Nicholas Nickleby is left penniless by his father's death and becomes a champion for the weak and ill-treated.

Nicholas Nickleby is at once a moving and funny novel following the fortunes and misfortunes of an impetuous and high-spirited hero. Left penniless by his father's death, and protector of his sister Kate, Nicholas Nickleby becomes a true champion of the weak. Always equal to the wild adventures thrust upon him, young Nicholas has to constantly pit himself against Ralph, his devious and unscrupulous uncle, in order to survive. Music extracts from Mozart's 'Clarinet Quartet in E Flat'.