Martin Chuzzlewit vs The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Young men, British, British and irish fiction, England, Social life and customs, Classic Literature
Martin Chuzzlewit
The greed of his family has led wealthy old Martin Chuzzlewit to become suspicious and misanthropic, leaving his grandson and namesake to make his own way in the world. And so young Martin sets out from the Wiltshire…
1 film adaptation
vs
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
Laurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it. Part novel, part digression, its gloriously disordered narrative interweaves the birth and life of the unfortunate…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is the quickest read — about 8 hours vs 13 for Martin Chuzzlewit.
- Martin Chuzzlewit has the widest readership — 17376 ratings behind its score.
- The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 185 times.
- Martin Chuzzlewit runs the darker storyline; The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
≈ 8h vs 13h for Martin Chuzzlewit
In the mood for something dark?
Martin Chuzzlewit
a darker storyline than The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
Want something lighter?
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
an easier tone than Martin Chuzzlewit
Want the literary heavyweight?
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
cited 185 times vs 17 for Martin Chuzzlewit
Scores by source
| Martin Chuzzlewit | The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (17376) | 3.5 (33) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (14) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (19) | 3.5 (16) |
Reception
| Martin Chuzzlewit | The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 17376 | 33 |
| Editions | 290 | 85 |
| Citations | 17 | 185 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 18426 | 130 |
| Reading it now | 895 | 8 |
| Written reviews | 1039 | 5 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3819 | 12910 |
| Pages | 716 | 461 |