Nicholas Nickleby facts for kids

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Nicholas Nickleby

Cover of serial, Vol. 13 1839
Author	Charles Dickens
Original title	The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Illustrator	Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz)
Country	England
Language	English
Genre	Novel
Published	Serialised March 1838 -October 1839; book format 1839
Publisher	Chapman & Hall
Media type	Print
Pages	952 (first edition)
OCLC	231037034
Preceded by	Oliver Twist
Followed by	The Old Curiosity Shop

Nicholas Nickleby is a famous novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in parts from 1838 to 1839. This was Dickens' third novel. The story is about a young man named Nicholas Nickleby. He has to take care of his mother and sister after his father passes away.

About the Story

Nicholas Nickleby was Charles Dickens' third novel. He worked with his favorite publishers again. He also used the same publishing style that made The Pickwick Papers so popular. The story first came out in monthly parts. Later, it was released as one complete book. Dickens started writing Nickleby while he was still working on Oliver Twist.

What Happens in the Story

Mr Ralph Nickleby's first visit to his poor relations

Nicholas Nickleby's father dies suddenly. He lost all his family's money. Nicholas, his mother, and his younger sister, Kate, have to leave their nice home in Devon. They travel to London to ask for help from their only relative, Nicholas's uncle, Ralph Nickleby.

Ralph is a cold and mean businessman. He does not want to help his poor relatives. He dislikes Nicholas right away because Nicholas reminds him of his dead brother. Ralph finds Nicholas a very low-paying job. Nicholas becomes an assistant to Wackford Squeers. Squeers runs a school called Dotheboys Hall in Yorkshire.

Nicholas is careful around Squeers at first. Squeers is a very unpleasant man with one eye. He is rough and violent towards the young students. Nicholas tries to ignore his worries. As Nicholas gets on the stagecoach for Greta Bridge, Ralph's clerk, Newman Noggs, gives him a letter. Noggs was once a rich businessman. He lost his money and now works for Ralph, whom he dislikes. The letter warns Nicholas and offers help if he ever needs it.

Once in Yorkshire, Nicholas learns that Squeers runs a scam. He takes in unwanted children for a high fee. Most of these children are neglected or have disabilities. Squeers starves and mistreats them. He uses the money from their parents for himself. The parents often just want to get rid of their children. Squeers and his terrible wife often whip and beat the children. But they spoil their own son. Lessons are bad too. Squeers is poorly educated himself. He uses lessons as excuses to send the boys to do chores.

While there, Nicholas becomes friends with a kind boy named Smike. Smike is older than the other students. He now works as an unpaid servant. Nicholas catches the eye of Fanny Squeers. She is his employer's plain and bossy daughter. She thinks Nicholas is in love with her. She tries to tell him during a card game. But Nicholas does not understand what she means. Instead, he flirts with her friend Tilda Price. This makes Fanny and Tilda's friendly but rough fiancé, John Browdie, upset. Fanny bothers Nicholas again. Nicholas tells her clearly that he does not like her back. He wants to leave the awful Dotheboys Hall. This makes Fanny hate him.

Fanny uses her hatred for Nicholas to make life hard for Smike. Smike is Nicholas's only friend at the school. Squeers starts beating Smike more often. One day, Smike runs away. But he is caught and brought back to Dotheboys. Squeers begins to beat him. Nicholas steps in. Squeers hits Nicholas in the face. Nicholas loses his temper and beats the schoolmaster badly. During the fight, Fanny attacks Nicholas. She hates him for turning her down. Nicholas ignores her and continues to beat Squeers until he is bloody.

Nicholas quickly packs his things and leaves Dotheboys Hall. He meets John Browdie on the way. Browdie finds it hilarious that Squeers was beaten. He gives Nicholas money and a walking stick to help him get back to London. At dawn, Smike finds Nicholas. He begs to come along. Nicholas and Smike head towards London. Nicholas also wants to find out what Squeers will tell his uncle.

