I'm a somewhat green Dickens fan (having only read A Christmas Carol), but loved this 150th Anniversary Edition of Great Expectations! As in A Christmas Carol, this tale often portrays an eerie atmosphere with creepy characters.....like the mysterious escaped convict Abel Magwitch who threatens Pip's young life in the graveyard, the jealous and revengeful Old Orlick with his evil ways, and the embittered and decaying Mrs. Havisham who pines for lost love and leads Pip astray.

In this coming-of-age story, the orphaned Pip is brought up by the heavy hand of his ill-tempered older sister and (thankfully) her caring, but poor blacksmith husband Joe (my favorite character), and as Pip becomes a young man, his secret dream to leave his present sphere of life (as Joe's apprentice) and be brought up as a gentleman (winning the hand of the beautiful Estella) seems impossible until a mysterious benefactor makes his dream come true.....or so he thinks.

Written with meticulous character detail, this suspenseful, funny and entertaining adventure follows Pip's "educational" and eventful life ultimately leading to the true source of his "Great Expectations".

I adore this book, and I'm honestly amazed at the literary genius that went into it. I attempted reading Great Expectations as a teenager and I utterly failed. I didn't make it past chapter 3. The language was too challenging for me, and overall I felt like I didn't know where the story was going.

I recently picked this back up because I wanted to buddy read it with some friends, and that was such a good decision. I geniuenly feel like I've read this book at the perfect time in my life.

Great Expectations is a bildungsroman by Charles Dickens which was published between 1860 and 1861, and it deals with timely themes such as wealth and poverty, love and rejection and the differences between a rural environment and the London metropolis. In this novel we follow the psychological and moral developement of the young orphaned boy Pip to his maturity. It exhibits his hopes and youthful dreams and their metamorphosis through the hardships of adulthood.

I have to admit that my reading experience of this novel wasn't necessarily worthy of five stars. There were times when the novel dragged, and didn't manage to hold my interest, but overall, and especially looking back on it, I have to give credit where credit is due: The novel in itself is such a well-rounded story, in which every narrative thread was picked up again and resolved, thus weaving a complexity into this narrative which was honestly impressive.

Dickens created a lot of unlikeable characters for this tale: The cold-hearted bitch that is Estella. The crazy, egocentric spinster that is Miss Havisham. The disloyal ambitious boy that is Pip. However, all of these characters have a certain depth to them that makes them multi-layered and most importantly, real. Estella learns the hard way that her mannerism was cruel. Miss Havisham sees the flaws of her behaviour as well. And even Pip aspires to improve eventually, and pays his dues.

Great Expecations glistens with its side characters. I will never forget Wemmick and the comic relief he provided to the story. I will forever cherish his entertaining and loveable relationship to Mr Jaggers. Also, Orlick is a character that I'll think about for a long time. (Am I the only one who thought of Caliban from The Tempest whenever he popped up?)

Great Expecations is such an atmospheric tale and seems to draw heavily on the gothic novel, especially with Miss Havisham, the bride frozen in time and the ruins of Satis House filled with weeds and spiders. And even the aristocratic Drummle and his bursts of extreme cruelty, and Pip himself who spends his youth chasing for beauty fit the picture. Then again, it displays comedic, almost satirical moments, highlighting the novel's most eccentric characters. One only has to remember Pip's christmas dinner, Wopsle's performance of Hamlet or Wemmick's marriage, and the comedic traits of this story can't be denied.

I could literally praise this novel all day. It provides a rich basis for an analysis through the postcolonial lens (the book reinforces the standards that support the authority of the British empire and thus the exploitation of the Middle East through trade and travel), but also a basis for psychoanalytical criticism (the construction of identity in relation to the social order) and feminist criticism (the silence of women in the novel, and the glorification of domestic violence).

Moreover, in the centre of the novel stands the idea that wealth is only acceptable to the ruling class if it comes from the labour of others. Miss Havisham's wealth is considered 'pure', because it comes from rent collected on properties she inherited from her father and not from the sweat of her brow. Whereas, Magwitch's wealth is socially unacceptable, even repugnant to Pip, because he earned it through his own hard work, and because he was a convict.

The setting of the metropolis functions almost as a prison for Pip. In London, neither wealth nor gentility brings him happiness. His experience is dominated by chronic unease, weariness and feelings of insecurity. In the crowded metropolis, Pip grows disenchanted, disillusioned and lonely. Just like Estella (at the end of the novel), he learned the hard way how he took for granted what was most precious to him – his native Kent and the support provided by his dearest friends Joe and Biddy.

And I have to say that I've never read a better last chapter to any story. Ever. I saw no shadow from another parting from her. My mind is blown. Only few authors can pull of ambigious endings, but they all pale in comparison to Dickens. When Pip returns to the ruins of Satis House and meets Estella there, the whole scene had such a melancholic vibe to it, that I could literally feel it in my body. We witnessed two characters intentionally and unintentionally wreck the lives of the other, both have grown from the hardships that life has thrown in their way. They are 'bent and broken – but perhaps into a better shape.' Will they leave together or go seperate ways? It's up to the reader to decide, and I was never more satisfied after finishing a novel.

