The Old Curiosity Shop

The Old Curiosity Shop is a novel written by Charles Dickens. It was published in installments between 1840 and 1841.

The book tells the story of Nell Trent, a young woman who lives in London with her maternal grandfather in The Old Curiosity Shop. Nell is an orphan and has barely turned fourteen. Although she is very well cared for by her grandfather, and he loves her very much, Nell leads a lonely life with hardly any friends. The only friend of her age is the store clerk named Kit, a young and honest boy.

Nell's grandfather is very concerned about giving Nell a good life and inheritance, so he tries to get rich by gambling. He goes to play cards in secret but all he gets is to go bankrupt and lose all his money. In order to continue playing, he asks for a loan from a very interested lender who, when Grandpa loses the loan money, takes over The Old Curiosity Shop and throws Nell and her grandfather out of it.

Grandpa suffers a nervous breakdown and is left totally without judgment, incapacitated. Nell runs away with him and they go to the English Midlands, where they go begging...