Meanwhile, Kate and her mother are forced to move. Ralph makes them leave their comfortable rooms. They move into a cold house Ralph owns in a London slum. Ralph finds Kate a job. She works for a stylish hat maker, Madame Mantalini. Madame Mantalini's husband, Mr Mantalini, spends all his older wife's money on his expensive tastes. Kate is clumsy at her job at first. This makes the head of the showroom, Miss Knag, like her. Miss Knag is vain and foolish. She uses Kate to make herself look better.

This plan backfires. A customer prefers to be served by the young and pretty Kate. This upsets Miss Knag. Kate is blamed for the insult. Because of this, Kate is ignored by the other hat makers and has no friends.

Nicholas asks Newman Noggs for help. Noggs shows him a letter Fanny Squeers wrote to Ralph. It greatly exaggerates the beating and unfairly blames Nicholas. They think Ralph knows the truth. But he is using Fanny's story to hurt Nicholas more. Noggs tells Nicholas that Ralph is out of town. He advises Nicholas to find a job. Nicholas goes to an employment office. There, he sees a very beautiful girl. His job search fails. He is about to give up when Noggs offers him a small job. He can teach French to the children of his neighbors, the Kenwigs family. Nicholas is hired under the name "Johnson" to teach the children French.

Ralph asks Kate to attend a dinner he is hosting for some business partners. When she arrives, she sees she is the only woman there. It becomes clear Ralph is using her to impress a foolish nobleman, Lord Frederick Verisopht. Ralph wants Verisopht to do business with him. Other guests include Verisopht's friend, Sir Mulberry Hawk. Hawk is a disreputable nobleman. He humiliates Kate at dinner by making her the subject of a rude bet. She runs from the table. But Hawk later bothers her. He tries to hurt her, but Ralph stops him. Ralph shows some unexpected kindness to Kate. But he hints that he will stop helping her financially if she tells her mother what happened.

The next day, Nicholas learns his uncle has returned. He visits his mother and sister. Ralph is reading them Fanny Squeers' letter and speaking badly about Nicholas. Nicholas confronts his uncle. Ralph promises to give no money to the Nicklebys as long as Nicholas stays with them. Nicholas has no choice. He agrees to leave London. But he warns Ralph that one day they will have to face each other.

The next morning, Nicholas and Smike travel to Portsmouth. They plan to become sailors. At an inn, they meet Vincent Crummles. He is a theater manager. He hires Nicholas (still using the name Johnson) right away. Nicholas becomes the new young lead actor. He also becomes a playwright. His job is to change French plays into English. Then he has to change them again for the troupe's limited acting skills. Nicholas and Smike join the acting company. The troupe welcomes them warmly. The group includes Crummles's strong wife, their daughter "The Infant Phenomenon," and many other unique actors. Nicholas and Smike perform in Romeo and Juliet. Nicholas plays Romeo and Smike plays the Apothecary. The audiences in the towns love them. Nicholas enjoys flirting with his Juliet, the lovely Miss Snevellici.

Back in London, Mr Mantalini's wild spending has made his wife lose her business. Madame Mantalini has to sell her business to Miss Knag. Miss Knag's first act is to fire Kate. Kate finds a new job. She becomes a companion to Mrs. Wittiterly, who wants to be more important in society. Meanwhile, Sir Mulberry Hawk starts a plan to humiliate Kate. He wants revenge for her rejecting him. He uses Lord Frederick, who likes Kate, to find out where she lives from Ralph. He is about to succeed. But Mrs. Nickleby enters Ralph's office. The two men change their attention from Kate's uncle to her mother. They successfully get into Mrs. Nickleby's company. This gives them access to the Wittiterly house. Mrs. Wittiterly becomes jealous. She scolds Kate for flirting with the noblemen. This unfair accusation makes Kate very angry. She speaks back to her employer. Mrs. Wittiterly then has a fit of hysterics.

