Thoughts Whilst Reading Nicholas Nickleby (Chapters XIII – XXX)
Posted 5th December 2014
Category: Thoughts Whilst Reading Genres: N/A
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My thought for this… thought… was to comment up to chapter 26, but as it’s taking me a while to get through the book and I don’t fancy commenting more than ‘necessary’ I thought I’d read on until I couldn’t stand it any more.
This is somewhat the case. Now, at a nice 400 pages in, I’m finding the book incredibly tedious, as I said on Twitter. I loved Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol but this story is too long. As much as it can be called a story when it’s more a series of events slotted together with just a bare purpose running throughout.
Anyway. At half-way through I have a fair few thoughts, perhaps chief amongst them, at least where my posts are concerned, is the speed at which Dickens wraps things up. When I spoke of Squeers and Dotheboys last time, I had no idea that it would be over so soon, and whilst I liked that Nicholas taught Squeers a lesson, I felt somewhat tricked into having read a long filler piece of content. I’m finding that once again as Nicholas leaves Portsmouth.
In regards to Portsmouth, I didn’t like the way Nicholas handled the joke letter, even if it was more serious than the actors were making out. I found his temper a bit too much and whilst it may have made sense where Squeers was concerned (even if it was technically wrong, at least nowadays) the anger and breaking of Lenville’s stick was over-the-top. I’m assuming we’re not supposed to see it as a bad trait, if it’s to be considered a trait at all, but it has cooled me towards him.
I’m enjoying reading about Kate a lot more than her brother, and this I realised before the above event occurred. I like her overall character and whilst she could do with a bit more guts when it comes to telling fellow females her feelings on Mulberry (especially when they are all so cardboard-like and weak!) she is more understandable and I can relate to her historical reasoning, as it were, better. She is certainly more mature.
I am bored by the irrelevant detailing but on their own the characters are fun to read about. I reckon if Dickens had split this tome into what I feel would have made a good few shorter works those characters would have been excellent. I think it’s interesting that Phiz draws Nicholas and Kate differently to everyone else, showing the reader who they ought to be concentrating on, including at the expense of poor Smike who is another owner of the long wrinkly face.
I was surprised to see Dickens spend time setting up the French tutoring of the Kenwigs children and then completely forget it and have Nicholas leave for Portsmouth. Whether or not the subject is returned to later, he has effectively forgotten it as surely Nicholas should’ve made a point of informing the family.
Mrs Nickleby is oblivious I suppose to give Kate more time in the spotlight. She strikes me as a ‘worse’ version of Mrs Bennett in her desire, but she’s fun to read about. I’d like to see Creevy return, would be happy never again to hear from Mantalini or Lillyvick, and expect the arrival in London of Squeers if the little I know about the general idea of Dickens is anything to go by.
I’ve read the IMDB page for the Charlie Hunnan adaptation and so was introduced to Anne Hathaway’s character. I’m looking forward to that and was almost disappointed that it was Petowker who arrived in Portsmouth instead.
I’m going to give this second half a shot. It’s too heavy a book to read much each day (I’m afraid I’d give up due to the invisibility of the end if I read the ebook) but I’m going to keeping reading as long as I can without throwing it across the room.
Is an adaptation the best way to experience the novel? Which would you recommend?
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December 7, 2014, 2:55 am
I haven’t read this Dickens but I’m sorry it’s become such a tedious read for you. I’m not particularly find of the classics, but always found Dickens more readable than most of the “classic authors” – not enough so, though, to want to embark on a reread if any if them! But that might change …