A tale of 3,000 adaptations

But even death could not end Dickens's popularity. As time passed, some of his stories - most notably "A Christmas Carol" - became even more popular. And with the advent of the silver screen in the early 20th century, the movie versions of his novels began to roll.

So what makes Dickens's work so popular? His novels have the "essential elements for theater," according to Mr. Taylor: intricately plotted storylines and robust characters. Professor Slater agrees, noting the "wonderful parts for star actors," "funny dialogue," and "good melodramatic plots" that transfer easily to the stage.

Yet adapting Dickens's stories is not easy. His novels contain multiple plotlines and numerous characters, and while this makes for a leisurely read over several weeks, it presents problems when entertaining a captive audience. Very few producers in theater or film have the luxury of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which staged a nine-hour version of "Nicholas Nickleby" in 1981. It was this production which inspired film director Douglas McGrath. Reading the book confirmed his feeling that it would make a great movie - if he could somehow reduce the story to two hours.

Dickens's third novel is more loosely woven than his subsequent ones. The plot follows the fortunes of Nicholas, his sister Kate, their mother, and their villainous Uncle Ralph, with various subplots delving into the stories of a diverse array of characters.

As a screenwriter, Mr. McGrath had to decide what to leave out, a process he describes as "agonizing." "Dickens is a great artist, and I was loath to cut things," he says. Twice as long as Jane Austen's "Emma," which he adapted in 1996, "Nicholas Nickleby" presented McGrath with the challenge of finding the heart of the story. In his view, this boiled down to Nicholas's search to create a new family.

Dickens was a "reform-minded philosopher," McGrath observes, and the novel reflects the author's belief that life is filled with "acts of random cruelty, but also goodness and charity that are as inexplicable as evil."

Slater adds that "Nicholas Nickleby" is the most theatrical of all Dickens's novels. This combination of qualities led the director to choose Vincent Crummles (Nathan Lane), the comic actor-manager who befriends Nicholas, to act as the story's narrator.

McGrath's "Nicholas Nickleby," which was nominated for a Golden Globe last week, is more streamlined than previous adaptations, which include several TV miniseries and a 1947 movie directed by Alberto Cavalcanti.

Of his effort, McGrath says, that "it can't replace the novel, though I hope it can suggest something richer. Of course," he adds, after a pause, "my first hope was to make a great movie."

• The exhibit 'Best of Times: The Theatre of Charles Dickens,' in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, runs through Feb. 15.

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