Kate has no other choice. She goes to her uncle for help. But he refuses to help her. He says it's because of his business with Hawk and Verisopht. Newman Noggs helps her. He writes to Nicholas. He tells him in a vague way that his sister needs him urgently. Nicholas immediately leaves the Crummles troupe and returns to London.

Noggs and Miss La Creevy talk. They decide not to tell Nicholas about Kate's trouble until it's too late for him to find Hawk and act violently. So, when Nicholas arrives, both Noggs and Miss La Creevy are out. Nicholas is about to search the city for them. Then he accidentally overhears Hawk and Lord Frederick rudely talking about Kate in a coffeehouse. He understands what has happened from their talk. He confronts them. Hawk refuses to give Nicholas his name or answer his questions. When Hawk tries to leave, Nicholas follows him. He jumps onto the running board of Hawk's carriage, demanding his name. Hawk hits him with a riding crop. Nicholas loses his temper. He hits Hawk back and scares the horses. This causes the carriage to crash. Hawk is hurt in the crash and promises revenge. But Lord Verisopht feels bad about how he treated Kate. He tells Hawk he will try to stop him. Later, after Hawk recovers, they argue. Hawk insists on getting revenge on Nicholas. Verisopht hits Hawk. This leads to a duel. Verisopht is killed. Hawk runs away to France. Because of this, Ralph loses a lot of money Lord Verisopht owed him.

Nicholas takes Kate from the Wittiterlys. With their mother and Smike, they move back into Miss LaCreevy's house. Nicholas writes a letter to Ralph. He refuses, for his family, any of his uncle's money or help. Nicholas returns to the employment office. He meets Charles Cheeryble. Charles is a rich and very kind merchant. He runs a business with his twin brother Ned. The brothers hear Nicholas's story. They hire him at a good salary. They also give his family a small house in a London suburb.

Ralph meets a beggar. The beggar recognizes him. He reveals himself as Brooker, Ralph's former employee. He tries to get money from Ralph by threatening to tell a secret. But Ralph drives him away. Ralph returns to his office. He receives Nicholas's letter. He starts planning against his nephew seriously. Wackford Squeers returns to London. He joins Ralph in his plans.

Smike, on a London street, sadly runs into Squeers. Squeers kidnaps him. Luckily for Smike, John Browdie is on his honeymoon in London with his new wife Tilda. He finds out about Smike's problem. When they have dinner with Squeers, Browdie pretends to be sick. He uses this chance to rescue Smike and send him back to Nicholas. Nicholas invites the Browdies to dinner to thank them. At the party, Ralph and Squeers try to claim Smike. They show fake papers saying Smike is the long-lost son of a man named Snawley. Snawley is actually a friend of Squeers with children at Dotheboys Hall. Smike refuses to go. But the threat of legal action remains.

While at work, Nicholas meets the beautiful young woman he saw in the employment office. He realizes he is in love with her. The brothers tell him her name is Madeline Bray. She is the poor daughter of a man who owes money, Walter Bray. The brothers ask Nicholas to help them give her small sums of money. They do this by buying her artwork. This is the only way they can help her because of her demanding father.

Arthur Gride, an old, greedy man, offers to pay a debt Walter Bray owes Ralph. Gride has illegally taken the will of Madeline's grandfather. Madeline will become rich when she gets married. The two moneylenders convince Bray to force his daughter to marry the unpleasant Gride. They promise to pay off Bray's debts. Ralph does not know Nicholas is involved with the Brays. Nicholas does not find out about Ralph's plan until the night before the wedding. He asks Madeline to cancel the wedding. But even though she likes Nicholas, she is too loyal to her dying father to go against his wishes. On the wedding day, Nicholas tries to stop it again. But his efforts are not needed. Bray feels guilty about his daughter's sacrifice for him. He dies unexpectedly. Madeline no longer has a reason to marry Gride. Nicholas and Kate take her to their house to recover.

Smike has become very ill. In a last try to save his friend, Nicholas takes him to his childhood home in Devonshire. But Smike's health gets worse quickly. On his deathbed, Smike is surprised to see the man who brought him to Squeers's school. Nicholas thinks it's just an illusion. But it is later revealed that Smike was right. After telling Kate he loves her, Smike dies peacefully in Nicholas's arms.

