Left penniless after his feckless father's death, young Nicholas Nickleby has no choice but to make his own way in the world. For the sake of his mother and sister, he is forced by his hardhearted uncle to take a post as an assistant master at Dotheboys Hall, a school for unwanted boys, run by the cruel and tyrannical headmaster Wackford Squeers. But this is only the beginning of Nicholas's adventures in this most entertaining of Charles Dickens's novels. We follow the progress of Nicholas and his slow-witted companion Smike on their travels and encounter a supporting cast of delectable characters, including the rumbustious Crummles's theatre company with its talented performing pony, the dastardly Sir Mulberry Hawk, the delightful Mrs Nickleby, the preposterous Kenwigs and many more.

Like many of Dickens's novels, Nicholas Nickleby is characterised by his criticism of cruelty and social injustice, but above all it is one of the greatest comic masterpieces of nineteenth-century literature.

Contents

Author's Preface

15

1	Introduces all the rest	23
2	Of Mr Ralph Nickleby, and his establishments, and his undertakings, and of a great joint-stock company of vast national importance	30
3	Mr Ralph Nickleby receives sad tidings of his brother, but bean 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	46
4	Nicholas and his uncle (to secure the fortune without loss of time) wait upon MrWackford Squeers, the Yorkshire schoolmaster	62
5	Nicholas starts for Yorkshire. Of his leave-taking and his fellow-travellers, and what befell them on the road	81
6	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	97
7	Mr and Mrs Squeers at home	129
8	Of the internal economy of Dotheboys Hall	141
9	Of Miss Squeers, Mrs Squeers, Master Squeers, and Mr Squeers; and of various matters and persons connected no less with the Squeerses than Nicholas Nickleby	160
10	How Mr Ralph Nickleby provided for his niece and sister-in-law	182
11	Newman Noggs inducts Mrs and Miss Nickleby into their new dwelling in the City	202
12	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	211
13	Nicholas varies the monotony of Dothebys Hall by a most vigorous and remarkable proceeding, which leads to consequences of some importance	227
14	Having the misfortune to treat of none but common people, is necessarily of a mean and vulgar character	248
15	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	265
16	Nicholas seeks to employ himself in a new capacity, and being unsuccessful, accepts an engagement as tutor in a private family	284
17	Follows the fortunes of Miss Nickleby	313
18	Miss Knag, after doting on Kate Nickleby for three whole days, makes up her mind to hate her for evermore. The causes which led Miss Knag to form this resolution	328
19	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.	347
20	Wherein Nicholas at length encounters his uncle, to whom he expresses his sentiments with much candour. His resolution	371
21	Madame Mantalini finds herself in a situation of some difficulty, and Miss Nickleby finds herself in no situation at all	388
22	Nicholas, accompanied by Smike, sallies forth to seek his fortune. He encounters Mr Vincent Crummies; and who he was, is herein made manifest	408
23	Treats of the company of Mr Vincent Crummies, and of his affairs, domestic and theatrical	430
24	Of the great bespeak for Miss Snevellicci, and the first appearance of Nicholas upon any stage	449
25	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	473
26	Is fraught with some danger to Miss Nickleby's peace of mind	494
27	Mrs Nickleby becomes acquainted with Messrs Pyke and Pluck, whose affection and interest are beyond all bounds	508
28	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	530
29	Of the proceedings of Nicholas, and certain internal divisions in the company of Mr Vincent Crummles	552
30	Festivities are held in honour of Nicholas, who suddenly withdraws himself from the society of Mr Vincent Crummies and his theatrical companions	566
31	Of Ralph Nickleby and Newman Noggs, and some wise precautions, the success or failure of which will appear in the sequel	588
32	Relating chiefly to some remarkable conversation, and some remarkable proceedings to which it gives rise	600
33	In which Mr Ralph Nickleby is relieved, by a very expeditious process, from all commerce with his relations	615
34	Wherein Mr Ralph Nickleby is visited by persons with whom the reader has been already made acquainted	625
35	Smike becomes known to Mrs Nickleby and Kate. Nicholas also meets with new acquaintances. Brighter days seem to dawn upon the family	649
36	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	672
37	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	685
38	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	710
39	In which another old friend encounters Smike, very opportunely and to some purpose	732
40	In which Nicholas falls in love. He employs a mediator, whose proceedings are crowned with unexpected success, excepting in one solitary particular	745
41	Containing some romantic passages between Mrs Nickleby and the gentleman in the small-clothes next door	770
42	Illustrative of the convivial sentiment, that the best of friends must sometimes pan	789
43	Officiates as a kind of gentleman usher, in bringing various people together	805
44	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	825
45	Containing matter of a surprising kind	847
46	Throws some light upon Nicholas's love; but whether for good or evil the reader must determine	866
47	Mr Ralph Nickleby has some confidential intercourse with another old friend. They concert between them a project, which promises well for both	887
48	Being for the benefit of Mr Vincent Crummles, and positively his last appearance on this stage	910
49	Chronicles the further proceedings of the Nickleby family, and the sequel of the adventure of the gentleman in the small-clothes	926
50	Involves a serious catastrophe	949
51	The project of Mr Ralph Nickleby and his friend approaching a successful issue, becomes unexpectedly known to another parry, not admitted into their confidence	970
52	Nicholas despairs of rescuing Madeline Bray, but plucks up his spirits again, and determines to attempt it. Domestic intelligence of the Kenwigses and Lillyvicks	986
53	Containing the further progress of the plot contrived by Mr Ralph Nickleby and Mr Arthur Gride	1005
54	The crisis of the project, and its result	1029
55	Of family matters, cares, hopes, disappointments, and sorrows	1046
56	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	1064
57	How Ralph Nickleby 's auxiliary went about his work, and how he prospered with it	1081
58	In which one scene of this history is closed	1097
59	The plots begin to fail, and doubts and dangers to disturb the plotter	1107
60	The dangers thicken, and the worst is told	1127
61	Wherein Nicholas and his sister forfeit the good opinion of all worldly and prudent people	1144
62	Ralph makes one last appointment - and keeps it	1158
63	The brothers Cheeryble make various declarations for themselves and others. Tim Linkinwater makes a declaration for himself	1167
64	An old acquaintance is recognised under melancholy circumstances, and Dotheboys Hall breaks up for ever	1182
65	Conclusion	1197

