Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit

Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-44) is the last of Dickens' picaresque novels, and to the author's mind, one of his best. After being disinherited by his grandfather--greedy and misanthropic in his old age--young Martin is forced to live by his wits. Along the way, he encounters a villainous architect, seeks his fortune in America and eventually grows to be a man of honor and character. Martin Chuzzlewit features some of Dickens richest creations and fiercest social commentary.

"He would make a lovely corpse." Martin Chuzzlewit is an old rich man with a handful of relatives just waiting for him to die so they can inherit his money. But old Chuzzlewit has no intention of kicking the bucket anytime soon. He’s been raising an orphan girl to take care of him for as long as he lives. And to ensure she’ll do a good job he’s made it clear that she’ll only be cared for while he lives. But one day his grandson comes around and turns his plans upside down. Brilliant, comedic and quite offensive to Americans, it’s no wonder that The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit was Dickens personal favourite of his novels. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

This edition of one of Dickens's earlier novels is based on the accurate Clarendon edition of the text and includes the prefaces to the 1850 and 1867 editions and Dickens's Number Plans.