Nicholas Nickleby

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 31 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The most gorgeously theatrical of all Dickens's novels, Nicholas Nickleby follows the delightful adventures of a hearty young hero in 19th-century England. Nicholas, a gentleman's son fallen upon hard times, must set out to make his way in the world. His journey is accompanied by some of the most swaggering scoundrels and unforgettable eccentrics in Dickens's pantheon.

From the dungeon-like Yorkshire boys' boarding school run by the cruel Wackford Squeers to the high-spirited stage of Vincent Crummles' extraordinary acting troupe, Nicholas Nickleby is a triumph of the imagination, bursting with color, humor, and poignant social commentary.

Not a little Dickens: peruse our full list of Charles Dickens titles.

(P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Best adaptation of this novel ever.

What made the experience of listening to Nicholas Nickleby the most enjoyable?

First, this is a rich and compelling story about struggle and the ultimate power of love. This is Dickens at his finest.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters are very well drawn and superbly performed.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

The good: Nicolas
The bad: Ralf

Charles Dickens read read by Simon Vance?

The best read by the best. Enough said. Although apparently a review must have 20 words.

Witty and interesting. Mr Vance is most excellent.

Have of late begun working my way through Dickens. Am reading Tale of Two Cities. Then had some travel decided to listen to Mr Vance’s rendition of NN.

The story is witty and interesting, with many twists and turns. Very entertaining.

Mr Vance does a wonderful job, narrating with a great English voice. Mr Vance adds different voices and dramatization of individual characters, which adds so much to the experience. Very grateful for this wonderful reading.

Yup, a delight

Robert is right-on. Sheer delight. The reader makes this wonderful book even more alive than on the page. If you like early Dickens, this audiobook is a must.

Classic Dickens

May be not as well constructed as David Copperfield, which I listened to before, but very enjoyable even so and the reading first class.

A story of hope.

Having read or listened to several Dickens novel, I realize just how much his words speak to our times. Greed, avarice, injustice still prevail. But in this novel it does not sour the good characters. And so it should be with us.

One of my fav of Dickens

Quintessential Dickens. There are several recordings of this work. If you choose this one, Simon Vance's reading won't disappoint. If I could give him 10 stars, I would.

Enjoyed every minute

Where does Nicholas Nickleby rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks up at the top. I really enjoyed the characters and the story.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the end. I was so surprised I had to stop and rewind and make sure I heard correctly.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have heard Simon Vance before and once again he was very good. One character was hard to understand but it could have been me. I learned to pay close attention when this character came up.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending where everything was revealed, I sat surprised, a little sad for the uncle. I was left wondering, as he did, if he would have been a different person had he known the truth. Would he have made different choices and been a better man? Or would he have continued down the path he chose, no matter?

Another dickens classic

A classic cast of Dickensian characters, and a feel good story with a few great plot twists. Brilliant writing, as always.

Outstanding Entertainment - Great Story & Narrator

Both the book and the narration are outstanding. The narrator is a one man theatre company, absolutely brilliant. The book itself is a mesmerizing tapestry of gripping and satisfying stories from start to finish. It's riotously funny too - I found myself roaring with laughter over and over again throughout.

Of course I've seen film and TV dramatisations of Dickens' works before, but I'd struggled with actually reading his books and put them down quite quickly. After this I am a convert.30+ hours of the real thing is so much better than the screen.

I never realised how much modern British comedy and drama is influenced by him. You can recognise his style in most of the comedy greats of the last 40 years.

Despite his often flowery Victorian language, his insights into human behavior are spot on. For some reason I find it amazing that people were much the same, and played the same little games 175 years ago as they do today.

Definitely one of the best audio books I've ever bought and I've been a member of Audible for nearly 10 years now.