During my senior year of high school, each student was assigned a different literary classic to read and write a 10-page term paper about. I was given Martin Chuzzlewit, and I very much enjoyed it.
What really made the novel enjoyable for me were all the different characters who come together to make up the story. There were characters you couldn't help but love, such as the incredibly selfless, innocent, and naive Tom Pinch. (Actually, I loved Tom so much my entire term paper focused on his character - and the way that each and every other character in the story can be judged based solely on their treatment of him.)
There were also characters you really and truly hated, like Mr. Pecksniff... throughout the book I was always hoping that someone would get fed up with his hypocrisy and beat him over the head with something hard.
There were also characters with very dark and intriguing stories, like Jonas Chuzzlewit. As the epitome of selfishness, he does whatever he feels necessary to get what he wants, then has to deal with the consequences. Certain parts of his story were so intense they reminded me of the madness of the main character in 'The Tell-Tale Heart."
So, basically,if you're a fan of Dickens or of Classic novels, I recommend this one. It may not be one of Dickens's most popular, but it is certainly worth reading.
What really made the novel enjoyable for me were all the different characters who come together to make up the story. There were characters you couldn't help but love, such as the incredibly selfless, innocent, and naive Tom Pinch. (Actually, I loved Tom so much my entire term paper focused on his character - and the way that each and every other character in the story can be judged based solely on their treatment of him.)
There were also characters you really and truly hated, like Mr. Pecksniff... throughout the book I was always hoping that someone would get fed up with his hypocrisy and beat him over the head with something hard.
There were also characters with very dark and intriguing stories, like Jonas Chuzzlewit. As the epitome of selfishness, he does whatever he feels necessary to get what he wants, then has to deal with the consequences. Certain parts of his story were so intense they reminded me of the madness of the main character in 'The Tell-Tale Heart."
So, basically,if you're a fan of Dickens or of Classic novels, I recommend this one. It may not be one of Dickens's most popular, but it is certainly worth reading.
