Nicholas Nickleby

Nicholas, his mother, and his sister Kate have been left penniless by the death of Mr. Nickleby. In their poverty and desperation they seek help from Nicholas's uncle, the difficult and oppressive Ralph Nickleby who is a usurer. Nicholas's independent attitudes immediately bother his uncle and he is sent to Dotheboys Hall to teach. There he witnesses the mistreatment of orphans by the evil-hearted Wackford Squeers. Nicholas and the orphan boy, Smike, run away and join a troupe of traveling actors. Hearing that his sister Kate is in danger, Nicholas travels to London and foils his uncle's vile plans for her.

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Summary

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, their protege Miss Petowker, the pretentious Mantalinis and the mindlessly cruel Squeers and his wife. NICHOLAS NICKLEBY's loose, haphazard progress harks back to the picaresque novels of the 18th century - particularly those of Smollett and Fielding. Yet the novel's exuberant atmosphere of romance, adventure and freedom is overshadowed by Dickens' awareness of social ills and financial and class insecurity.

Author Notes

Charles Dickens, perhaps the best British novelist of the Victorian era, was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on February 7, 1812. His happy early childhood was interrupted when his father was sent to debtors' prison, and young Dickens had to go to work in a factory at age twelve. Later, he took jobs as an office boy and journalist before publishing essays and stories in the 1830s.

His first novel, The Pickwick Papers, made him a famous and popular author at the age of twenty-five. Subsequent works were published serially in periodicals and cemented his reputation as a master of colorful characterization, and as a harsh critic of social evils and corrupt institutions. His many books include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities.

