Nicholas Nickleby

When his father dies, young Nicholas Nickleby must support his mother and sister against the schemes of his cold-hearted uncle Ralph, taking work at the monstrous Dotheboys Hall—a boarding school whose cruelty Dickens exposed to national outrage. Through hardship, theatrical adventures, villainy, and romance, Nicholas grows into a young man of courage and principle. Blending savage social criticism with rich comedy and a gallery of unforgettable characters, the novel helped bring about real reform of England’s worst schools. Warm, funny, and morally passionate, Nicholas Nickleby is classic Dickens—a sweeping tale of family, injustice, and the triumph of decency over greed.