When they return to Gride's home after the canceled wedding, Ralph and Gride discover something. Peg Sliderskew, Gride's old housekeeper, has robbed Gride. She took many things, including the will. To get it back, Ralph asks Wackford Squeers to find Peg. Noggs finds out about this plan. With the help of Frank Cheeryble, he gets the will back. Squeers is arrested.

The breaking up at Dotheboys Hall

The Cheeryble brothers confront Ralph. They tell him that his plans against Nicholas have failed. They advise him to leave London before he faces charges. Squeers is ready to tell everything and involve Ralph. Ralph refuses their help. But he is called back to their offices that evening. He is told that Smike is dead. When he reacts with cruel joy, the brothers reveal their final secret. The beggar Brooker appears. He tells Ralph that Smike was his own son. When Ralph was young, he married a woman for her money. He kept it a secret so she would not lose her inheritance for marrying without her brother's permission. He waited for the brother to die. She eventually left him after having a son. Ralph trusted his son to Brooker, who was his clerk then. Brooker wanted revenge. He took the boy to Squeers' school and told Ralph the boy had died. Brooker now regrets what he did. But a prison sentence kept him from fixing things. Ralph is heartbroken to think his only son died as the best friend of his greatest enemy. Ralph dies. His unfairly gained money goes to the government. This is because he died without a will, and his family did not want to claim it.

Squeers is sent to Australia as punishment. When the boys at Dotheboys Hall hear this, they rebel against the Squeers family. They escape with help from John Browdie. Nicholas becomes a partner in the Cheerybles' business. He marries Madeline. Kate and Frank Cheeryble also marry. Tim Linkinwater and Miss LaCreevy get married too. Brooker dies feeling sorry for his actions. Noggs gets his good name back. The Nicklebys and their new, bigger family return to Devonshire. They live in peace and happiness. They visit Smike's grave.

Main Characters

Like most of Charles Dickens' books, Nicholas Nickleby has many characters. Here are the main ones:

The Nickleby Family

• Nicholas Nickleby: The hero of the story. His father died, leaving Nicholas and his family with no money. Nicholas is honest and strong. But because he is young and new to the world, he can be quick to anger, naive, and emotional. Dickens wrote that Nicholas is not always perfect. He is a young man with a strong temper and little experience. He cares deeply for his friends and family. He strongly stands up to those who hurt the people he loves.
• Ralph Nickleby: The main bad guy in the book. He is Nicholas's uncle. He seems to care only about money. He immediately dislikes the hopeful Nicholas. However, he does have a small soft spot for Kate. Ralph's anger at Nicholas for beating Wackford Squeers causes a big problem with his nephew. Nicholas interferes with Ralph's plans several more times. So, Ralph plans to hurt and humiliate Nicholas on purpose. But Ralph ends up destroying only himself. When it is found out that Smike was his son, and that Smike died hating him, Ralph dies. He dies without a will. His family refuses to take his property. So, his hard-earned money goes back to the government.
• Catherine "Kate" Nickleby: Nicholas's younger sister. Kate is a quiet character, typical of Dickens' women. But she shares some of her brother's strength and strong will. She is not afraid of hard work to earn her living. She defends herself against Sir Mulberry Hawk. She finds happiness with Frank Cheeryble.
• Mrs. Catherine Nickleby: Nicholas and Kate's mother. She often makes the novel funny. The confused Mrs. Nickleby often does not see the true danger her children face. She only sees it when it is clearly shown to her. Her slowness sometimes makes her children's problems worse. She is stubborn. She often talks for a long time about things that are not important. She also has unrealistic daydreams. She often has a vague idea of what is happening around her.

