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Social commentary, mystery, romance and a great story... Nov 26, 2000 (31 of 33 found this helpful)
I've never read any Dickens of my own free will. I was forced to read "A Tale of Two Cities" in high school and I thought that was enough for me. However, one day, on a whim, I bought a copy of Great Expectations. I'm not sure what I expected, but I certainly didn't expect to love it as much as I did.
Dickens is not a writer to read at a swift pace. Indeed, this novel was written in weekly episodes from December 1860 to August 1861 and, as it was created to be a serial, each installment is full of varied characters, great descriptions and a lot of action which moves the plot along and leaves the reader yearning for more. Therefore, unlike some books which are easily forgotten if I put them down for a few days, Great Expectations seemed to stick around, absorbing my thoughts in a way that I looked forward to picking it up again. It took me more than a month to read and I savored every morsel.
Basically the story is of the self-development of Pip, an orphan boy being raised by his sister and her blacksmith husband in the marshlands of England in 1820.
Every one of the characters were so deeply developed that I felt I was personally acquainted with each one of them. There was Pip's roommate, Herbert Pocket, the lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, and his clerk, Mr. Wemmick. And then there was the wicked Orlick. The dialogues were wonderful. The characters often didn't actually say what they meant but spoke in a way that even though the words might be obtuse, there was no mistaking their meaning. I found myself smiling at all these verbal contortions.
Dickens' work is richly detailed and he explores the nuances of human behavior. I enjoyed wallowing in the long sentences and letting myself travel backwards in time to a different world. However, even with the footnotes, I found myself sometimes confused by the British slang of 150 years ago, and there were several passages I had to read over several times in order to get the true meaning. Of course I was not in a particular rush. I didn't have to make a report to a class or take a exam about the book. This is certainly a pleasure.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read.ting from the secret wealth of Magwitch, who made a fortune in Australia after being transported. Moreover, Magwitch's unlawful return to England puts him and Pip in danger. Meanwhile, Estella has married another, a horrible man who Pip despises. Eventually, with Magwitch's recapture and death in prison and with his fortune gone, Pip ends up in debtors prison, but Joe redeems his debts and brings him home. Pip realizes that Magwitch was a more devoted friend to him than he ever was to Joe and with this realization Pip becomes, finally, a whole and decent human being.
Originally, Dickens wrote a conclusion that made it clear that Pip and Estella will never be together, that Estella is finally too devoid of heart to love. But at the urging of others, he changed the ending and left it more open ended, with the possibility that Estella too has learned and grown from her experiences and her wretched marriages.
This is the work of a mature novelist at the height of his powers. It has everything you could ask for in a novel: central characters who actually change and grow over the course of the story, becoming better people in the end; a plot laden with mystery and irony; amusing secondary characters; you name it, it's in here. I would rank it with A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield among the very best novels of the worlds greatest novelist.
GRADE: A+
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Human Nature VS. The Human Condition. Jan 12, 2007 (15 of 16 found this helpful)
The description of Miss Havisham & her home alone is worth two to three stars. This is unlike any other book in the English language, with the possible exception of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights?" Dickens tells us many things in the begining of the novel that appear out of place or irrelevant, but later those pieces fall into place so that the big picture is revealed.
This story runs the gamut of emotions for the reader. Shock, empathy, joy, disappointment, & disdain are all there for the various characters at different times. Multiple plots, detailed descriptions, & ever mutable characters made this a long & entertaining read. This is the story of Phillip Pirrup or Pip. He is a true hardluck case that you root for. His family except for a brother & sister have all passed away. He lives with his sister{a husband beater} & brother in law Joe Gargery in a tiny English village. Oddly for this era, this is one of the few books where fear from a man's perspective is explored. That in itself was refreshing. Along the roller coaster life that Pip finds himself on he meets enigmatic people & gets an anonymous benefactor who helps him reach London to start a better life? Once there life & the nature of Pip himself is radically altered. This is when the title of my review becomes clear. Dickens asks & answers very poignant psychological questions long before Freud was ever heard of.
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A great book, wonderfully read Jan 24, 2000 (14 of 15 found this helpful)
I got the "cover-to-cover" book on tape for a long road trip, never having heard the story before. I loved every minute of it. The things that Dickens does with the English language is endlessly entertaining, the story he tells fascinating and fast-paced. The highly talented Martin Jarvis reads wonderfully, giving great characterization to the many people appearing in the story, allowing me to see them all as completely distinct.
