Nicholas Nickleby (also published as The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby) is one of Charles Dickens’s major Victorian novels. It follows young Nicholas after the death of his father leaves him responsible for his mother and sister. Seeking help from his wealthy uncle Ralph, Nicholas instead encounters exploitation, cruelty and betrayal.

The novel combines social criticism with Dickens’s characteristic humour and memorable characters. Nicholas’s experiences at the cruel Dotheboys Hall school, his friendship with the abused Smike, and his encounters with the eccentric Crummles theatre company form the central parts of his journey toward independence and a better life.