Serial publication of Charles Dickens's novel Martin…

Serial publication of Charles Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit, considered the last of his picaresque novels, had begun in London in January; in the July chapters, he lands his hero in the United States.

While writing it Dickens tells a friend that he thinks it his best work, but it is one of his least popular novels.

Like nearly all of Dickens' novels, Martin Chuzzlewit is released to the public in monthly installments.

Early sales of the monthly parts were disappointing, compared to previous works, so Dickens has changed the plot to send the title character to America.

This allows the author to portray the United States (which he had visited in 1842) satirically as a near wilderness with pockets of civilization filled with deceptive and self-promoting hucksters.

The main theme of the novel, according to a preface by Dickens, is selfishness, portrayed in a satirical fashion using all the members of the Chuzzlewit family.

The novel is also notable for two of Dickens' great villains, Seth Pecksniff and Jonas Chuzzlewit.

It is dedicated to Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, a friend of Dickens.