Not Another Nicholas Nickelby
April 25, 2011 8:29 PM Subscribe
What are some characters named Nicholas in well known, or hopefully famous, works of literature?
I'm working on a short story in which there is a character named Nicholas. Because of the way the work is framed (there are references to Petrarch's Laura and Dante's Beatrice amongst others), I'm looking for examples of characters named Nicholas in hopefully well known or classic literature to which I can draw a parallel.
I would be grateful if you could provide the title, author, and perhaps a brief description of the character (unless it's something seriously famous like Nicholas Nickelby).
I'm working on a short story in which there is a character named Nicholas. Because of the way the work is framed (there are references to Petrarch's Laura and Dante's Beatrice amongst others), I'm looking for examples of characters named Nicholas in hopefully well known or classic literature to which I can draw a parallel.
I would be grateful if you could provide the title, author, and perhaps a brief description of the character (unless it's something seriously famous like Nicholas Nickelby).
Nick Carr, sleazeball music manager from Elmore Leonard's Be Cool
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 9:00 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 9:00 PM on April 25, 2011
Nick Carter was a reasonably famous pulp detective in his time who later got upgraded to a sort of poor man's James Bond.
posted by joannemullen at 9:33 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by joannemullen at 9:33 PM on April 25, 2011
Jolly Old Saint
posted by amtho at 9:33 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 9:33 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nick Charles from The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett.
posted by millions of peaches at 9:44 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by millions of peaches at 9:44 PM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nicholas Flamel the alchemist in Harry Potter and several other works.
posted by sninctown at 9:45 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by sninctown at 9:45 PM on April 25, 2011
There is the Nicholas of Dorothy Dunnett's crazy-engrossing and too-long series. I don't know how to sum him up, exactly. Brilliant; loves children; kind of foolish-looking in his youth but he grows into his face and body; a great lover, craftsman, and trader.
Not the kind of thing you could look over quickly for the purposes of a short story, but if you were interested, here is where you would start.
posted by torticat at 10:03 PM on April 25, 2011
Not the kind of thing you could look over quickly for the purposes of a short story, but if you were interested, here is where you would start.
posted by torticat at 10:03 PM on April 25, 2011
Sgt. Nicholas Angel of the Metropolitan Police (on secondment to the village of Sandford) (ok, not classic literature, but still...)
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 10:05 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 10:05 PM on April 25, 2011
Best answer: "Answer as I call you. Nick Bottom the Weaver?"
"The children were to be driven, as a special treat, to the sands at Jagborough. Nicholas was not to be of the party; he was in disgrace."
posted by the latin mouse at 11:05 PM on April 25, 2011
"The children were to be driven, as a special treat, to the sands at Jagborough. Nicholas was not to be of the party; he was in disgrace."
posted by the latin mouse at 11:05 PM on April 25, 2011
Best answer: Little Nicholas, the best know seven year old schoolboy in Europe.
posted by ijsbrand at 1:39 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by ijsbrand at 1:39 AM on April 26, 2011
Best answer: Nicholas Jenkins is the narrator of Anthony Powell's twelve-volume A Dance to the Music of Time.
posted by wdenton at 6:42 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by wdenton at 6:42 AM on April 26, 2011
Best answer: In English, "Old Nick" is one of the nicknames for the Devil.
Nick Adams, from Hemingway.
posted by magstheaxe at 11:33 AM on April 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nick Adams, from Hemingway.
posted by magstheaxe at 11:33 AM on April 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nicholas Nickleby, by Charles Dickens
There's a Nicholas in "The Miller's Tale" by Chaucer.
posted by loquat at 8:16 PM on April 26, 2011
There's a Nicholas in "The Miller's Tale" by Chaucer.
posted by loquat at 8:16 PM on April 26, 2011
« Older Who can I hire in Portland to convert an analog... | Please help me be happy in Kalispell. Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thomas j wise at 8:32 PM on April 25, 2011