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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Audiobook
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(3.00) - 14,945 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is closely modelled on the eighteenth-century novels that Charles Dickens loved as a child, such as Robinson Crusoe, in which the fortunes of a hero shape the plot. The likeable young Nicholas, left penniless on the death of his father, sets off in search of better prospects. His meandering route to happiness includes work as a teacher at Dotheboys Hall, where the brutal Wackford Squeers ill-treats his impoverished pupils, and a spell as an actor with the absurdly melodramatic Crummles troupe.
Nicholas's many adventures give Dickens the freedom to follow the eccentricities of a vivid gallery of characters, exploring themes of class, love, and self-awareness with exuberant comedy and biting satire.
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"This is classic serial Dickens: the bad people are very, very bad and the good people are so very very good. I really liked this book but the truth is if it was written by someone other than Dickens, I probably would have only given it 3 stars. I have such admiration for Dickens and, after reading the foreword of the book, that admiration only deepened. There were a lot of twists and turns in this novel, which I enjoyed and which made it hard to put down sometimes. On the downside, I definitely could have lived without some of the sub-plots, which were more of a distraction than anything else. At one point when a character who hadn't been seen in a while re-entered the scene I was like "oh, this guy? yawn," and just skimmed right over it. It seemed Dickens was trying to make it longer than it organically would have been because he was paid by the installment. Also, one of the characters was so "virtuous" I felt like she was a moron and I hated the mother of Nicholas Nickleby. She was supposed to be amusing and sometimes she was but mostly I just wanted someone to punch her in the face. But that's just my cynicism I suppose (I have had the same difficulty with Jane Austen characters at times) and is probably the result of looking at the situation through the prism of modern values/mores."
— Diane (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Nicholas Nickleby was a revelation…As well as being sympathetic to the plight of the children, the author was hilarious.”
— A. N. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author -
As is typical of Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby contains a myriad of characters, and as is typical of Simon Vance, he skillfully handles each one. . . . Like the novel itself, Vance delivers a performance that is both poignant and humorous.
— AudioFile
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Listener Reviews
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" Classic Charles Dickens! I love the story of the plight of the downtrodden and how they keep going no matter how horrible and hopeless things get. Dickens is always great to read when you're feeling sorry for yourself. Thank God you didn't live in 19th century England. Although, I must admit, the chivalry is something I wish hadn't died out... "
— Nancy, 2/16/2014 -
" Another Dickens, a must read for fans. "
— Carol, 2/3/2014 -
" I like to read a classic in the winter, and this is one I haven't tried yet. So far, so good! "
— Adele, 1/30/2014 -
" incredibly long but a wonderful and touching story with a great ending. "
— Jalon, 1/30/2014 -
" Another favourite Dicken's novel of mine! "
— Pratibha, 1/19/2014 -
" After the first few chapters, (typical of Dickens) the story gets really going. It's a cracking good yarn! "
— Sharoncollier, 12/25/2013 -
" I am a big fan of Dickens but I didn't really enjoy this story. I struggled to connect with the characters, although I did feel sorry for Smike. "
— Janet, 12/4/2013 -
" #3 in the quest to read all Charles Dickens in order - nice balance between Dickensian humor and social commentary. The ending was a bit over the top. "
— Lauri, 11/24/2013 -
" Great story and writing style. Hilarious and touching. Took foooreeeeverrrrr to read. "
— D, 10/14/2013 -
" Well, I tried... I guess I really don't like Dickens. "
— Margaret, 4/22/2013 -
" enjoyable read though end was a bit strange and depressing "
— Diana, 9/29/2012 -
" One of my favourite Dickens' novels; full of the strangeness of life and triumph of striving against adversity! "
— Shivanthi, 9/26/2012 -
" A romance in England. What can be better. "
— Carolyn, 8/9/2011 -
" Smike and Dotheboys Hall, and ah, the theatre. "
— Steve, 7/17/2011 -
" Loved this story. It got me hooked on Dickens. Weird. "
— Shannon, 6/25/2011 -
" Another enjoyable book by one of my favorite authors. The ending is predictable and it lacks the depth of drama and character that his greater classics have. Still, well worth the time to read it. "
— Natasha, 3/28/2011 -
" Great. Sure, it's a little uneven, but it's an early novel and he was still learning the craft. But a great novel to start with if you're looking for a place to start with Dickens. "
— Martin, 1/19/2011
About Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England, the second of eight children in a family continually plagued by debt. A legacy brought release from the nightmare of debtors’ prison and child labor and afforded him a few years of formal schooling. He worked as an attorney’s clerk and newspaper reporter until his early writings brought him the amazing success that was to be his for the remainder of his life. He was the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and he remains popular, responsible for some of English literature’s most iconic characters.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.