Nicholas Nickleby.

Left penniless by his father's death, a young man of spirit throws himself against the meanness of the world to shield his mother, his sister and a broken boy no one else will defend, and finds that decency, stubbornly held, is a kind of power.

What it's about

When his father dies destitute, Nicholas Nickleby must look to his cold and calculating uncle Ralph for help, and receives only exploitation in return. Sent to teach at Dotheboys Hall, a Yorkshire school run by the monstrous Wackford Squeers, Nicholas witnesses cruelty that drives him to rebel and to rescue the abused, devoted Smike. Charles Dickens then sweeps his hero through a marvellous gallery of scenes, from the ramshackle warmth of the Crummles theatre company to the schemes menacing his sister Kate, all building toward a reckoning with his uncle.

Themes

The novel blazes with indignation at the abuse of the helpless, above all the notorious Yorkshire schools, while championing family loyalty, generosity and honest courage. Dickens balances his outrage with irrepressible comedy and theatrical delight, insisting that kindness, though it may struggle, ultimately deserves and wins its reward.

Why it still matters

Dickens's exposure of the Yorkshire schools helped drive them out of existence, a rare case of a novel changing the world it described. The book endures for that moral force and for its sheer exuberance, its villains and eccentrics as unforgettable as its warm-hearted hero.

Who it's for

Readers who want Dickens at his most energetic and big-hearted, blending social conscience with rollicking entertainment. A great choice for those who love a hero worth cheering and a cast that spills off the page.