A review by ncteixeira
Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens

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).