The Old Curiosity Shop

The Old Curiosity Shop is the mesmerizing and heart-breaking tale about Little Nell, who is orphaned and living with her loving Granddad in the shop. In his attempts to secure Nell's future, Granddad starts gambling. He keeps his nocturnal games a secret, but borrows heavily from the evil Daniel Quilp, a malicious, grotesquely deformed, hunchbacked dwarf moneylender. In the end, he gambles away what little money they have, and Quilp seizes the opportunity to take possession of the shop and evict Nell and her grandfather. Her grandfather suffers a breakdown that leaves him bereft of his wits, and Nell takes him away to the Midlands of England, to live as beggars. The book enjoyed enormous success when it was first published as a serial and has never been out of print since. It is one of the most familiar and well-loved works by Dickens and has been adapted into numerous films, TV-series and plays.