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shareen17's review against another edition
2.0
It took me nine months to finish this book, which tells a little something about how gripping I found it. Despite some vivid description and quirky characters, this is my least favorite Dickens book. The humor, satire, and Important Messages are all so heavy-handed. And if I were his editor, I could easily cut at least 300 pages out of this novel. Sacrilege, I know.
nadaoq's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
cat_queen005's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
ncteixeira's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Martin Chuzzlewit, (aka The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit), by Charles Dickens
5 brilliant stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recently I spent 6 hours watching the 1994 BBC adaptation for the TV, with terrific performances by Tom Wilkinson and Paul Scofield. It was so good that it inspired me to read the book. David Lodge, who wrote the screenplay, did a magnificent job.
It’s hard to believe that this book was a flop, when released.
I absolutely loved it! I did not have a moment of boredom.
It was published as a monthly serial between January 1843 and July 1844, so it’s totally acceptable to read it in small doses and savour those moments.
Yes, it’s very wordy and it seems plotless, but the writing and the storytelling are delightful and the characters are unforgettable!
The story is about greed and moral, dishonesty and change of heart. As the blurb says, it’s a brilliant study in selfishness and hypocrisy.
It’s simply brilliant and I was completely entertained, so I cannot rate it less than 5stars.
Paperback (Penguin Classics - edited with an introduction by P. N. Burbank): 942 pages, 54 chapters - includes original illustrations by Hablot K. Browne (and yes, I own a copy of this edition but switched to the ebook noted below while using the public transportation or walking - back to the paperback when I was in the comfort of my home)
ebook (Kobo) Delphi Classics: 1255 pages (default), 341K words - this ebook contains all original illustrations (and I paid $1.29 for it)
The audiobook narrated by Derek Jacobi, from Audible, is terrific and a great accompaniment to the book (I listened as I read the physical book). The reading is faithful to the written book, word by word (excluding the notes, appendix and the sorts).
jlewis's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As with so many Dickens, I felt this got off to a slow start, especially some of the scenes in America. But there is a great cast of characters.
knittyreader's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book even more than I expected to. :-D
geordie_jumpers's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
soniapage's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite Dickens book because of the extreme wordiness. There are pages and pages of stuff that can be skimmed over (which I did) for the sake of getting through to the real story. It all moves painfully slowly. Not very flattering of the Americans either.
allie_hilleson's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of Dickens lesser known works and it is one of my favorites. The story deals mostly with selfishness and greed and how it can effect those around you. It leads to bad things such as estrangement, murder, and suicide. It also shows how certain circumstances and people can teach and grow you.
As with most of Dickens works he does use some gritty issues from the time to convey his story but nothing terrible.
It was written not after his first visit to America which was not long before the Civil War so he does have some... interesting perceptions of Americans that come out in a portion of the book. In the postscript, however, he tells that he visited America again under much more favorable circumstances and no longer felt the way he did when writing the book.
As with most of Dickens works he does use some gritty issues from the time to convey his story but nothing terrible.
It was written not after his first visit to America which was not long before the Civil War so he does have some... interesting perceptions of Americans that come out in a portion of the book. In the postscript, however, he tells that he visited America again under much more favorable circumstances and no longer felt the way he did when writing the book.