Dickens married Catherine Hogarth in 1836, and the couple had nine children before separating in 1858 when he began a long affair with Ellen Ternan, a young actress. Despite the scandal, Dickens remained a public figure, appearing often to read his fiction. He died in 1870, leaving his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Acknowledgements	p. v
Introduction	p. xiii
A Chronology Of Charles Dickens	p. xxxii
Preface (1839)	p. xlix
Preface (1848)	p. lii
Chapter I Introduces All the Rest	p. 1
Chapter II Of Mr. Ralph Nickleby, and His Establishment, and His Undertakings. and of a Great Joint Stock Company of Vast National Importance	p. 6
Chapter III Mr. Ralph Nickleby Receives Sad Tidings of His Brother, but Bears Up Nobly Against the Intelligence Communicated to Him. The Reader is Informed How He Liked Nicholas, Who is Herein Introduced And How Kindly He Proposed to Make His Fortune at Once	p. 18
Chaprer IV Nicholas and His Uncle (to Secure the Fortune Without Loss of Time)Wait Upon Mr. Wackford Squeers, the Yorkshire Schoolmaster	p. 29
Chapter V Nicholas Starts for Yorkshire. of His Leave-Taking and His Fellow-Travellers, and What Befell Them on the Road	p. 42
Chapter VI In Which the Occurrence of the Accident Mentioned in the Last Chapter, Affords an Opportunity to a Couple of Gentlemen to Tell Stories Against Each Other	p. 53
Chapter VII Mr. and Mrs. Squeers at Home	p. 76
Chapter VIII Of the Internal Economy of Dotheboys Hall	p. 85
Chapter IX Of Miss Squeers, Mrs. Squeers, Master Squeers, and Mr. Squeers And of Various Matters and Persons Connected No Less with The Squeerses Than with Nicholas Nickleby	p. 98
Chapter X How Mr. Ralph Nickleby Provided for His Niece and Sister-In-Law	p. 114
Chapter XI Newman Noggs Inducts Mrs. and Miss Nickleby into Their New Dwelling in the City	p. 128
Chapter XII Whereby the Reader Will Be Enabled to Trace the Further Course Of Miss Fanny Squeers's Love, and to Ascertain Whether It Ran Smooth Or Otherwise	p. 134
Chapter XIII Nicholas Varies the Monotony of Dotheboys Hall by a Most Vigorous and Remarkable Proceeding, Which Leads to Consequences Of Some Importance	p. 146
Chapter XV Acquaints the Reader with the Cause and Origin of the Interruption Described in the Last Chapter, and with Some Other Matters Necessary to Be Known	p. 172
Chapter XVI Nicholas Seeks to Employ Himself in a New Capacity, and Being Unsuccessful, Accepts an Engagement as Tutor in a Private Family	p. 185
Chapter XVII Follows the Fortunes of Miss Nickleby	p. 205
Chapter XVIII Miss Knag, After Doating on Kate Nickleby for Three Whole Days Makes Up Her Mind to Hate Her for Evermore. the Causes Which Lead Miss Knag to Form This Resolution	p. 215
Chapter XIX Descriptive of a Dinner at Mr. Ralph Nickleby's, and of The Manner in Which the Company Entertained Themselves, Before Dinner, at Dinner, and After Dinner	p. 229
Chapter XX Wherein Nicholas at Length Encounters His Uncle, to Whom He Expresses His Sentiments with Much Candour. His Resolution	p. 245
Chapter XXI Madame Mantalini Finds Herself in a Situation of Some Difficulty And Miss Nickleby Finds Herself in No Situation at All	p. 257
Chapter XXII Nicholas, Accompanied by Smike, Sallies Forth to Seek His Fortune He Encounters Mr. Vincent Crummles; and Who He Was, is Herein Made Manifest	p. 270
Chapter XXIII Treats of the Company of Mr. Vincent Crummles, and of His Affairs, Domestic and Theatrical	p. 286
Chapter XXIV Of the Great Bespeak for Miss Snevellicci, and the First Appearance Of Nicholas Upon Any Stage	p. 300
Chapter XXV Concerning a Young Lady from London, Who Joins the Company And an Elderly Admirer Who Follows in Her Train; with an Affecting Ceremony Consequent on Their Arrival	p. 317
Chapter XXVI Is Fraught with Some Danger to Miss Nickleby's Peace of Mind	p. 331
Chapter XXVII Mrs. Nickleby Becomes Acquainted with Messrs. Pyke and Pluck Whose Affection and Interest Are Beyond All Bounds	p. 342
Chapter XXVIII Miss Nickleby, Rendered Desperate by the Persecution of Sir Mulberry Hawk, and the Complicated Difficulties and Distresses Which Surround Her, Appeals, as a Last Resource, to Her Uncle for Protection	p. 357
Chapter XXIX Of the Proceedings of Nicholas, and Certain Internal Divisions In The Company of Mr. Vincent Crummles	p. 374
Chapter XXX Festivities Are Held in Honour of Nicholas, Who Suddenly Withdraws Himself from the Society of Mr. Vincent Crummles and His Theatrical Companions	p. 384
