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.

I'd forgotten how good this novel is, in the 20 or so years since I last read it. Bear in mind that this is a English Victorian serial novel - distinctly episodic, covering a considerable period of the main character's life, and full of lengthy descriptive passages; think of it as a sort of TV mini-series from the world before non-print media - but it's still very readable, even for a modern audience. It's nicely paced and well plotted, and some of the characters & scenes will stay with you for life.

A kid from Southparks life is analyzed by the telling of his origination. A perfect example of what pure evil lurks in the hearts of the female psyche as is many times exemplified in numerous classics such as "The Three Musketeers", the "Holy Bible", etc. If devious and treacherous schemes and ploys devised by the evil female mind are for you, with the vile female getting her just desserts at the end, this book is a must-read.

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.