The novelist with the dramatic genius. The Time The owner of the curiosity shop, the old Trent, disappears daily around midnight and only returns at dawn. Why does he leave little Nell alone in the eerie surroundings of old armor, rusty weapons, porcelain grimaces, and other dusty objects? What do the ugly gnome Quilp and the ruthless Frederick Trent want from him? Like figures from a panorama, a multitude of strange and quirky, malicious and lovable characters pass before us, all intertwined with the fate of brave Nell and her helpless grandfather. This fate drives the two to flee from unscrupulous greed and treacherous intrigue out of the curiosity shop and sends them on a difficult journey aimlessly through town and country. In the end, they leave.