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Nicholas Nickleby

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
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  • Summary

  • When 19-year old Nicholas Nickleby is left destitute after his father's death, he appeals to his wealthy uncle to help him find work and to protect his mother and sister. But Ralph Nickleby offers little help and proves to be both hard-hearted and unscrupulous, leaving Nicholas to make his own way in the world.

    Nicholas' adventures take him to Yorkshire boarding school, Dotheboys Hall, and then back to London, meeting an extraordinary gallery of rogues and eccentrics along the way. Like many of Dickens' novels, Nicholas Nickleby is characterised by his outrage at cruelty and social injustice, but it is also a flamboyantly exuberant work, revealing his comic genius.

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    Public Domain (P)2018 Audible, Ltd
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Episodes
  • Part 1

    Part 1
    Sep 24 2018

    Nearly nineteen-year-old Nicholas Nickleby suffers a change in fortunes when his father dies, leaving him, his sister Kate and his mother in financial need. They approach their distant uncle, the businessman Ralph Nickleby, for aid. After much consideration, and not before making enquiries through the family’s acquaintance Miss La Creevy, Ralph begrudgingly agrees to help them. He suggests that Nicholas should take a job as assistant schoolmaster at Dotheboys Hall, a school in Yorkshire run by one-eyed Mr Squeers.

    Nicholas agrees on the condition that his mother and sister are cared for. The next day Ralph arranges a meeting with Squeers, who has come to London to collect pupils, and successfully persuades the schoolmaster to take Nicholas on. After departing from his uncle, Nicholas meets Newman Noggs, Ralph’s curious assistant. When Nicholas happily explains about his new position and change in fortune, Noggs reacts peculiarly but offers no explanation.
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    1 hr and 45 mins
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  • Part 2

    Part 2
    Sep 24 2018

    Nicholas prepares to leave for Yorkshire and asks little Miss La Creevy to care for his mother and sister. With some misgivings, Nicholas goes to meet Squeers and begins to question his treatment of the schoolboys. As they begin to depart, Ralph, accompanied by Kate and Mrs Nickleby, come to say goodbye. As Nicholas bids them farewell, Newman Noggs appears and quietly passes him a mysterious letter. And so, Nicholas, Squeers and the boys begin their coach journey to the north accompanied by a range of other passengers.

    Following an unexpected accident, the passengers move to the nearby public house and entertain one another with stories. Later, Nicholas sees Dotheboys Hall for the first time and is introduced to the hard-nosed Mrs Squeers. He despairs at his new position but is determined to continue for the welfare of his mother and sister. He remembers the mysterious letter and reads it.
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    1 hr and 55 mins
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  • Part 3

    Part 3
    Sep 24 2018

    Nicholas begins his job as assistant schoolmaster at Dotheboys Hall and sees the poor conditions of the pupils and their education. He tries to remain hopeful but becomes increasingly aware that his uncle Ralph has deceived him and begins to worry about his family. Nicholas befriends a bedraggled, disabled boy called Smike who was left with Squeers as a child. Meanwhile, Mrs Squeers and her daughter Fanny discuss Nicholas, and Fanny after meeting him, begins to grow affectionate towards him.

    Nicholas joins Fanny, her friend Tilda and John, Tilda’s fiancé, for a game of cards and unwittingly offends everyone around the table. Back in London, Ralph finds Kate a position at the dress shop of the extravagant Mr and Madame Mantalini and agrees to provide Kate and Mrs Nickleby with new lodgings.
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    1 hr and 46 mins
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What listeners say about Nicholas Nickleby

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Profile Image for Anna Bale

Exceptional narration, first class!

This is a wonderful throwback to times past with a truly intoxicating use of the English language. There is a full range of exciting characters - some truly despicable - which are beautifully drawn and embellished with a rich and varied dialogue. The narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is all the more exceptional for this as the many dialects, accents and colloquialisms must pose a challenge for any narrator. KBH is now up there with my favourite narrator to date, Stephen Fry - level pegging, even!
Life in early 19th century London and rural England is vividly brought to life and while the plot is engaging but there are some very convenient coincidences throughout which are slightly irritating. Also, as with most of these classic novels, once one has temporally cast aside all feminist and social injustice sensibilities, this is a hugely enjoyable listen.

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Profile Image for ARF

Fantastic

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's characterisation is brilliant. The story is of course brilliant too, but I have always found it difficult to stay the course reading a long Dickens story. This audio version makes it difficult to switch off. I've never enjoyed being in a traffic jam so much.

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Loved it!

Beautifully read and a great story. I can't bring myself to actually read Dickens but listening to it is quite amazing. This is a grest example of how to learn how great Dickens stories are.

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Profile Image for Amazon Customer

Stunning performance by Kobna Holdbrook Smith

Kobna Holdbrook Smith has to be the most talented narrator I have heard to date. Utterly captivating. Nicholas Nickelby can be quite a long and laborious read (it's a Life And Times account, after all) but KHS does an amazing job, tackling it superbly, interpreting every scene wonderfully and so eloquently voicing all of his different characters. The story is heartwarming in a way that only Charles Dickens could convey, but when it gets a little long-winded, you can rely on such inspired narration to retain your interests. Recommended.

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Profile Image for James H. Thompson

wonderful collection

Took me back to my childhood to when I stayed up late on a Saturday night and listened to the radio,

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Profile Image for Alexis Papandreou

Thoroughly enjoyed!

I loved it. Marvellous classic, wonderfully read. The narrator esp brought the characters to life for me.

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brilliant narration brings this book to life

I know that I would never have read this book. But listening to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's brilliant narration is quite another matter, and dividing the story into 19 episodes or podcasts worked so well. I didn't know Dickens could be funny, but he really is. The occasional implausible aspects of the story are more than made up for by the rich array of characters and scenes which really take you into the social world of 1838, which is when the book first appeared. On the one hand the world has changed such a lot since then. On the other hand, it has changed so very little. Thoroughly recommended.

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Profile Image for Mike

Stunningly Narrated

This is my first foray into Dickens and it is superb. The story is excellent and brought to life brilliantly by Kobna Holbrook-Smith who gives each character such life and individual personality you forget there is but a single narrator.
I would have happily paid for this so having it for free is a real treat.

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Excellent Performance

What a super performance from Kobna Holdbrook-Smith - his reading made this an absolute pleasure to listen to.

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Excellent story, nice narration

A really nice narration of an old classic. Certainly nice to revisit this excellent book.

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