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Part 1

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Part 1

By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
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About this listen

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.

Public Domain (P)2018 Audible, Ltd Classics
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This was hard going for me. It was well read but I just couldn’t stay awake long enough to stay the course

Struggled to stay awake

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Wish i could give 11 starts for the performance. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith brings the story to life with his joyful voices and energetic narration. First rate. Will seek more from him

Best performance ever

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Really enjoyed this despite knowing the plot! Loved Kobna Holdbrook-Smiths various voices & rendition of the story. More Dickens please, kept me entertained for hours.

Enthralling & excellently read

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This story is pure classic. Funny, endearing and poignant. The reader was profoundly integral in my enjoyment of this book. His nuance, clarity and vocalisations were so perfect that I enjoyed it more than the movie. If you have the time to listen to this I would encourage it wholeheartedly. It is memorable as not only is the story so very good, but also the performance enhanced the telling of it. I do wish I could give it more stars it was so very good.

Simply a work of art

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I am not a Charles Dickens fan but was interested to listen to this as I had never heard the story absolutely brilliant the narration was perfect the characters were funny I didn’t realise just how much a comic Charles Dickens was totally enjoyed it was quite sad when it ended

Brilliant book

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