People Connected to Ralph Nickleby

• Newman Noggs: Ralph's clerk. He becomes Nicholas's loyal friend. He was once a successful businessman but lost everything. He has a good heart and understands people. But this is hidden by his strange habits and unpredictable actions.
• Sir Mulberry Hawk: A nobleman who guides Lord Verisopht. He is one of the truly bad characters in the novel. He bothers Kate and pursues her only to humiliate her after she rejects him. Nicholas beats him. He promises revenge. But Lord Verisopht stops him. He kills Verisopht in a fight and has to run away to France. This stops his plans for revenge. He lives well abroad until he runs out of money. He eventually returns to England and dies in prison for not paying his debts.
• Lord Frederick Verisopht: Hawk's friend and victim. He is a rich young nobleman. He owes large amounts of money to both Ralph and Sir Mulberry. He becomes very interested in Kate. Hawk manipulates him into finding out where she lives. After Nicholas confronts them, Lord Frederick realizes how badly he behaved. He threatens Hawk if Hawk tries to get revenge for the injuries Nicholas caused him. This argument leads to a physical fight. This fight results in a duel where Lord Frederick is killed. In death, he causes problems for both Ralph and Sir Mulberry. He dies unmarried. This means, according to his father's will, he loses his inheritance. This forces his creditors to lose huge amounts of money.
• Mr Pluck and Mr Pyke: Friends who always hang around Hawk and Verisopht. They are always together and are very similar. Pluck and Pyke are smart, sneaky, and well-dressed. They are perfect for doing Hawk's dirty work.
• Arthur Gride: An old, greedy man who works with Ralph. He is a miser. He lives in a big, empty house and spends very little, even though he is very rich. He gets the will of Madeline's grandfather. He tries to cheat her out of her money by marrying her. He is a coward, serves others too much, and is greedy. He has no good qualities at all. He is the only one of Ralph's partners who avoids legal punishment. But he is later killed by burglars who heard rumors of his great wealth.
• Peg Sliderskew: Gride's old housekeeper. She cannot read or write, is very deaf, and is becoming confused. She plays a big part in the ending when she steals papers from Gride. These papers include Madeline's grandfather's will.
• Brooker: An old beggar. He is a mysterious person who appears several times in the novel. We eventually learn that he was Ralph's former clerk. He was responsible for taking Ralph's son (Smike) to Dotheboys Hall. He was once in prison. He returns to try to get money from Ralph by telling him his son is alive. When that fails, he goes to Noggs. He eventually tells his story. In the end of the book, it says he dies feeling sorry for his actions.

Characters from Yorkshire

• Smike: A poor boy living under Squeers's "care." Smike is about 18 years old. He is a sad figure, always sick and not very bright. He has been with Squeers since he was very young. Nicholas gives him the courage to run away. But when that fails, Nicholas saves him. The two become travel companions and close friends. He falls in love with Kate. But his heart is broken when she falls in love with Frank Cheeryble. After Smike dies peacefully from a serious illness, it is revealed that he is Ralph Nickleby's son.
• Wackford Squeers: A cruel, one-eyed schoolmaster from Yorkshire. He runs Dotheboys Hall, a boarding school for unwanted children. He treats the boys terribly. He starves them and beats them regularly. He gets what he deserves from Nicholas. Nicholas beats him back for whipping Smike. He travels to London after he recovers. He gets involved in more bad business. He acts on his grudge against Nicholas. He becomes a close partner in Ralph's plans to fake Smike's parents. Later, he tries to hide the will that would make Madeline Bray rich. He is arrested during this last task. He is sentenced to be sent to Australia.
• Mrs Squeers: Even more cruel and less loving than her husband to the boys. She dislikes Nicholas right away. She tries to make his life at Dotheboys Hall as hard as possible.
• Fanny Squeers: The Squeers' daughter. She is 23, not attractive, bad-tempered, and eager to find a husband. She falls in love with Nicholas. But he clearly rejects her. This makes her hate him strongly and openly. Tilda Price is her best friend. But their friendship is difficult because of Fanny's pride and meanness. She is proud, thinks highly of herself, and is mistaken about her beauty and importance.
• Young Wackford Squeers: The Squeers' rude son. His parents spoil him. He is very fat because of this. He cares mostly about eating as much as he can. He also bullies his father's boys. His father is very proud of this. When the boys revolt, they dip his head several times in a bowl of the disgusting "brimstone" (sulfur) and treacle "remedy." This was actually something to stop their hunger. They were forced to eat it or be punished.
• John Browdie: A straightforward Yorkshire corn merchant. He has a loud, lively sense of humor. At the start of the novel, he is engaged to Tilda Price. He marries her about halfway through the book. Although he and Nicholas start off badly, they become good friends. John helps Nicholas escape from Yorkshire. He later comes to London on his honeymoon. He rescues Smike from Squeers's capture. He proves to be a clever and helpful friend.
• Matilda "Tilda" Price (Browdie): Fanny's best friend and Browdie's fiancée. She is a pretty miller's daughter, 18 years old. Tilda puts up with Fanny's small-mindedness because they were childhood friends. But she later ends their friendship when she realizes how selfish Fanny is. She is a bit flirty. But she settles down happily with John Browdie.
• Phib (Phoebe): The Squeers' housemaid. She has to put up with Mrs. Squeers' bad temper and Fanny's scorn to keep her job. She flatters Fanny to keep her in a good mood. She is described as being hungry.

