A review by amandalywarren
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

adventurous challenging hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

No piece of classic literature has a chokehold on me the way this book does. From my first introduction to it in 2013, I have loved it with my whole heart. And while it isn’t a perfect story, I will always adore it.

In Nicholas Nickleby, Charles Dickens presents a heartwarming tale about navigating grief and young adulthood, filled with lifelike details, subtle humor, and social commentary. In perhaps one of the earliest English books about found family, Dickens presents us with a protagonist that is young and flawed, yet determined not to sacrifice his values or the well-being of his loved ones.

This book is filled with colorful friends and terrible villains—the kind who hide behind a veneer of respectability, as well as the kind who don’t. Dickens should be (and has been) applauded for how vividly he portrays his characters and settings. The story springs to life with ease, as long as you’re not the kind of reader who gets bogged down with lots of detail and description.

This book’s serial publication is painfully obvious, with the beginning of each chapter often recapping the end of the last. But the continuity of the story is beautiful, given its length. If you love a narrative that takes you through all the emotions of the human experience, be sure to read this one.

If you were in my cast in 2013, know that I thought of each of you fondly as your characters came to life in these pages.
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