A review by bookishwendy
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

4.0

This was a joy--perfect summer reading. Some parts are riotously funny--The Infant Phenomenon, Dickens' takedown of 19th Century theater, Mrs Nickleby's unerring pride in a madman's amorous advances--and unlike [b:The Pickwick Papers|229432|The Pickwick Papers|Charles Dickens|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1360795072s/229432.jpg|3315230] there's actually a plot. As one might expect, my favorite moments of high drama involved Nicholas taking his fists to the faces of horrible schoolmasters and creepy stalkers. It's also interesting to see how Dickens has already started developing weightier themes that he'll go on to wield to greater effect in [b:Bleak House|31242|Bleak House|Charles Dickens|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1280113147s/31242.jpg|2960365], [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440] and others. Though he manages to stave off sentimentality for a while--there are some hilarious false starts to the romance plot, for example--it's all tied up too nicely what with the convenient deaths, inheritances, not to mention poor Smike. Overall, a fun romp and a quick read for an 800 page book.