Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. When Oscar Wilde said you’d have to have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing one wonders whether he was really thinking of Hocking. It's also funny in hindsight to have not one but two agonizing deathbed scenes for the same person, although it was surprisingly effective the second time around.

The language, vocabulary and grammar misuse put me occasionally is a state of apoplexy and nearly to tears. In the winter those streets and courts are kept comparatively clean by the heavy rains; but in the summer the air fairly reeks with the stench of decayed fish, rotting vegetables and every other conceivable kind of filth. The language was a little hard to follow at times but was to be expected given the era it was written in.

Cuffs and kicks they reckon upon every day of their lives; and in this they are rarely disappointed, and a lad who by dodging or cunning can escape this daily discipline is looked upon by the others as ” ‘mazin’ cute. His pathetic little sister is already close to heaven, having pink spots on her cheeks and a constant cough. In 1993 the novel was also adapted into a successful stage musical by Anne Dalton, [4] with a 25th anniversary revival in 2018.

Nelly has a weak constitution and Benny considers a life of crime as a means to alleviate their suffering. Lawrence, and marriage with Eva, who gave him the shilling in his greatest hour of need, which he kept and never dared spend. If you are able to ignore the moralistic and didactic overtones of each chapter, the narrative is an important tale of the conditions on the streets of Liverpool when there was no Government safety net, healthcare, sanitation or empathy for the disadvantaged . It is written alot in northern dialect, which some people may struggle with, other than that it's a beautifully written story, one that the author tells us contains more truth than fiction, which just breaks my heart all over again.Benny Bates and his sister, Nell, were allegedly based on real children he encountered during his ministry in Liverpool.

Didactic in intent, yet sympathetic in tone, his 'rags to riches' tale was well calculated to appeal to a contemporary audience. It became hugely successful, was translated into many languages, [3] and sold over a million copies in the author's lifetime.Benny has saved his 'angel's' life; now she reveals that she and her father have long known that he was innocent of the theft. Benny is given several chances to improve himself and even when he and Nell are down on their luck he always steers away from stealing and any thing dishonest.