It's a shame that people feel such resentment when forced to read something. Most of the bad reviews this book gets are from young people who were forced to read it for a class. When taken at one's own leisure, and in one's own time, it is quite entertaining. I'm not sure that the teachers who assign the book are pointing out all the things that make the book great, such as Dickens's flair with the language, the point he's making about a society that places birth above worth, and his ability to make abstract arguments that enhance the story. I'd be interested in hearing from literature teachers to find out how they use the book in their classes.
One of the best books ever written, this reading is one of the best investments of my time I've ever made.
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The Sources of Goodness Sep 17, 2001 (7 of 7 found this helpful)
Great Expectations succeeds beyond almost all novels of its time in exploring the roots of character and moral behavior. Charles Dickens makes the case for there being the potential for good in everyone. Evil and sin follow from a combination of being self-absorbed and selfish. What is remarkable about the way these themes are handled is that they are clearly based on an assessment of human psychology, long before that field was established.
The book is also remarkable for its many indelibly memorable and complex characters. Miss Havisham, Pip, Magwitch, Mr. Jaggers, and Estella are characters you will think about again and again in years to come.
The book also surrounds you with a powerful sense of place. Although the England described here is long gone, it becomes as immediate as a nightmare or a dream that you have just awakened from.
For a book about moral questions, Great Expectations also abounds in action. The scenes involving Pip and Magwitch are especially notable for way action expresses character and thought.
Great Expectations also reeks of irony, something that is seldom noticed in more modern novels. Overstatements are created to draw the irony out into the open, where it is unmistakable. Yet the overstatements attract, rather than repel. The overstatements are like the theatrical make up which makes actors and actresses look strange in the dressing room, but more real on the stage when seen from the audience.
At the same time, the plot is deliciously complex in establishing and solving mysteries before that genre had been born. As you read Great Expectations, raise your expectations to assume that you will receive answers to any dangling details. By reading the book this way, you will appreciate the craft that Mr. Dickens employed much more.
This is the third time that I have read Great Expectations over the last 40 years. I found the third reading to be by far the most rewarding. If you like the book, I encourage you to read it again in the future as well. You will find that the passage of time will change your perspective so that more nooks and crannies of the story will reveal themselves to you.
If this is to be your first reading of the book, do be patient with the book's middle third. It may seem to you that the book is drifting off into a sleep-inducing torpor. Yet, important foundations are being lain for your eventual delight.
Mr. Dickens wrote two endings for Great Expectations. Be sure to read both of them. Which one do you prefer? I find myself changing my mind.
Give love with an open heart, without expectations!
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Surpassed Every One of My Expectations....YAHOOOOOOOO Aug 18, 2001 (7 of 7 found this helpful)
All right. I admit it. The book starts out slow. Dickens, though I love the man, writes in such flowery and long winded language at times. What takes many authors a line or two, Dickens will devote whole pages.
And I almost put the book down for that exact reason. I'm very happy I did not.
With so many detailed threads in the story, the depth to the characters--when they all start to blend together a few chapters in, the result is page-turning.
The story centers around a young boy--well, almost young man-- named Pip, and revolves around his growing into age. You cannot help but love the boy. Much of Pip's worry and concern I could relate to--falling in love with a girl who refuses to return your sentiments and only plays with your heart, growing up and leaving home for the first time, and discovering your true relationships with others and yourself, as shocking as they may turn out to be.
I felt as if I was side by side with Pip through it all, and that made the novel a wonderful experience for me. I recommend the novel for the young because so much relates to them, and also for the older readers--because you can experience it all again.
A wonderful and heart warming tale. Just get through those first chapters.
The book is timeless, with the basic story line being one that has affected almost everyone sometime in their life; falling in love with somebody who does not return the feelings. Pip, the main character, falls in love with an exotic and beautiful girl, Estella, but of course she does not have any feelings for him. So Pip does everything he can to win her approval, and most importantly her heart. It is hard to skip around in the book. While some passages might seem as if they have nothing to do with the story, they do. Everything in the story is tied together somehow. Skimming the book is not going to help. Certain events and people the reader thinks are insignificant or forgot completley, will appear over and over throughout the book. I am glad that i decided to read Great Expectations, despite the negative remarks from peers. I found out that most of them never made it past the first few chapters, so they missed out on the good parts. The only reason I did not give the book a higher score is that parts of it are slow and dry, but stick with it, you will not be upset. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.