Afterword	1201
Selected Bibliography	1208
Biography	1209

Illustrations

The children at their cousin's grave	frontispiece
Mr Ralph Nickleby's first visit to his poor relations	53
The Yorkshire schoolmaster at the Saracen's Head	67
Nicholas starts for Yorkshire	91
The five sisters of York	103
The internal economy of Dotheboys Hall	147
Kate Nickleby sitting to Miss La Creevy	183
Newman Noggs leaves the ladies in the empty house	209
Nicholas astonishes Mr Squeers and family	241
Nicholas engaged as tutor in a private family	311
Madame Mantalini introduces Kate to Miss Knag	321
Miss Nickleby introduced to her uncle's friends	357
Mr Ralph Nickleby's "honest" composure	379
The professional gentlemen at Madame Mantalini's	395
The country manager rehearses a combat	419
The great bespeak for Miss Snevellicci	471
Nicholas instructs Smike in the art of acting	493
Affectionate behaviour of Messrs Pyke and Pluck	513
Nicholas hints at the probability of his leaving the company	565
Theatrical emotion of Mr Vincent Crummles	591
Nicholas attracted by the mention of his sister's name	607
Mr and Mrs Mantalini in Ralph Nickleby's office	629
Emotion of Mr Kenwig's on hearing the family news	683
Mr Linkinwater intimates his approval of Nicholas	689
A sudden recognition, unexpected on both sides	723
Nicholas recognises the young lady unknown	755
The gentleman next door declares his passion for Mrs Nickleby	779
Mr Mantalini poisons himself for the seventh time	841
Mr Snawley enlarges on parental instinct	857
Nicholas makes his first visit to Mr Bray	883
The consultation	891
Mysterious appearance of the gentleman in the small-clothes	939
The last brawl between Sir Mulberry and his pupil	963
Great excitement of Miss Kenwigs at the hairdresser's shop	995
Nicholas congratulates Arthur Gride on his wedding morning	1043
Mr Squeers and Mrs Sliderskew unconscious of visitors	1095
The recognition	1103
Reduced circumstances of Mr Mantalini	1185
The breaking-up at Dotheboys Hall	1193

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812, the son of a clerk and the second of eight children. He taught himself shorthand and became a reporter of parliamentary debates before starting to publish sketches in periodicals which were later republished as Sketches by Boz. With the appearance of The Pickwick Papers in 1836-7, Dickens started to assume the status of a cult writer; after this first book there followed a run of hugely popular serialised novels, including Barnaby Rudge (1841) Dombey and Son (1846-8), and David Copperfield (1849-50). Dickens's last novel, Edwin Drood, was left uncompleted when he died in 1870. The public outpouring of grief at his death was indicative of the extraordinary relationship he had developed with his audience over a prolific and successful writing career.

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