Characters Around London

• Miss La Creevy: The Nicklebys' landlady. She is a small, kind (though a bit silly) woman in her fifties. She paints small portraits. She is the first friend the Nicklebys make in London, and one of their truest. She is rewarded for her kindness when she falls in love with Tim Linkinwater.
• Hannah: Miss La Creevy's loyal but noticeably not very smart maid.
• Mr Snawley: An oil merchant who places his two stepsons in Squeers's "care." He pretends to be Smike's father to help Squeers get back at Nicholas. But when the Cheerybles question him, he breaks down and tells everything.
• Mr and Madame Mantalini: Hat makers, Kate's employers. Alfred Muntle (he changed his name to Mantalini for business) is a handsome man with a large bushy black mustache. He lives off his wife's business. He often steals from his wife. He dramatically threatens to die whenever he doesn't get his way. Madame Mantalini is much older than her husband. She is also prone to drama. She eventually becomes wise and divorces him. But not before he ruins her with his expensive spending. She is forced to sell the business to Miss Knag. Mantalini is seen again at the end of the book living in much poorer conditions. He is romantically involved with a washerwoman, but still doing his old tricks.
• Miss Knag: Mrs. Mantalini's main helper and chief assistant in the showroom. Miss Knag is well into middle age. But she believes she is very beautiful. When Kate starts working for the Mantalinis, Miss Knag is quite kind to her. This is because Kate is clumsy, which makes Miss Knag look more skilled. But when a customer prefers Kate, Miss Knag blames Kate and ignores her. She takes over the business when the Mantalinis go broke. She immediately fires Kate. She is an unmarried woman. She lives with her brother Mortimer, who is a failed writer.
• The Kenwigs family: Newman Noggs's neighbors. Mr. Kenwigs and his wife Susan depend on her rich uncle, Mr. Lillyvick. Everything they do is meant to please him. They want him to keep their children (including their baby, named Lillyvick) in his will. Their daughter Morleena is an awkward child of seven. Dickens describes the family and their friends as "exceptionally common."
• Mr Lillyvick: Mrs. Kenwigs's uncle. He collects the water rate. This job gives him great importance among his poor relatives. They try very hard to please him. He is completely used to getting his way. He falls in love with Miss Petowker and marries her. This greatly upsets the Kenwigs family. When she runs away with another man, he returns to his family a sadder but wiser man.
• Henrietta Petowker: From the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She is a minor actress with a famous company. She is a major star with the less famous Crummles troupe. She is Mrs. Crummles's special student. She marries Mr. Lillyvick after meeting him at the Kenwigs' wedding anniversary party. But she leaves him for another man within a few months.
• Henry and Julia Wititterly: A rich couple who want to climb the social ladder. They hire Kate as a companion for Mrs. Wittiterly. Mrs. Wittiterly pretends to be sick and frail. But she has a fierce temper when she doesn't get her way. Mr. Wittiterly flatters his wife and does everything she wants. They do not notice the bad treatment Kate faces. They only care that noblemen are visiting them. Mrs. Wittiterly becomes jealous of Kate. She scolds Kate for flirting with the noblemen who visit. But she never lets Kate miss the visits, since it's clear Kate is the reason for the calls. Nicholas rescues Kate from their employment. They are happy to see her go. They do not pay Kate her last salary.
• Charles and Ned Cheeryble: Identical twin brothers. They are rich "German-merchants" (merchants who trade internationally). They are as generous as they are cheerful. They remember their humble beginnings. They spend much of their time doing charity work and helping those in need. This kindness leads them to give Nicholas a job and provide for his family. They almost single-handedly bring back his belief in the goodness of people. They become key figures in Ralph's defeat and the Nicklebys' happy ending.
• Frank Cheeryble: Ned and Charles's nephew. He is just as kind-hearted as his uncles. He shares Nicholas's anger when his sense of honor is challenged. Nicholas first meets him after he kicked a man for insulting Madeline Bray. He falls in love with Kate and later marries her.
• Madeline Bray: A beautiful but poor young woman. She is proud and devoted to her dying father. She is willing to give up her own happiness if it means making him comfortable. Nicholas falls in love with her at first sight. She comes to feel the same way about him.
• Walter Bray: Madeline's father. He was once a handsome gentleman. He is a very selfish man who wasted his wife's money. He is dying in a prison for people who owe money. He owes huge amounts of money to both Ralph and Gride. He acts scornful and proud towards Nicholas. He tricks himself into thinking he is helping his daughter by agreeing to her marriage with Gride. But when he realizes what he has done, he dies of sadness before the marriage happens. This frees Madeline from her promises.
• Tim Linkinwater: The Cheerybles' loyal clerk. He is an elderly, stout, pleasant gentleman. The Brothers jokingly call him "a Fierce Lion." He tends to exaggerate. He stubbornly refuses to retire. He finds happiness with Miss La Creevy.
• The Man Next Door: A man who lives next to the Nickleby family's cottage later in the novel. He falls instantly in love with Mrs. Nickleby. He repeatedly throws vegetables over the garden wall as a sign of his affection. Kate is upset. Mrs. Nickleby refuses to believe her suitor is insane. This changes only when he suddenly starts bothering Miss LaCreevy instead.

