The Old Curiosity Shop

Certainly not one of Dickens's better works. The characters are very one dimensional and the plot is pretty dire. I wouldn't recommend it. ( )

One of the most tedious books I have ever had the misfortune to read ( )

A not very distinguished early novel by this author but a promising future beckons if he can get hold of his sentence structure and ensure that his sentences are shorter than his paragraphs....

When Little Nell's grandfather drives himself into gambling debt (in hopes of raising money for Nell's future), they must take to the streets to escape the malicious designs of more than one nasty character. Nell's grandfather increasingly becomes a doddering old fool, and Nell is left to her own devices in finding refuge from the cold, the hunger, and the devious people-of-the-streets. Unbeknownst to them, their good friend (and former servant) Kit is desperately looking for them - praying for their safety and not knowing why they have left. I think this is my least favorite Dickens book so far. Generally, I am able to get involved in the complex narrative and the variety of character in a Dickens novel, but kit was the only character I really cared much about. Nell and her grandfather were so melodramatically pathetic that, although I felt sorry for their situation, I couldn't get myself to really care about the outcome. Perhaps this was just timing - maybe I'd have liked the book better in another mood. But I can't say I'll ever try reading it again to find out. Not a bad book - but Dickens can do better. ( )

Warning: the ending of this book is generally well known, but if you don't know it and are spoiler-shy...well. I'm about to get ending happy.

My overall feelings regarding this book can be summed up best by Oscar Wilde: "One would have to have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without dissolving into tears...of laughter."

Honestly, the characters are so one-note and unbelievable that it's hard to get through this without rolling your eyes. Several times. Per page. Little Nell is GOODNESS and VIRTUE and BEAUTY- so much so that most of the grown men in the book try to marry her at some point, even though she's only 14. Nell has an Enemy in the form of an ugly dwarf named Quilp, who is SCHEMING and GREEDY and MEAN. Nell has a nice friend named Kit who is LOYALTY and FIDELITY and HONESTY. These aren't characters, they are caricatures. I know Dickens writes some very symbolic characters in his other books, and his evil dudes are Way Evil and always get their commeupance, but this is ridiculous. They're so simple and predictable that the book isn't interesting.

I've read that the general public waited with their breath held for the final installment of this tale, to discover if Nell lived or died. I did not hold my breath- I wanted ole Charlie to get on with it and BURY they bloody annoying girl, for God's sake.

Look, I'm all for a suspenseful, good versus evil tale wherein good wins. Yay, good! Go, good! But this book is flat. The big bad guy chases after and torments the good characters for no apparent reason. Dickens wraps up any possible loose ends so perfectly that its maddening. He even wraps up ends for characters introduced 400 pages previously and never mentioned again. It is LE SIMPLISTIC.

Anywoot, skip this. Go read one of Charlie's more fleshed out, thoughtful, interesting books. Bleak House, or A Tale of Two Cities. But don't bother with the curiosity shop. There's nothing curious about it.

One star out of your mom. ( )