Product Description

The sensational bestselling story of Little Nell, the beautiful child thrown into a shadowy, terrifying world, seems to belong less to the history of the Victorian novel than to folklore, fairy tale, or myth. The sorrows of Nell and her grandfather are offset by Dickens's creation of a dazzling contemporary world inhabited by some of his most brilliantly drawn characters-the eloquent ne'er-do-well Dick Swiveller; the hungry maid known as the "Marchioness"; the mannish lawyer Sally Brass; Quilp's brow-beaten mother-in-law; and Quilp himself, the lustful, vengeful dwarf, whose demonic energy makes a vivid counterpoint to Nell's purity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61973 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-01
• Released on: 2001-07-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 608 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780140437423
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
The sound of Little Nell clattering hurriedly over cobblestones immediately sets the stage by bringing to mind the narrow and dangerous streets of Victorian London. No fewer than 20 performers are called upon to conjure up the Dickensian world of wanderers, ne'er-do-wells, con artists, and kind Samaritans--and each performance is excellent. Tom Courtenay plays the sadistic Quilp, "the ugliest dwarf that could be seen anywhere for a penny" with magnificent sarcastic glee, and Teresa Gallagher's silvery, childlike voice is ideally suited for the role of the angelic Little Nell.

Nell is on her way home to the dusty shop where she and her grandfather live a rather mysterious life. The old man disappears every night--visiting gambling dens with the naive hope of winning a fortune. Instead he sinks deeper and deeper into debt. Enter Daniel Quilp, moneylender, who becomes furious upon learning that the grandfather is a pauper and will never be able to repay his tremendous debt. Quilp seizes the curiosity shop and begins making lecherous overtures to Nell, so she and her grandfather steal away one morning to seek their fortunes elsewhere. But the demonic dwarf is never far behind.

Sound effects are employed judiciously and serve mainly as a springboard for the listener's imagination. The sound of a crying baby is enough to convey the image of crowded lodgings and genteel Victorian poverty, while raucous laughter and high-pitched squawks evoke the barely controlled chaos of an outdoor Punch and Judy show. The dramatization pares Dickens's weighty novel down to two and one-half hours, but does so skillfully, retaining Dickens's wit, marvelous dialogue, and delightful characterizations. (Running time: 155 minutes, 2 cassettes) --Elizabeth Laskey

From School Library Journal
Grade 7-12-Dickens story of contrasts: youth and old age, beauty and deformity, freedom and restraint.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Novel by Charles Dickens, first issued serially in 1840-41 in Dickens' own weekly, Master Humphrey's Clock; it was published in book form in 1841. The novel was enormously popular in its day but in a later age was scorned for its unabashed sentimentality. The Old Curiosity Shop is the story of Little Nell Trent and the evil dwarf Quilp. When Little Nell's grandfather gambles away his curiosity shop to his creditor Quilp, the girl and the old man flee London. Nell's friend Kit Nubbles and a mysterious Single Gentleman (who turns out to be the wealthy brother of Nell's grandfather) attempt to find them but are thwarted by Quilp, who drowns while fleeing the law. Little Nell dies before Kit and the Single Gentleman arrive, and her brokenhearted grandfather dies days later. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

Customer Reviews

Most Dickensian Novel That Still Captures Our Imagination
Of all what Dickens wrote, there never was one like "Old Curiosity Shop." Most Dickensian in the sense that it exudes everything he created in his career. Outrageous characters including an angelic heroine and impossibly theatrical villain, (too) kind-hearted gentlemen and hilarious comic relief.

The story follows the fate of Little Nell, who together with his grandfather embarks on a wandering trek through England to find her place where they can live quietly. Around her and her old friend Kit appear the colorful characters such as incredibly cheerful, optimistic Dick Swiveller, or grotesque, villainous Quilp (who somehow attracted a pretty lady's attention for he got married!) On top of them, you encounter a lot of vividly described characters only Dickens can create.

As the novel started as a short vignette in a magazine, and then Dickens extended it, following his imagination, to boost the readers' subscription (because the magazine's circulation dropped badly after the initial issue), the plot is very thin, and the whole work is incoherent. The first-person narrator who opens the story disappears soon; Nell's brother Fred is gone almost silently ("Did Little Nell have a brother?" those who had read it may say. So unmemorable.); even Kit, who adores Nell deep in his heart at first, seems to forget her existence before Barbara, his love, after Nell ran away from her house. But all these flaws must be forgotten. Dickens wrote it without a prepared plan; he just used his creative power, and his double plot device, which is awkward, is an inevitable result. It is like some TV sitcoms or dramas (like "Ally McBeal" or "X-Files") that keep on running for years -- you never know where it is going.

So read it slowly, turn your blind eye to the holes in the plot, and enjoy the characters. One of the most favorite episodes was once the last scene of Little Nell, for whom every Victorian actually shed tears, but you might now feel differently about a series of sentimental sentences. Well, remember it was how they felt at that time. And don't miss one very good thing about the book; it is the budding love between the most unlikely couple in the history of English literature, that of Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness, an abused little girl. That comsenpates for the shortcomings of "Old Curiosity Book," most gargantuan novel coming from Dickens's imaginative power.

There are many editions of the book, and as far as I know, EVERYMAN "PAPERBACK" EDITION provides complete, clear-cut original illustartion. Watching them is another joy you can have.

I love the characters in this book!
I loved this book for its characters, especially Little Nell. In fact, when I think of Dickens and his work, Little Nell is the character that comes to mind. She so embodies everything that he wrote about in all his wonderful books. The plot in this book is a little simpler than some of his plots. It centres around Little Nell and her grandfather's search throughout the roads and fields of England for a home where they can live happily and comfortably. The book has been accused of being "schmaltzy" and perhaps it is, but the ending is actually quite sad. It's a heartwarming book, and I think a good introductory book to Dickens and his works. Read this one, and then try tackling some of the other, more complex ones. That's my advice.

Arrogant to proclaim, but this is truly perfect, pure
...reading delight. Whenever I get depressed or feel like I can't start another book, I re-read some passages of this book written by Charles Dickens. It is one of the best books written in English. Intentionally syrupy and over-sweet, Dickens writes so perfectly as to make the reader wonder how anyone could ever write so gorgeously. If you pass this one up, you're cheating yourself. I couldn't put the book down. It's a rare and special novel that keeps me in bed over the weekend reading from dawn to sleep.