Romanul de fata reprezinta fara indoiala una din cele mai mai valoroase lucrari ale lui Charles Dickens, prin care ne demonstreaza cat de priceput si de talentat este la a spune povesti credibile si de a transmite cititorului cea mai valoroasa speranta, cea de a gasi bunatatea atat in randul oamenilor bogati cat si in randul celor saraci. Pe langa faptul ca se face o analiza aprofundata a societatii, povestea infatiseaza si transformarea baiatului sarac intr-un tanar aristocrat si felul lingusitor si interesat in care se poarta oamenii din jurul sau dar si modul in care se poarta el cu familia lui modesta.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea, il avem in prim plan pe Pip, un pusti simpatic, crescut de sora lui "pe palme" si care intr-un Ajun de Craciun ajuta cu mancare un puscarias evadat. Timpul trece si printr-un noroc, Pip ajunge in casa domnisoarei Havisham, o batrana bogata pe care trebuie s-o distreze. Aici o cunoaste pe Estella, o tanara infumurata si foarte frumoasa care se poarta dispretuitor cu el. Dupa aceasta intalnire, Pip incepe sa-si considere traiul modest, in casa lui Joe si a surorii sale, drept umilitor si tanjeste sa ajunga un gentleman. Aceasta ocazie se iveste atunci cand devine mostenitorul unei misterioase averi si singura conditie pentru a o primi este sa nu cerceteze de la cine provine. Acceptand-o incep marile sperante pentru Pip.
Mi-ar placea sa amintesc despre dragostea dureroasa pe care o poarta Pip pentru Estella, aceasta reprezentand motorul ambitiei sale pentru a se educa si pentru a-si desavarsi manierele. Pe de alta parte, Estella este si distrugerea lui, deoarece il face sa-si dispretuiasca saracia si conditia sa.
Pentru ca imi plac declaratiile de dragoste am selectat aici cateva:
"Pentru ca n-am sa mai plang niciodata din cauza dumneavoastra." - dovedindu-se o declaratie mincinoasa deoarece tot romanul Pip va plange dupa ea.
"Estella, n-ai de ales, pana in ultima clipa a vietii mele vei ramane o parte din fiinta mea. O parte din putinul bine care salasluieste in mine, o parte din raul din mine."
"Dar mi-ai spus atunci, raspunse Estella cu insufletire, "Dumnezeu sa te binecuvanteze, Dumnezeu sa te ierte." Daca ai putut sa mi-o spui atunci, n-ai sa refuzi sa mi-o spui acuma... Fii la fel de bland si de ingaduitor fata de mine cum ai fost alta data si spune-mi ca suntem prieteni."
Mi-a placut foarte mult de Joe, de simplitatea lui de om sarac dar intelept si de Povris, puscariasul cu inima mare care nu uita niciodata ca Pip l-a ajutat cand avea cel mai mult nevoie.
In incheiere, cateva citate memorabile:
"Daca nu poti sa ajungi om de seama, mergand de-a dreptul, n-ai sa ajungi niciodata luand-o pe ocolite."
"In miezul iuresului, Pip, si in afara lui - asa e viata!"
"Nici un om care nu este un adevarat gentleman in sufletul sau nu va fi, cat ii lumea, un adevarat gentleman in purtari."
"Slabiciunile noastre de neiertat si marsaviile noastre le infaptuim, de obicei, pentru oamenii pe care-i dispretuim cel mai tare."
"... ce inseamna adevarata iubire. Inseamna devotament orb, umilinta de sine fara preget, supunere desavarsita, incredere si credinta in pofida ta insuti si in pofida intregii lumi, abandon al inimii si sufletului in mana care le zdrobeste..."

(Book 876 From 1001 Books) - Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

The novel was first published as a serial in Dickens's weekly periodical All the Year Round, from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. In October 1861, Chapman and Hall published the novel in three volumes.

On Christmas Eve, around 1812, Pip, an orphan who is about seven years old, encounters an escaped convict in the village churchyard, while visiting the graves of his parents and siblings.

Pip now lives with his abusive elder sister and her kind husband Joe Gargery, a blacksmith. The convict scares Pip into stealing food and a file. Early on Christmas morning Pip returns with the file, a pie and brandy.

During Christmas Dinner that evening, at the moment Pip's theft is about to be discovered, soldiers arrive and ask Joe to repair some shackles. Joe and Pip accompany them as they recapture the convict who is fighting with another escaped convict.

The first convict confesses to stealing food from the smithy. A year or two later, Miss Havisham, a wealthy spinster who still wears her old wedding dress and lives as a recluse in the dilapidated Satis House, asks Mr Pumblechook, a relation of the Gargery's, to find a boy to visit her.

Pip visits Miss Havisham and falls in love with her adopted daughter Estella. Estella remains aloof and hostile to Pip, which Miss Havisham encourages. Pip visits Miss Havisham regularly, until he is old enough to learn a trade.