The Crummles Troupe

• Mr Vincent Crummles: Head of the Crummles theater troupe. He is a larger-than-life actor-manager who takes Nicholas under his wing. He is very proud of his job. But he also sometimes wishes for a quieter life, settled down with his wife and children. Eventually, he and his family take their act to America to find more success in theater.
• Mrs Crummles: Mr. Crummles's wife. She is a strong but loving presence in the company. She is a great diva. But Dickens leaves it up to the reader to decide how good she actually is.
• Miss Ninetta Crummles, The "Infant Phenomenon": Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Crummles. She is a very important member of the Crummles troupe. A dancing part is written for her in every show, even if it doesn't fit. She is supposedly ten years old. But she is actually closer to eighteen. She was given special drinks to make her look young.
• Mr Folair: A pantomime actor with the Crummles company. He is good at flattering people. But he does not hesitate to say exactly what he thinks of people once they are gone.
• Miss Snevellicci: The talented main actress of the Crummles troupe. She and Nicholas flirt a lot. They like each other. But nothing serious happens. She eventually leaves the troupe to get married.
• Mr Lenville: A dramatic, self-centered tragic actor. He becomes jealous of the attention Nicholas is getting as an actor. He tries to pull Nicholas's nose in front of the company. This results in Nicholas knocking him down and breaking his cane.

