The Old Curiosity Shop

Charles Dickens originally conceived of the characters of Little Nell and her grandfather for a tale of only a few chapters. But when his new weekly periodical failed to sell well due to its lack of ongoing storyline, he wound up extending those few chapters into a sprawling narrative that ultimately took ten months to complete. Despite the intense pressure of ongoing weekly deadlines, the final story became his second-most-popular novel during his lifetime.

Dickens is famous for his ability to sketch memorable characters, and The Old Curiosity Shop in particular is brimming with quirky figures across the social strata of Victorian England. Kit Nubbles, Richard Swiveller, Mrs. Jarley, Sally Brass, and of course the endlessly cruel Quilp all play their part in the story of Little Nell and her grandfather.

This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.