Joe accompanies Pip for the last visit, when she gives the money for Pip to be bound as apprentice blacksmith. Joe's surly assistant, Dolge Orlick, is envious of Pip and dislikes Mrs Joe. When Pip and Joe are away from the house, Mrs Joe is brutally attacked, leaving her unable to speak or do her work. Orlick is suspected of the attack. Mrs Joe becomes kind-hearted after the attack. Pip's former schoolmate Biddy joins the household to help with her care.

Four years into Pip's apprenticeship, Mr Jaggers, a lawyer, tells him that he has been provided with money, from an anonymous benefactor, so that he can become a gentleman. Pip is to leave for London, but presuming that Miss Havisham is his benefactor, he first visits her.

Pip sets up house in London at Barnard's Inn with Herbert Pocket, the son of his tutor, Matthew Pocket, who is a cousin of Miss Havisham. Herbert and Pip have previously met at Satis Hall, where Herbert was rejected as a playmate for Estella.

He tells Pip how Miss Havisham was defrauded and deserted by her fiancé. Pip meets fellow pupils, Bentley Drummle, a brute of a man from a wealthy noble family, and Startop, who is agreeable. Jaggers disburses the money Pip needs. ...

عنوان: آرزوهای بزرگ؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ (علمی و فرهنگی، دوستان، افق) ادبیات؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 1975میلادی

با ترجمه: ابراهیم یونسی، تهران، سال انتشار 1351، با ویرایش، چاپ هفتم، با شابک 9789646207486؛ سال 1391، انتشارات دوستان

ترجمه: محسن سلیمانی انتشارات افق 1387؛ این نسخه، متن چکیده و کوتاه شده

آرزوهای بزرگ را می‌توان به نوعی زندگی‌نامه خودنگاشت «دیکنز» نیز دانست، که همچون آثار دیگرش، تجربیات تلخ و شیرین وی از زندگی و مردمان را، نمایان میسازد؛ داستان «آرزوهای بزرگ»، وضعیت سیاسی اجتماعی دوران خود ایشانست، و نویسنده حقایق اجتماعی را با بیانی لطیف به تصویر کشیده است

چکیده داستان: «پیپ» هفت ساله، زندگی محقر و فروتنانه‌ ای را در کلبه‌ ای روستایی، با خواهری بدخلق و سختگیر، و شوهر خواهرش «جو گارگِری»، آهنگری پرتوان اما مهربان، و نرم‌خو، می‌گذراند؛ او که روزی برای سر زدن به قبر مادر و پدرش، به گورستان می‌رود، ناگهانی با یک زندانی فراری محکوم به اعمال شاقه، به نام «آبل مگویچ»، روبرو می‌شود؛ آن زندانی، داستانی ترسناک، برای کودک سر هم می‌کند، تا او نانی برای رفع گرسنگی، و سوهانی برای رهایی خویش، از غل و زنجیری که به دست و پایش بسته‌ است، برایش بیاورد؛ «پیپ» هم از روی ناچاری و هم از دل‌رحمی، او را یاری می‌کند

زمانی از آن رویداد می‌گذرد، و «پیپ» کوچک، توسط زنی میانسال و ثروتمند، موسوم به «میس هاویشام (یکی از استادانه‌ ترین شخصیت‌های آفریده شده توسط دیکنز)» اجیر می‌شود، تا گهگاه برای همنشینی، و سرگرم‌ نمودنش، پیش او برود؛ «هاویشام» که در گذشته‌ ای دور، و به هنگام عروسی، معشوقش او را بیرحمانه ترک گفته، از آن زمان، به زنی دلسرد، و انتقام‌جو، بدل گشته‌ است؛ او «اِستِلا»، دخترکی زیبا، اما گستاخ و مغرور را، به فرزندی پذیرفته است، تا به او بیاموزد، که چگونه مردان را به بازی گرفته، و بدانسان انتقام خویش را، توسط او، از مردان بستاند؛ «پیپ» کوچک در آن خانه، به «استلا» دل می‌بندد، و تحت تأثیر توهین‌ها، و آزارهای دخترک، نخستین آرزوهایش، مبنی بر ترک زندگی محقر، و روستایی، و زیستن چون نجیب‌ زادگان، در او نقش می‌بندد؛ «پیپ»، سال‌ها نزد «جو گارگِری» شاگردی می‌کند، تا به عنوان یک آهنگر، امرار معاش نماید، اما رویدادی دیگر زندگی او را دگرگون می‌کند؛

حقوقدانی در «لندن»، به نام «جَگرز»، به او خبر می‌دهد، که یک ولینعمت ناشناس، هزینه ی تعلیم و تربیت او را، برای رفتن به «لندن»، و آموختن فرهنگ افراد متشخص، پذیرفته، و پس از آن، ثروت کلانی به او خواهد رسید؛ به این ترتیب، قهرمان نخست داستان، روستا و شوهر خواهر دوست‌ داشتنی خود را، ترک می‌کند، تا به آرزوهای بزرگ خویش، که یافتن تشخص، و لیاقت، برای دستیابی به «استلا» است، برسد