Stage Shows About the Story

The novel has been made into stage plays, films, or TV shows at least seven times. A big version (by playwright David Edgar) first showed in 1980 in the West End. It was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was a very long show, lasting more than ten hours. This included breaks for intermissions and dinner. The actual acting time was about eight and a half hours. The show was praised by critics and loved by audiences. All the actors played many roles because there were so many characters. Only Roger Rees, who played Nicholas, and David Threlfall, who played Smike, played just one role. This was because they were on stage for so much of the time. The play moved to Broadway in 1981.

In 1982, the Royal Shakespeare Company recorded the show. It was made into three two-hour episodes and one three-hour episode for Channel 4. It became the channel's first drama. In 1983, it was shown on TV in the United States. It won an Emmy Award for Best Mini-Series. This version was released on DVD. It was shown again in December 2007 on BBC Four.

In 2006, Edgar made a shorter version for a show at the Chichester Festival. This version moved to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End in December 2007 and January 2008. This version has also been performed in the US by the California Shakespeare Festival.

Early stage versions appeared even before Dickens finished publishing the novel in parts. The ending of these stage plays was very different from the finished novel. Dickens was upset by this copying. This led him to have Nicholas meet a "literary gentleman" in chapter forty-eight of the novel. The gentleman brags that he has made stage plays from 247 novels. He says he did this "as fast as they had come out – in some cases faster than they had come out." He claims to have brought fame to their authors this way. In response, Nicholas gives a long and angry speech. He condemns adapting unfinished books without the author's permission. He even says:

If I were a writer of books, and you a thirsty dramatist, I would rather pay your tavern score for six months, large as it might be, than to have a niche in the Temple of Fame with you for the humblest corner of my pedestal, through six hundred generations

Movies and TV Shows About the Story

A two-minute short film showing the fight scene at Dotheboys Hall was released in 1903. A half-hour film adaptation that tried to cover most of the novel followed in 1912. It featured Victory Bateman as Miss La Creevy and Ethyle Cooke as Miss Snevellici. The first sound film adaptation, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, came out in 1947. It starred Cedric Hardwicke as Ralph Nickleby, Sally Ann Howes as Kate, Derek Bond as Nicholas, and Stanley Holloway as Crummles.

In 1957, it became a TV series Nicholas Nickleby. It lasted one season, with William Russell in the main role.

In 1968, it was made into a TV serial starring Martin Jarvis.

In 1977, BBC Television adapted the novel. It was directed by Christopher Barry. It starred Nigel Havers in the main role, Derek Francis as Wackford Squeers, and Patricia Routledge as Madame Mantalini.

In 2001, ITV produced The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. It won a BAFTA and an RTS award for costume design. It was directed by Stephen Whittaker. It featured James D'Arcy, Charles Dance, Pam Ferris, Lee Ingleby, Gregor Fisher, Tom Hollander, J. J. Feild, and Tom Hiddleston.

In 2002, Nicholas Nickleby was released. It was directed by American director Douglas McGrath. Its cast included Charlie Hunnam, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Bell, Alan Cumming, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Juliet Stevenson, Nathan Lane, Tom Courtenay, and Barry Humphries.

In 2012, the novel was adapted as a modern drama. It had some changes to the plot and characters for the BBC. It was filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It mostly used local actors. The five-part series was called Nick Nickleby. In this version, Andrew Simpson played the main character. Linda Bassett played Mrs. Smike, Adrian Dunbar played Ralph Nickleby, Jonathan Harden played Newman Noggs (who also narrated the series), Bronagh Gallagher played Mrs. Nickleby, and Jayne Wisener played Kat Nickleby. It aired on BBC One from November 5–9 at 2:15 pm. Each episode was 45 minutes long. It was produced by Kindle Entertainment Ltd and distributed by Indigo Film and Television.

How the Book Was Published

Nicholas Nickleby was first released in 19 monthly parts. The last part was a double-number and cost two shillings instead of one. Each part had 32 pages of text and two pictures by Phiz:

Images for kids

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  The breaking up at Dotheboys Hall

See also

In Spanish: Nicholas Nickleby para niños