The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

After his father's death, young Nicholas Nickleby is left to support his mother and sister Kate. His selfish uncle Ralph sends him to teach at Dotheboys Hall, a brutal Yorkshire school, where he meets the mistreated Smike. Nicholas then travels with a theatrical company and later seeks fairer fortune in London. The novel mixes comedy and melodrama and attacks cruel schools and heartless money-making, while giving a lively cast of eccentrics.