THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP - CHARLES DICKENS

BOOK REVIEW OF THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP - CHARLES DICKENS

            This book is the story of Nell Trent- a girl who is beautiful and virtuous ‘not quite fourteen’. She had no parents but her maternal grandfather (nana) was her only family. He owned a shop where bizarre incidents took place. This shop was full of odds. Grandpa (name is still a secret) loves Nell dearly but she had no friends. She lived a life of a lonely. Though she never complained, she had no one of her age around her. A boy named Kit who was an employee at the shop was the only friend Nell had. She use to teach Kit to write. Her grandfather didn’t want Nell to die of poverty like her parents and so started gambling of cards and made sure that Nell was away from this fact. For gambling, grandpa took loans from an evil dwarf moneylender named Daniel Quilp. Unfortunately, grandpa loses everything and the evil moneylender seizes their property. Nell and grandpa are forced to move to a new place Midlands (England) and live the life of beggars.

            Nell’s wastrel brother, Frederick, convinces the good man Dick Swiveller that Nell’s grandpa has a huge wealth planned for Nell. He makes a deal with Dick that if he helps Fredrick they can both share the wealth and Dick can marry Nell. These two later encounter with Quilp who dramatically agrees to help them find Nell. Quilp knew they had nothing but wanted to see how miserable he had made them. Nell knew the trouble that could arrive. She took her grandpa off to a secret place where nobody could find her. He knows that Fredrick and Dick are on the wrong track still plays coy. Shifting places and the journey kept costing Nell her health. Meanwhile, Kit who lost his job at the shop due to the sudden turn of events was now employed with Mr. & Mrs. Garland. Here, a single man contacted him. He was the younger brother of Nell’s grandfather (revealed as the story progresses). Kit’s mother and this man start hunting Nell and her grandpa for their good.

            Quilp when comes to know about this all, starts holding grudges towards Kit. He traps Kit in a robbery case and puts him behind the bars. Kit is then sentenced to transportation. Dick finally realizes the evil intentions of Quilp and proves Kit’s innocence. They look for Quilp and find him dead in a try to escape. At the same time, Mr. Garland gets a tip about Nell’s location and Kit and the single man set out to find Nell. When they reach, they find Nell dead and her poor grandpa in a mental trauma. The poor man doesn’t accept her death. The old man sits at her grave every day. He keeps asking her to come back and that he is waiting to meet her. Finally, on one such day, he himself dies at her grave. In search of good life, he loses two lives.  

            This book is all about family love and love of true friends. Life is fickle and few wrong decisions can turn the events upside down. Don’t be blinded by love. Sab Moh Maya Hai…

Reviewer: Dhruti R. Sharma, Roll no. 45

Bibliography: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/inflibnet-ebooks/detail.action?docID=2122422

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