The Old Curiosity Shop

New critical introduction, outlining the novel's publishing history, and discussing its reception, the character of Little Nell, Dickens's style, and the illustrations

The tale of Little Nell gripped the nation when it first appeared in 1841. Described as a \"tragedy of sorrows\", the story tells of Nell uprooted from a secure and innocent childhood and cast into a world where evil takes many shapes, the most fascinating of which is the stunted, lecherous Quilp. Blending realism with non-realistic genres such as fairy-tale, allegory, and pastoral, the tale of Nell's tragedy contains some of Dickens most memorable comic and grotesque creations, including the dwarf Daniel Quilp, Dick Swiveller and Kit Nubbles.