او در دوره ی زندگی در «لندن»، بسیاری از آداب و رسوم زندگی شهری، همچون طرز رفتار، لباس پوشیدن، و مشارکت در انجمن اشخاص فرهیخته، و با فرهنگ را، می‌آموزد، و «استلای» محبوبش نیز، که اکنون مردان بسیاری خواهان او هستند، با تجاربی مشابه، دست و پنجه نرم می‌کند؛ «پیپ» این‌بار به «استلا» اظهار عشق می‌کند، ولی «استلا» به او می‌گوید، که لیاقت عشق «پیپ» را ندارد، و به «بنتلی درامل»، مردی پست‌ فطرت، دل‌بسته‌ است؛ «پیپ» که همیشه خانم «هاویشام» را، ولینعمت مرموز خود می‌پنداشته، در پایان، به این موضوع پی می‌برد، که ولینعمتش «مگویچ»، همان زندانی فراری ست، که در کودکی یاریش داده بود؛

او همچنین درمی‌یابد، که «مگویچ» پدر «استلا» است؛ اما زمانی این راز برملا می‌شود، که «مگویچ» طی یک درگیری دستگیر، و زخمی شده، و در بستر مرگ افتاده، و تمام اموالش توسط دولت ضبط شده‌ است؛ از طرفی «استلا» نیز، با «درامل» ازدواج کرده، و بدرفتاریهای بسیاری، از او دیده‌ است؛ «پیپ» که به هیچ‌یک از آرزوهای خود نرسیده، به کلبه ی محقر روستایی خود، پیش «جو» بازمی‌گردد؛ هرچند «دیکنز» تصمیم داشت، تا «پیپ» را در رسیدن به «استلا» عاقبت ناکام بگذارد، و داستان را به صورتی غم‌ انگیز به پایان برساند، اما به توصیه ی دیگران، پایان آنرا با درس گرفتن «استلا»، از شکستهای زندگی، و بازگشتش به نزد «پیپ»، تغییر می‌دهد، تا به مذاق خوانشگران آن زمان خوش بیاید

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 21/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 30/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

“Life is made of so many partings welded together.”

Great Expectations exceeded my expectations and beyond. This is truly a unique tale of redemption, forgiveness, and of well…. having expectations. The main character Pip is an orphan, and we follow him from young childhood to adulthood through his many expectations, failures, and successes. When I say I can relate to Pip, it’s an understatement. From his idealism of the world itself, his deeply ingrained desires to have more in life, and even his supposed good fortune that is unfortunately overshadowed with a series of misfortune and struggles. Pip goes through so much! Through all the turmoil and embarrassment, he fights to fit into a new life whilst desperately trying to understand how to hold onto his old life. Is fortune always worth the circumstances in which your life may change?

“I am not at all happy as I am. I am disgusted with my calling and with my life." (Pip, Great Expectations)

“Well, then, understand once for all that I never shall or can be comfortable—or anything but miserable—there, Biddy!—unless I can lead a very different sort of life from the life I lead now.” (Pip, Great Expectations)

I feel you, Pip. I feel you. But as we all live life with expectations and this inner struggle with desiring for our lives to be better, I believe we can all say we suffer or have suffered at one time or another from having these great expectations only for something to ultimately turn out far less than optimal. At least that has been my personal experience in life!!

Great expectations also has a number of peculiar yet well-developed characters, and they all overlap in many surprising ways. I absolutely loved how the story came together. Each character seems to get their moment. My top favorite character is the one and only bizarre and eccentric Miss Havisham. A symbol of death or perhaps just a living ghost herself; I loved her the very second, she took the stage. She must be one of the greatest classic characters ever developed. It was her entrance alone that ensured me that the gothic undertones I started to feel at the beginning were genuine and ever so present.

"So unchanging was the dull old house, the yellow light in the darkened room, the faded spectre in the chair by the dressing-table glass, that I felt as if the stopping of the clocks had stopped Time in that mysterious place, and, while I and everything else outside it grew older, it stood still. Daylight never entered the house, as to my thoughts and remembrances of it, any more than as to the actual fact."

My second favorite character would have to be Joe. He’s humble, hardworking, sweet, kind, and gentle. When I learned about a certain something he did at the end, it just brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart!!

My first book of the new year and my first incursion deep into the Dickensverse is Charles Dickens' thirteenth novel Great Expectations. First serialized in the weekly publication All the Year Round in 1860-1861, the experience of reading this tale progressed a bit like Dickens' protagonist, beginning with wonder and anticipation, getting bogged down by the cruel mean world and finally just making me want to run home, to an author who wasn't paid per word.

Great Expectations begins big. On Christmas Eve of 1812, seven-year-old orphan Philip Pirrip, otherwise known to himself as "Pip," investigates the churchyard where his parents are buried, in County Kent on the desolate marshes where the River Thames winds inland to London, a carriage ride of five hours away. Pip has been raised by his much older sister Georgiana and her husband, a blacksmith named Joe Gargery. Both Pip and Joe have bonded over daily abuses by the sister, "Mrs. Joe Gargery," a woman of some renown for raising young Pip up "by hand." This includes beatings with a stick she calls the Tickler whenever she's in a foul mood, which she is most of the time.

