Martin Chuzzlewit

Nov 25, 2025 12:16 PM

Author:Charles Dickens,Patricia Ingham,Patricia Ingham

Martin Chuzzlewit

'Among the most powerful things Dickens ever did in fiction' Guardian

Greed has led wealthy old Martin Chuzzlewit to become suspicious and misanthropic, leaving his grandson and name-sake to make his own way in the world. And so young Martin sets out from the Wiltshire home of his supposed champion, the scheming architect Pecksniff, to seek his fortune in America. In depicting Martin's journey Dickens created many vividly realized figures, from Martin's optimistic manservant Mark Tapley to the drunken and corrupt private nurse Mrs Gamp. With its portrayal of greed, blackmail and murder, and its searing satire on America, Dickens's novel is a powerful and blackly comic story of hypocrisy and redemption.

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Patricia Ingham

Reviews

Miss Brookner's most absorbing novel . . . graceful and attractive

—— New York Times

Her technique as a novelist is so sure and so quietly commanding

—— Hilary Mantel, Guardian

Hotel du Lac is written with a beautiful grave formality, and it catches at the heart

—— Observer

The last great novelist of the 20th century

—— Daily Telegraph

A classic . . . a book which will be read with pleasure a hundred years from now

—— Spectator

A smashing love story. It is very romantic. It is also humorous, witty, touching and formidably clever

—— The Times

She is one of the great writers of contemporary fiction

—— Literary Review

A classic . . . a book which will be read with pleasure a hundred years from now

—— Spectator

A smashing love story. It is very romantic. It is also humorous, witty, touching and formidably clever

—— The Times

Hotel du Lac is written with a beautiful grave formality, and it catches at the heart

—— Observer

She is one of the great writers of contemporary fiction

—— Literary Review

‘[Toni Morrison’s] irreverence was godly’

—— Guardian

A beautiful book and it's beautifully written

—— Kit de Waal , Good Housekeeping UK

My favourite book of all time

—— Sareeta Domingo , Good Housekeeping

Morrison's stunning trilogy is an evocation of black life over the past four centuries. It defies summary. Completed almost 25 years ago, these novels top anything produced by any American writer including Hemingway, Updike and DeLillo

—— Trevor Phillips , Sunday Times

[A] beautiful, haunting novel

—— Stig Abell , Sunday Times

More than one of Morrison's books could be classed as masterpieces, but this one is famous for a reason: everyone should read it

—— Bernice McFadden, author of SUGAR , Guardian

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