Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Title: Great Expectations

Author: Charles Dickens

Published: October 1861

Great Expectations traces the growth of the book's narrator, Philip Pirrip (Pip), from a boy of shallow dreams to a man with depth of character. From its famous dramatic opening on the bleak Kentish marshes, the story abounds with some of Dickens' most memorable characters. Among them are the kindly blacksmith Joe Gargery, the mysterious convict Abel Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Haversham and her beautiful ward Estella, Pip's good-hearted room-mate Herbert Pocket and the pompous Pumblechook. As Pip unravels the truth behind his own 'great expectations' in his quest to become a gentleman, the mysteries of the past and the convolutions of fate through a series of thrilling adventures serve to steer him towards maturity and his most important discovery of all - the truth about himself.

Rating: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed Great Expectations, much more than I originally thought I would. At first I was very intrigued by the character of Miss Havisham, a woman who really has been scorned by men, and I did wholeheartedly believe like Pip that she was his mysterious benefactor. 

However due to the language used, and that is no fault of Dickens, it is merely the fault of evolution and how our everyday language has changed since, that before getting halfway through the story I rather found myself losing interest in it. 

I am glad that I persevered though as around three quarters of the way through the novel when Dickens starts tying up his loose ends, it feels like curveball after curveball is thrown at the reader. Estella's true parentage, the identity of Pip's real benefactor and who exactly attacked Pip's sister way back when is all revealed, and all adds up. From that moment on even though I was still struggling somewhat with the language, I was completely gripped again and hastened to finish the book. 

Great Expectations shows that Dickens is very much, or should I say very much was, a part of the school of writing where everything, even things that the reader may think are of no consequence at the time are extremely important. Everything that happens in the novel has a reason for happening. No character is introduced without good reason, and everything is revealed at just the right time. 

Character wise whilst I am not entirely sure of how Dickens expects us to react to characters I found myself loving Wemmick, feeling somewhat sympathetic for Miss Havisham who in trying to protect Estella from her own heartbreak created a woman much worse, and I absolutely hated Estella. Yes admittedly she may have warned Pip of her nature, even in the early days, but that doesn't really redeem her in my eyes. 

Would I recommend this book? Having finally finished Great Expectations (and I would have finished it a lot sooner if I hadn't needed an emergency csection and spent every day since up the hospital with my beautiful daughter) I would definitely say that you have to read it. Take your time to make sense of the language, and you will be well rewarded with a gripping tale.