The Old Curiosity Shop (Wordsworth Classics)

A very odd book, written early in Dickens' career. It was a serial in a periodical he was editing, and it just grew to be a book. The book is written, for the most part, in a kind of jokey, sarcastic way that makes fun of most of the characters, especially the bad guys. Sort of like Nickleby without the sunny disposish. The bad guys are pursuing Nell and her grandfather because they think he has money (though deep-down they know he does not). So, Nell and her grandfather go on the road, trying to escape. They meet various interesting characters (some manifest Dickens' affection for theatrical performance and show people), and, meanwhile, Nell endures heartache, betrayal and terrible physical deprivation. She is purified by suffering and thus becomes a saint-like figure, ethereal and not of this earth. And she dies. Some bad guys are punished. And almost everyone else lives happily ever-after. End of story. Not first-class Dickens, but some good writing and some good characters.

Probably my favorite Dickens book so far, ahead of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Bleak House. For me this book read the quickest out of the previously mentioned books I've read by Dickens. Wordsworth is great as always. There's a nice black and white illustration on avg every 7ish pages or so.

Darling saintly Little Nell and her grandfather are forced into homelessness when they lose their home. So he leaves his all night job to go on a journey with her to find other opportunities, a journey from seeming security to insecurity. It seemed strange to me that he left her alone all night in a house by herself. She is far too young for that in my opinion. But this is a story about journey and desperation at times: a journey from security to insecurity. It is Little Nell that finds an opportunity that presents itself. She just fell into this job and it is paying their expenses. Unfortunately, her grandfather is cursed with an addiction to gambling and hoodwinked shall we say by crooks. How treacherous a gambling habit can be, that you tell your granddaughter she must give one all of her earnings to support a gambling habit. Villains have designs on her grandfather. He naively is destroying their security with his addiction. She quits her job and she persuades her grandfather to move on before people from hell can complete their plan for her grandfather to actually rob her employer. So she quits her job and persuades her grandfather to move on. Then the book takes another turn, Nell becomes tragically ill. The most wicked character of all, a lawyer and money lender, Quilp contrives a plan to convict an innocent young man of a crime he did not commit: probably the most heinous of any of Dickens' characters, receives his just desserts. Fortunately, almost all the other characters somehow find happiness. But not beloved Little Nell.Dickens can be a challenge at times. But I guarantee you that you will enjoy the last fifty pages of the Olde Curiosity Shoppe: somewhat like Tale of Two Cities, a tale that takes us 400 pages to the last glorious twenty pages.

Item was in great condition. As for the content; who doesn't love Dickens? Can't go wrong with this book.

Mom is loving it!!

Great addition to collection of classics

It is a typical Charles Dickens novel.In very good shape! No torn or dog eared pages.

Will always be one of my favorites!

The Old Curiosity Shop – 1840I can hardly say I have a favourite Dickens novel and that goes for his abundance of characters too. However, I have to admit to a rather quirkish fondness for Daniel Quilp of "The Old Curiosity Shop" typified by his alias in the present world of politics, namely Boris Johnson.I have never consciously attempted to emulate the great author in my own fictional writing (some fifteen full-scale novels and over three-hundred short stories) but, as was the case with Dickens, one cannot fail to pick up on the absurdity of life: life is about posturing – hence my conundrum: "You'd have to be mad to want to be sane in a mad world".(c.f. Dickens from David Copperfield chapter XIV: Mr Dick to the young Copperfield "It's a mad world, mad as bedlam, boy!"

The 4th book in my Dickens challenge finished!The Old Curiosity Shop - I laboured a little bit with this read, although I enjoyed it, I found I had to take a break from time to time.SPOILERS AHEADThings I wasn't keen on:The beginning of the book involves the Old Curiosity Shop but the shop itself has no real importance in the rest of the story. It serves as a connection point for many of the main characters but there is not much relevance to later events.Although Nell was a lovable and endearing character I found her and her Grandfather’s story a bit meandering. They have no concrete aim in running away and poor Nell suffers so much but doesn’t get to enjoy any lengthy respite when they finally settle. I would have liked her patience and strength to have had some more earthly and tangible reward.Things I loved:I loved to hate Quilp! He was such a dark and sinister character, purely motivated by revenge and schadenfreude. He stirred strong emotions in me - surely a sign of great writing.I loved Kit and his family and his relationship with the Garlands. He somehow managed to be honest and wholesome without becoming too righteous or unsympathetic. He was the star of the show for me!Sampson and Sally Brass and Dick Swiveller were also entertaining. Sally’s character was a bit of an enigma and the prevailing mystery of her relationship with Quilp and the Marchioness was a clever touch.As usual, Dickens’ characters were wonderful - the folk Nell and her Grandfather met along the way were a great mix of comic, ill-intentioned or kind hearted. The portrayal of the countryside provided an interesting contrast with more heavily industrialised areas through which they travel and the different types of poverty and hardship witnessed in these different environments.ImpressionsI loved the London characters and if I sometimes felt Nell and her Grandfather become less interesting, characters such as Kit, Quilp or Dick Swiveller always drew me back in.There was a strong moral of honesty and fortitude being rewarded. I did enjoy this book but perhaps not quite as much as the other Dickens I’ve read so far.

We find here the somewhat familiar style of Charles Dickens - a fairy tale like narrative with plenty of melodrama and romance. I cannot help feeling that this material is a reflection of a very different social climate and is quite hard to relate to in our own present time. The characters appear always exaggerated, (wicked or virtuous), and so there is always an element of fantasy. Again, this was probably well received by a Victorian audience and Dickens does portray aspects of life which might otherwise go unnoticed like the iron works and their associated filth in the North. But for me there is too little substance of interest in this novel. It would seem that Dickens wrote with serialisation at the front of his mind rather than the novel form. Maybe for this reason there is a rather disjointed quality in this work. Any coherence in the narrative is countered by jumping around from one place or episode to another in a sometimes quite random manner. Of course this can be an effective literary tool but again here it becomes confusing and unconvincing. Reading through the introduction I was reassured to find that I am not the only one of this opinion.

Great book, terrific edition and copy in good condition. Dickens is amazing. It's great to be able to purchase classic works of literature like this online, in readable condition and quality editions with introductions, at a highly competitive price, as the few remaining high street book outlets turn into coffee-shops and tatt-stores full of 4th-rate 'celebrity' autobiographies, soft-porn novels (7m Shades of Grey or some such rubbish) and cook-books.

The writing is so small, can’t see it even with my glasses on!