In the churchyard, Pip is accosted by a shackled convict escaped from a nearby prison barge. The man threatens Pip with unspeakable acts unless the boy brings him a file to remove the chains and some "wittles" to snack on. Terrified of the repercussions if he fails to act and terrified what will happen if Mrs. Joe catches him raiding the pantry, Pip makes good on his promise to the convict, whose trail is being pursued by soldiers. Pip, Joe and Joe's insufferable uncle Mr. Pumblechook tag along with the hunting party and are present when the man is captured, having given away his position by getting into a fight with a fellow escapee.

Pip is to be apprenticed by Joe when he reaches age, but his fortunes take a turn one day when Mr. Pumblechook notifies Mrs. Joe that Pip has been requested up town by Miss Havisham. I had heard of Miss Havisham up town--everybody for miles round had heard of Miss Havisham up town--as an immensely rich and grim old lady who lived in a large and dismal house barricaded against robbers, and who led a life of seclusion. Pip is dressed in his finest suit, overnights with his uncle and the next day is delivered to Satis House, where they're greeted at the gate by Estella, the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham. She allows only Pip to see the lady of the house.

She was dressed in rich materials--satins, and lace, and silks--all white. Her shoes were white. ANd she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she wore, and half-packed trunks were scattered about. She had not quite finished dressing, for she had but one shoe on--the other was on the table near her hand--her veil was but half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on, and some lace for her bosom lay with those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a Prayer-book, all confusedly heaped about the looking glass.

Pip is instructed to play with Estella and over a game of cards, the girl renders him to tears over his course hands, thick boots and standing as a common laboring-boy. Pip returns home and dedicates himself to improving his station in life. A church clerk named Mr. Wopsle with delusions of grandeur as a stage actor has a great-aunt who operates a tutorial service; this learning does nothing for Pip except introduce him to another relation of Wopsle's, a benign young girl named Biddy. Upon his return to Satis House, Pip is challenged to a boxing match by a pale young boy also brought to play; Pip knocks him down. His torment by Estella continues.

Sometimes she would coldly tolerate me; sometimes she would condescend to me; sometimes, she would be quite familiar with me; sometimes, she would tell me energetically that she hated me. Miss Havisham would often ask me in a whisper, or when we were alone, "Does she grow prettier and prettier, Pip?" And when I said Yes (for indeed she did) would seem to enjoy it greedily. And sometimes, when her moods were so many and so contradictory of one another that I was puzzled what to say or do, Miss Havisham would embrace her with lavish fondness, murmuring something in her ear that sounded like "Break their hearts, my pride and hope, break their hearts and have no mercy!"

When time comes for Pip to be bound to Joe as an apprentice, Miss Havisham requests to meet Joe. She rewards Pip handsomely for his services to her with a gift of five-and-twenty pounds. While the men are out of the house, Mrs. Joe is struck on the head and left infirm. The most likely suspect is a malcontent named Orlick who worked in Joe's forge as a journeyman. To help care for Mrs. Joe, Biddy moves into the house. Four years into Pip's apprenticeship, while hoisting a pint at the Three Jolly Bargemen, Pip and Joe are approached by a feared London attorney named Mr. Jaggers, who informs Pip that a mysterious benefactor is about to change the boy's life.

"I am instructed to communicate to him," said Mr. Jaggers, throwing his finger at me, sideways, "that he will come into a handsome property. Further, that it is the desire of the present possessor of the property, that he be immediately removed from his present sphere of life and from this place, and be brought up as a gentleman--in a word, as a young man of great expectations." My dream was out; my wild fancy was surpassed by sober reality; Miss Havisham was going to make my fortune on a grand scale.

Whew! This covers the first act of the novel. Acts two and three see Pip off to London, where it's been decided he will board with young Herbert Pocket, the pale young gentleman who challenged Pip to a fight long ago. Herbert mentors Pip in the gentlemanly arts and the boys proceed to run up debt on Pip's allowance of 500 pounds a year. There's intrigue at the law practice of Mr. Jaggers and some buffoonery at the Pocket home. Estella re-enters Pip's life and tries to warn him that she is incapable of love and will only end up hurting him. He ignores her. When he turns twenty-three, Pip learns the identity of his benefactor and is kicked even further down the gutter.

Great Expectations features prose that shines like leather shoes given a polish by a devoted butler. The character descriptions are wonderful and so are the names of characters.

Bentley Drummle, who was so sulky a fellow that he even took up a book as if its writer had done him an injury, did not take up an acquaintance in a more agreeable spirit. Heavy in figure, movement, and comprehension--in the sluggish complexion of his face, and in the large awkward tongue that seemed to loll about in his mouth as he himself lolled about in a room--he was idle, proud, niggardly, reserved and suspicious. He came of rich people down in Somersetshire, who had nursed his combination of qualities until they made the discovery that it was just of age and a blockhead.