Chapter XXXI Of Ralph Nickleby and Newman Noggs, and Some Wise Precautions, the Success or Failure of Which Will Appear in the Sequel	p. 400
Chapter XXXII Relating Chiefly to Some Remarkable Conversation, and Some Remarkable Proceedings to Which It Gives Rise	p. 408
Chapter XXXIII In Which Mr. Ralph Nickleby is Relieved, by a Very Expeditious Process, from All Commerce with His Relations	p. 419
Chapter XXXIV Wherein Mr. Ralph Nickleby is Visited by Persons with Whom The Reader Has Been Already Made Acquainted	p. 426
Chapter XXXV Smike Becomes Known to Mrs. Nickleby and Kate. Nicholas Also Meets with New Acquaintances. Brighter Days Seem to Dawn Upon The Family	p. 442
Chapter XXXVI Private and Confidential; Relating to Family Matters. Showing How Mr. Kenwigs Underwent Violent Agitation, and How Mrs. Kenwigs Was as Well as Could Be Expected	p. 459
Chapter XXXVII Nicholas Finds Further Favour in the Eyes of the Brothers Cheeryble And Mr. Timothy Linkinwater. the Brothers Give a Banquet On A Great Annual Occasion. Nicholas, on Returning Home from It Receives a Mysterious and Important Disclosure from the Lips Of Mrs. Nickleby	p. 468
Chapter XXXVIII Comprises Certain Particulars Arising Out of a Visit of Condolence, Which May Prove Important Hereafter. Smike Unexpectedly Encounters a Very Old Friend, Who Invites Him to His House, and Will Take No Denial	p. 486
Chapter XL In Which Nicholas Falls in Love. He Employs a Mediator, Whose Proceedings Are Crowned with Unexpected Success, Excepting in One Solitary Particular	p. 510
Chapter XLI Containing Some Romantic Passages Between Mrs. Nickleby And The Gentleman in the Small-Clothes Next Door	p. 528
Chapter XLII Illustrative of the Convivial Sentiment, That the Best of Friends Must Sometimes Part	p. 541
Chapter XLIII Officiates as a Kind of Gentleman Usher, in Bringing Various People Together	p. 553
Chapter XLIV Mr. Ralph Nickleby Cuts an Old Acquaintance. It Would Also Appear from the Contents Hereof, That a Joke, Even Between Husband And Wife, May Be Sometimes Carried Too Far	p. 567
Chapter XLV Containing Matter of a Surprising Kind	p. 582
Chapter XLVI Throws Some Light Upon Nicholas's Love; but Whether for Good Or Evil, the Reader Must Determine	p. 595
Chapter XLVII Mr. Ralph Nickleby Has Some Confidential Intercourse with Another Old Friend. They Concert Between Them a Project, Which Promises Well for Both	p. 609
Chapter XLVIII Being for the Benefit of Mr. Vincent Crummles, and Positively His Last Appearance on This Stage	p. 625
Chapter Xlix Chronicles the Further Proceedings of the Nickleby Family, and The Sequel of the Adventure of the Gentleman in the Small-Clothes	p. 637
Chapter L Involves a Serious Catastrophe	p. 653
Chapter LI The Project of Mr. Ralph Nickleby and His Friend, Approaching A Successful Issue, Becomes Unexpectedly Known to Another Party Not Admitted into Their Confidence	p. 667
Chapter LII Nicholas Despairs of Rescuing Madeline Bray, but Plucks Up His Spirits Again, and Determines to Attempt It. Domestic Intelligence Of the Kenwigses and Lillyvicks	p. 679
Chapter LIII Containing the Further Progress of the Plot Contrived by Mr. Ralph Nickleby and Mr. Arthur Gride	p. 692
Chapter Liv The Crisis of the Project and Its Result	p. 709
Chapter LV Of Family Matters, Cares, Hopes, Disappointments, and Sorrows	p. 721
Chapter LVI Ralph Nickleby, Baffled by His Nephew in His Late Design, Hatches A Scheme of Retaliation Which Accident Suggests to Him, and Takes Into His Counsels a Tried Auxiliary	p. 734
Chapter LVII How Ralph Nickleby's Auxiliary Went About His Work, and How He Prospered with It	p. 747
Chapter LVIII In Which One Scene of This History is Closed	p. 758
Chapter LIX The Plots Begin to Fail, and Doubts and Dangers to Disturb The Plotter	p. 764
Chapter LX The Dangers Thicken, and the Worst is Told	p. 779
Chapter LXI Wherein Nicholas and His Sister Forfeit the Good Opinion of All Worldly and Prudent People	p. 791
Chapter LXII Ralph Makes One Last Appointment--And Keeps It	p. 802
Chapter LXIII The Brothers Cheeryble Make Various Declarations for Themselves And Others. Tim Linkinwater Makes a Declaration for Himself	p. 808
Chapter LXIV An Old Acquaintance is Recognised Under Melancholy Circumstances And Dotheboys Hall Breaks Up for Ever	p. 819
Chapter LXV Conclusion	p. 829
Appendix A The Nickleby 'Proclamation'	p. 832
Appendix B Running Headlines for the 1867 Edition	p. 835
Explanatory Notes	p. 844
Textual Notes	p. 864

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