Ask Lemmygrad

I read the Ben Fowkes penguin edition. It's good. Some of the footnotes are a bit… meta - where you have footnotes from Marx, BF and Engels. This version is my preference , as I like to hold the book, especially if I have to study something carefully.

IMO it's better than the Marxists.org copy because the online version contains errors. only minor typos, formatting issues and unclear footnotes but they are there. I do refer to that version and have skim read most of it because it's handy to have an online, always-accessible, searchable version.

but for closely studying, i would go with the physical penguin version if you can afford it and can get along with handwriting notes, etc (if you work better online, the Marxists.org version will be fine.)

As for the reading order, you don't have to read it from start to finish. Pick a later chapter that looks interesting and think about the general concepts that you already know about while you read it. . Once you see how Marx deploys his concepts in one of the…juicier chapters, you might find chapters 1-4 a lot more engaging. because you will know where Marx is going with them.

(I would suggest then eventually re-reading the later chapter when you read from chapter 1 chronologically - you'll be able to re-evaluate it knowing Marx's notion of commodities in more depth and things will start to make a lot of sense).