novel.
The novel starts describing Nicholas's parents and his uncle, Ralph Nickleby. Nicholas's father passes away, which sets off a series of events involving Ralph suppressing his capacity to help his family. Nicholas gets sent off to a boarding school and his sister, Kate, is moved with her mother into a much smaller home and she is forced to get employment at a seamstress establishment.
The school Nicholas is sent to is simply horrific. Nicholas ends up rebelling against the schoolmaster and fleeing, accompanied by a student named Smike. Nicholas joins an acting troop before later, much later, getting an office job in London. Ralph is persistently trying to foil Nicholas's efforts to establish himself as Nicholas is perceived as an ingrateful rogue.
Ralph's character, which is steadily exposed throughout the novel, becomes increasingly atrocious and unforgiveable. Ultimately, Nicholas does prevail in establishing himself to a measure of prosperity and there are even three weddings packed into the end of the book.
I'd be remiss to not share a quote from the book. Note that this quote is one sentence...a bit wordy, indeed. I feel I understand what Dickens was saying but he followed a circuitous path in saying it.
"There is a dread disease which so prepares its victim, as it were, for death; which so refines it of its grosser aspect, and throws around familiar looks unearthly indications of the coming change--a dread disease, in which the struggle between soul and body is so gradual, quiet, and solemn, and the result so sure, that day by day, and grain by grain, the mortal part wastes and withers away, so that the spirit grows light and sanguine with its lightening load and feeling immortality at hand, deems it but a new term of mortal life--a disease in which death and life are so strangely blended, that death takes the glow and hue of life, and life the gaunt and grisly form of death--a disease which medicine never cured, wealth warded off, or poverty could boast exemption from--which sometimes moves in giant strides, and sometimes at a tardy sluggish pace, but, slow or quick, is ever sure and certain."
This paragraph alludes to one of the character's untimely demise. I knew at the time who it would be, but it does serve to include some poignancy in the book's ending.
I enjoyed the ads though I did not read them. It was neat to see the book as it was initially distributed to readers.
There was even an ad for The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Most of the books included in the ads are now obscure or even lost entirely, but this one I do know and have read a couple of times. Fun stuff.
I would recommend this book for Charles Dickens completionists or anyone who really enjoys literature from this period of time. It is a good book with some outstanding scenes in it but does have some scenes that don't seem to belong or advance the story or characters. It's a lengthy book, but I am glad to have read it.
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