Dickens is an assured wit who finds ways to needle the human race whenever he gets the chance. Kindness and humility are ultimately rewarded. Greed and exaltation lead to misery. There is richness in poverty and poverty in riches. This might all be familiar to anyone who's ever heard of A Christmas Carol. The words Dickens crafts are frequently a delight but in this novel there's simply too many of them. 183,833 words to be exact. My experience with 19th century novels published in serial format and authors paid by the word is that you need a good pain reliever. Reading what was originally a serial now preserved in novel format was tedious.

One major weakness I found with the story is how Pip is reduced to a submissive protagonist. When you're Pip, cool shit just happens to you; you meet an escaped convict, you're invited to hang out with a rich old lady, you're asked to kiss a beautiful girl, you're given money, you're sent to London. For a laboring boy, Pip sure was born under a good sign. His goals are to become a gentleman and to possess Estella, neither of which I wanted him to succeed at. As far as I was concerned, failure could not come quicker. There's mystery as to the identity of his benefactor and who all the characters are, but Pip doesn't figure out much for himself; it's always somebody else helping him along.

Dickens described Great Expectations as a "grotesque tragi-comic conception." That's accurate. My memory of the contemporized 1998 film version with Ethan Hawke & Gwyneth Paltrow had me reading the signposts wrong. The real romance in the story is not between Pip and Estella, but between Pip and Herbert. It's a bromance and the more English literature I read, the more import I see placed on the stoic camaraderie between men, whereas the American version would probably tend more toward the romance between a man and a woman. Estella never becomes much more than an exotic creature at the zoo in this text, something to throw peanuts at.

I don't rule out a return to the Dickensverse but with a much shorter book and hot tea spiked with something medicinal like vodka.

As improbable and moralizing as it is, the story completely seduced me. Pip's life is an adventure, and the small events that mark her are just as exciting as the big ones: her encounters with Miss Havisham, the dinners in Wemmick's Castle, the rivalry with the brooding Drumble, the love for Estrella, the meeting with the convicts, the friendship with Herbert, the young gentleman.
I enjoyed the little touches of humor, especially the Avenger Jack or the grotesque Pumblechook. I found Pip intelligent and lucid despite his cowardice and pettiness. Suddenly, I particularly enjoyed the 2nd part, which was weaker in twists and turns than the other two but exciting as a learning novel in reverse.
On the other hand, I had a lot of trouble with the styling. I may not have chosen the best translation, but I found it choppy, sometimes obscure, and often painful. I am surprised I remember a very smooth reading of 'A Christmas Carol.'
In short, it was a good book, but it did not entirely meet my great expectations.

Just like he did in A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens emphasizes the importance of friends and family and the need to stay in touch with one's roots in the classic novel Great Expectations.

The story brilliantly depicts the evil side of money, how it changes a person. It is an extraordinary depiction of love, loyalty, and forgiveness, of false perceptions, and the derived sadness. The plot is slow at the beginning, but it picks up pace as the pages turn, only to keep the reader hooked to it.

As is always the case with Dickens' characters, they are vividly described in the prose. It is easy to fall in love with the positive ones, but the way he writes, makes one intricately understand the negative ones as well. And let's be honest, people are both good and bad, so there is always a gray area. Miss Havisham (a character in this book), for instance, is so eerily described that the reader is left unsure whether to love her or hate her - certainly can't just ignore her!

There is no doubting the genius that is Dickens. Few instances:

The subtlety by which he takes a jab at the way humans misuse religion is just wonderful:

n  "Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and some people do the same by their religion."n

How life is nothing but a chain of connected events, remove any one and the result would have been different:

n  "That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."n

n  "life is made of ever so many partings welded together"n

How those who are affectionate are weak. Or are they?

n  "It’s a weakness to be so affectionate, but I can’t help it. No doubt my health would be much better if it was otherwise, still I wouldn’t change my disposition if I could. It’s the cause of much suffering, but it’s a consolation to know I possess it, when I wake up in the night."n

On the importance of crying:

n  "Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts."n

The definition of real love:

n  “I’ll tell you,” said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, “what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter—as I did!”n

How looks are deceiving:

n  "Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule."n

Verdict: Highly recommended. Worth a re-read.

2024/16

Review in English below

Mi primera lectura con mi madre este 2024 ha sido toda una maravillosa experiencia, y no se podía haber esperado menos de uno de los grandes de la época victoriana y literatura inglesa en general. Grandes esperanzas es una de esas obras que no te suelta una vez que estás dentro, y que no te soltará una vez que la hayas terminado de leer, ya que tanto sus personajes como su trama tan entretenida y bellamente escrita se quedarán contigo para siempre.

Creo que lo que más disfruté de esta historia, y por ahora lo puedo decir también, lo que más disfruto de este género que se conoce como novela sensacionalista, es que jamás te deja tener un momento de aburrimiento y siempre hay algo que está sucediendo capítulo tras capítulo, independientemente de lo mucho o poco que pueda impactar a la trama en sí. No cabe duda que una obra de este estilo me recuerda a una buena telenovela mexicana, con esa intensidad y fuerza que se da en una escena en particular por poner un ejemplo, esperando que las consecuencias puedan ser muy desastrosas o muy positivas, dependiendo del contexto. Uno de los mejores ejemplos que puedo poner es el cómo la vida le 'sonríe' a Pip, nuestro protagonista, en un momento determinado de la historia de manera inesperada, lo cual es el típico tema que se ha visto replicado en numerosas telenovelas hoy en día. Otro singular momento en Grandes esperanzas es el destino de la hermana de Pip, que no dejó de recordarme cierta escena de la única telenovela mexicana que defendería a capa y espada y por supuesto recomendaría ver, Cuna de lobos (1986). Básicamente obras como esta y La mujer de blanco fueron las telenovelas del ayer.

