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Cover of Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles DickensMartin Chuzzlewit
Classic · Fiction, Classics, Literature

Martin Chuzzlewit

by Charles Dickens
1840 · 829 pages · Fiction
58.0Must-Read
Score Classic
Critics' pick
≈ 21 hours to read · about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Wealthy old Martin Chuzzlewit, made suspicious by his family's greed, leaves his grandson and namesake to make his own way, and young Martin sets off to seek his fortune in America.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's full of vivid Dickens characters, from the scheming Pecksniff to the optimistic Mark Tapley.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's a long classic.

By the numbers

58.0Must-Read Score
  • Readers28 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

Reads as

Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is Martin Chuzzlewit worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,709 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.0 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Martin Chuzzlewit about?

Wealthy old Martin Chuzzlewit, made suspicious by his family's greed, leaves his grandson and namesake to make his own way, and young Martin sets off to seek his fortune in America.

How long does it take to read Martin Chuzzlewit?

About 21 hours (829 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Martin Chuzzlewit?

If you liked it, try Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens or Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.