Great Expectations

Charles Dickens

Jan 1881 · Estes and Lauriat

About this eBook

One of the finest novels by iconic British author Charles Dickens, this Victorian tale follows the good-natured orphan Pip as he makes his way through life. As a boy, Pip crosses paths with a convict named Magwitch, a man who will heavily influence Pip’s adulthood. Meanwhile, the earnest young man falls for the beautiful Estella, the adoptive daughter of the affluent and eccentric Miss Havisham. Widely considered to be Dickens's last great book, the story is steeped in romance and features the writer's familiar themes of crime, punishment, and societal struggle.

Ratings and reviews

Although very well written this classic was nothing but hard to get through. I found that the characters had great potential to be fun and exciting reads but sadly were the exact opposite. It also seemed like the story never wanted to pick up and stay that way, things went from interesting, to dull, to interesting, to dull and then dull again. I can understand the moral of the story, and I get what the author is trying to do, but quite frankly I had to force myself to get through this book, and it took me a very long time. I do not recommend this book, if you want to read a great classic grab yourself Les Miserables. Now THAT is a great book.

This book is awesome! I read it like 4 times in a row and I have not been sleeping since. I have also created a online fan club to people who enjoy this book as much as I do. I am also a former writer and i don't know who Mr.dickens is, but he is a cool guy. I am sorry I can not make a larger review, but I am in a hurry because today is taco night, see yeah!

This is the most interesting Dicken's book I've read so far. It is more modern in style, the omniscient narrator being substituted by the main character himself, an anti-hero often victim of snobbism and pride. It is a pleasant book, engaging, often humorous. The plot is pretty sad in itself, very autobiographical. I found it interesting in the its portrait of society and of its dynamics. As in Persuasion by Austen the book witness the event of people able to raise themselves in society, being rich without being born rich.

About the author

Arguably England's greatest writer, Charles Dickens wrote highly celebrated tales that embodied the Victorian era. Born into a financially troubled family, Dickens used his impoverished background as inspiration for many of his stories and novels, which often mixed bleak realism with pointed satire. Among Dickens's most famous works are Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations, revered books filled with dramatic class divisions and unforgettable characters.