I was very disappointed.
Mind you, I didn't like the book very much either - the ending is so pointless. But the book did have a lot of charming elements. The best of these was the relationship that developed between Dick Swiveller (excellently portrayed by Geoff Breton in the tiny remnant of his role) and the "Marchioness" (played by Charlene McKenna). In the book, (if I recall correctly after 35+ years) Dick Swiveller falls ill and the Marchioness finds him in his lodging and nurses him back to health. They are able to save young Kit Nubbles from transportation to penal servitude in Australia at the last possible moment. None of that here.
Also charming was the interlude with Mrs. Jarley (here played excellently by Zoë Wanamaker), again cut to the bone. I found it impossible to care about Nell and her grandfather in either medium - the grandfather is too irresponsible and self-absorbed and Nell is too insipid.
*******SPOILERS FOLLOW********
Hard to imagine all those respectable Victorians grieving for her. I'm (almost) with Oscar Wilde on this one - "One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing." (OK, I shed a tear.) I find the malice of Quilp and the whole chase almost entirely unmotivated, although I agree that Toby Jones did a great job with him.
I don't get all the stuff about spoilers - I mean the book has been out for nearly 170 years - there's no secret here!!
Mind you, I didn't like the book very much either - the ending is so pointless. But the book did have a lot of charming elements. The best of these was the relationship that developed between Dick Swiveller (excellently portrayed by Geoff Breton in the tiny remnant of his role) and the "Marchioness" (played by Charlene McKenna). In the book, (if I recall correctly after 35+ years) Dick Swiveller falls ill and the Marchioness finds him in his lodging and nurses him back to health. They are able to save young Kit Nubbles from transportation to penal servitude in Australia at the last possible moment. None of that here.
Also charming was the interlude with Mrs. Jarley (here played excellently by Zoë Wanamaker), again cut to the bone. I found it impossible to care about Nell and her grandfather in either medium - the grandfather is too irresponsible and self-absorbed and Nell is too insipid.
*******SPOILERS FOLLOW********
Hard to imagine all those respectable Victorians grieving for her. I'm (almost) with Oscar Wilde on this one - "One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing." (OK, I shed a tear.) I find the malice of Quilp and the whole chase almost entirely unmotivated, although I agree that Toby Jones did a great job with him.
I don't get all the stuff about spoilers - I mean the book has been out for nearly 170 years - there's no secret here!!