Si tuviera que quejarme de algo es definitivamente el abrupto final de la historia; no solo te deja con muchas preguntas, sino que además se siente forzado, el típico final que esperas encontrar en una obra victoriana pero donde se ha tenido que hacer así porque el público no estaría contento de haber sido de otra manera. Leí además que el final canónico es el segundo final que Dickens escribió para la novela a petición de Wilkie Collins, y al leer el original me di cuenta que ese hubiera sido un final mucho más adecuado y más apegado a la trama ya que sigue el mismo tono de toda la novela. Es lo que hay, pero tampoco es para llevarme la decepción de mi vida.

En general, recomendaría Grandes esperanzas a todo el mundo: si es tu primer Dickens, ve por él, si ya has leído muchas obras del autor, con más razón leerlo sería una gran idea, si eres un apasionado de los clásicos, no sé qué esperas para darle una oportunidad, y si los clásicos no son para ti, este te hará cambiar de opinión. Es el libro perfecto para cualquier situación, y no creo que pueda ser de otra forma.

----

My first reading with my mother this 2024 has been a wonderful experience, and nothing less could have been expected from one of the best books of the Victorian era and English literature in general. Great Expectations is one of those works that does not let go once you are in, and that will not let go once you have finished reading it, since both its characters and its plot are so entertaining and beautifully written that will stay with you forever.

I think what I enjoyed about this story the most, and for now I can also say, what I enjoy most about this genre best known as sensation novels, is that it never lets you have a dull moment and there is always something happening chapter after chapter, regardless of how much or little it may impact the plot itself. There is no doubt that a novel of this style reminds me of a good Mexican telenovela, with the intensity and strength that take place in a particular scene, for instance, expecting that the consequences could be very disastrous or very positive, depending on the context. One of the best examples I can give is how life 'smiles' at Pip, our protagonist, at a certain moment in the story in a very unexpected way, which is the typical theme that has been replicated in numerous soap operas these days. Another singular moment in Great Expectations is the fate of Pip's sister, which did not fail to remind me of a certain scene from the only Mexican telenovela that I would defend tooth and nail and of course I would recommend watching, Cuna de Lobos (1986). Basically books like this and The Woman in White were the soap operas of yesterday.

If I had to complain about something though, it's definitely the abrupt ending of the story; Not only does it leave you with a lot of questions, but it also feels forced, the typical ending you expect to find in a Victorian novel, where it had to be done that way because the readers back then wouldn't be happy if it had been any other way. I also read that the canonical ending is the second ending that Dickens wrote for the novel at the request of Wilkie Collins, thus, when reading the original I realized that this would have been a much more appropriate ending and more attached to the plot since it follows the same tone of the entire novel. It is what it is, but fortunately it wasn't the disappointment of my life.

All in all, I would recommend Great Expectations to everyone: if it is your first Dickens, go for it, if you have already read many of the author's works, even more so, reading it would be a great idea, if you are passionate about classic literature, I don't know what you're waiting for to give it a try, and if the classics aren't for you, this one will change your mind. It is the perfect book for any occasion, and I don't think it could be any other way.

My rating on a scale of 1 to 5:

Quality of writing [5/5]
Pace [5/5]
Plot development [4.5/5]
Characters [5/5]
Enjoyability [4/5]
Insightfulness [5/5]
Easy of reading [4.5/5]
Photos/Illustrations [N/A]

Total [33/7] = 4.71

I was really mad when I finished this book last night. I have to say I enjoyed this much more than the other Dickens' books I've read which is funny because someone told me it was written for kids so I should read it because I would like it better probably and I did. It just felt too long and I kind of saw the twist of who was Pip's benefactor coming but at the same time I think the way everything is told and developed is really good. I think I mostly felt it was long because I had to read slower than I would have otherwise because the writing was more complex and I wanted to make sure I was understanding what was happening and fully understanding each sentence. I think the last sentence or two of this book was really beautiful and so well written but it made me really mad to have it end that way despite the fact that it was a really good ending because it was ambiguous. I know it seems like no matter what happens with a book I complain and I think that's just my disposition as a person. Most of the characters were so unlikable though, especially Pip, so many times through out the book I wanted to throttle him. Anyway definitely the best Dickens book I've read thus far, and I would say this ones a 3.5 stars from me, it be higher but reading it felt slow and like I had to trudge through it at multiple points.

5 stars to Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. So many good choices in the world of Charles Dickens, but ultimately, even though I love me some ghosts of Scrooge, Great Expectations wins out.

