The Old Curiosity Shop

One of Dickens' most widely recognized characters, Little Nell lives in the shop of the title with her grandfather, its proprietor, who has a weakness for gambling. Hoping to mend his finances, the old man borrows money from Quilp, a quintessentially evil dwarf who is a moneylender and swindler. After losing that money as well, the grandfather flees to the country with Nell in a desperate attempt to escape the clutches of Quilp, who has designs on Nell and believes that the grandfather is secretly a rich miser. Kit Nubbles, errand-boy of the curiosity shop, pursues and tries to help them out of devotion to Nell, in the process earning the wrath of Quilp, who tries, almost successfully, to frame him for theft. The Old Curiosity Shop is a tale rich in pathos and greed. Filled with classic "Dickensian" characters, it is certain to leave a poignant, lasting impression.