The Old Curiosity Shop (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Dickens
- First Published: 1840
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: Early nineteenth century
- Genres: Long fiction, Sensation novel
- Subjects: Traveling or travelers, Gambling, Nineteenth century, Emotions, England or English people, Good and evil, Money, Dwarfs, Debtors or creditors
- Locales: London, England
Places Discussed
Old Curiosity Shop. Curio shop in an unspecified part of London that is owned by Nell’s grandfather when the novel opens. The old man’s only source of livelihood, the shop provides a meager income that the grandfather tries to supplement with careless gambling ventures. When his gambling losses leave him in debt, he loses the shop to the avaricious dwarf Quilp. After Quilp dies at the end of the novel, the shop is destroyed to make way for a new building.
Dickens originally intended to make this novel a story about a lovely child surrounded by...
[The entire page is 917 words long]
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