Most of us probably were "forced" to read this book in junior high or high school. I am one of those people; however, I was an English major in college and read it again for one of my courses. It's one of those books that gets better as you get older and stronger each time you read it. If you only read it once, or you barely recall the story, I implore you to give it another chance.

This is the story of America. This is the story within all of us. It challenges culture and race. It challenges rich and poor. It challenges men and women. It challenges children and adults. It challenges marriage and being single. It challenges everything.

There are multiple plots and stories within this book. The characters are classic icons. The themes are intrinsic and speak to everything that America is built on.

At first, I admit it could feel overdone. The plot is varied and complex at times, but within each story, the lessons you learn without even realizing it are the little surprises you encounter when you least expect it.

Who can't imagine the wedding dress? Who hasn't contemplated what it would be like to steal something (even a pencil or a photocopy at work)? Who hasn't contemplated what love means?

You can't escape the realism and the drama all wrapped up in this book.

It's what helps you formulate so many ideas of life.

Go back and read it again if you haven't read it in years and didn't have an open mind. Eh, then watch the movie if you still have questions.

Great Expectations…were formed...were met…and were thoroughly exceeded!n  n

The votes have been tallied, all doubts have been answered and it is official and in the books ...I am a full-fledged, foaming fanboy of Sir Dickens and sporting a massive man-crush for literature’s master story-teller*.

*Quick Aside: My good friend Richard who despises “Chuckles the Dick” is no doubt having a conniption as he reads this…deep breaths, Richard, deep breaths.

After love, love, loving A Tale of Two Cities, I went into this one with, you guessed it [insert novel title] and was nervous and wary of a serious let down in my sophomore experience with Dickens. Silly me, there was zero reason for fear and this was even more enjoyable than I had hoped. Not quite as standing ovation-inducing as A Tale of Two Cities, but that was more a function of the subject matter of A Tale of Two Cities being more attractive to me.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Here Dickens tells the story of the growth and development of young Philip Pirrip (“Pip”) who begins his life as an orphan, neglected and abused, by his sister (Mrs. “Joe” Gargery). "I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born, in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality, and against the dissuading arguments of my best friends." Through a series of chance encounters, Pip rises above his disadvantaged beginnings to become a gentleman in every sense of the word. Pip’s journey is not a straight line and his strength of character and inner goodness are not unwavering, but, in the end, they shine through and he the better for it.

THOUGHTS & GUSHINGS:

Dickens prose is the essence of engaging and his humor is both sharp and subtle and sends warm blasts of happy right into my cockles.

n My sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, was more than twenty years older than I, and had established a great reputation with herself and the neighbors because she had brought me up “by hand.” Having at that time to find out for myself what the expression meant, and knowing her to have a hard and heavy hand, and to be much in the habit of laying it upon her husband as well as upon me, I supposed that Joe Gargery and I were both brought up by hand.

In addition to his ability to twist a phrase and infuse it with clever, dry wit, Dickens is able to brings similar skill across the entire emotional range. When he tugs on the heart-strings, he does so as a maestro plucks the violin and you will feel played and thankful for the experience.

n   For now my repugnance to him had all melted away, and in the hunted, wounded, shackled creature who held my hand in his, I only saw a man who had meant to be my benefactor, and who had felt affectionately, gratefully, and generously, towards me with great constancy through a series of years. I only saw in him a much better man than I had been to Joe.
…
We spent as much money as we could, and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same condition. There was a gay fiction among us that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a skeleton truth that we never did. To the best of my belief, our case was in the last aspect a rather common one. n

Dickens never bashes over the head with the emotional power of his prose. In fact, it is the quiet, subtle method of his delivery of the darker emotions that make them so powerful.

Okay…okay…I’ll stop on the prose. I think I’ve made my point that I love his writing.

Combine his polished, breezy verse with his seemingly endless supply of memorable characters that is his trademark and you have the makings of a true classic...which this happens to be. There are so many unique, well drawn characters in this story alone that it is constantly amazing to me that he was able to so regularly populate his novels with such a numerous supply. To name just a few, Great Expectations gives us:

- the wealthy and bitter Miss Havisham,
- the good-hearted but often weak social climbing main character Pip,
- the good-hearted criminal Magwitch,
n  n
- the truly evil and despicable Orlick and Drummle,
n  n
- the virtuous, pillar of goodness "Joe" Gargery
- the abusive, mean-spirited, never-to-be-pleased Mrs. Joe Gargery,
- the cold and unemotional Estella,
- the officious, money-grubbing Mr. Pumblechook, and
- the iconic Victorian businessman Mr. Jaggers.

It’s a veritable panoply of distinct personalities, each with their own voice and their own part to play in this wonderful depiction of life in 19th Century London.

The only criticism I have for the book is that I tend to agree with some critics that the original "sadder" ending to the story was better and more in keeping with the rest of the narrative. However, as someone who doesn't mind a happy ending, especially with characters I have come to truly care for, that is a relatively minor gripe.

4.5 to 5.0 stars. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS!!!

P.S. A few bonus quotes that I thought were too good not to share:

Pip: “In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong.”

Joe to Pip: "If you can't get to be uncommon through going straight, you'll never get to do it through going crooked."