Great Expectations

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, is a fresh and original story that takes you into the the life of a poor young orphan, Pip, taken in by his sister and her husband. Written in the first person by Pip himself, he details the account of his poor upbringing, his rise to being a gentlemen, his restless years of excitement and danger, and at the end of his life reflects on the many life lessons learned. The book twists and turns through the intricacy of Pip’s life, taking the reader through his extreme highs to his depressing lows. The novel starts off quick while entangling the reader in an intense development of story that does not end until the last pages. The reader will have great expectations of the book, which expectations do not disappoint.

The plot of the story revolves around Pip and a fortune that is bestowed upon him by an unknown benefactor so he can become a gentlemen. Though surprised, Pip likes the idea of being learned with money and takes his fortune with a surprisingly boastful arrogance, as he leaves his humble family behind as he moves to London. While there, great friendships are made while other friendships are lost, fortunes are made while fortunes are lost, discoveries are made while previous assumptions are falsified, but most importantly is the discovery of true love.

The writing is genuine and clever and never leaves the reader bored. I did stumble a few times with the words and was confused at times, but with a dictionary and sometimes even spark notes (I do admit that I used it a few times, but not nearly as much as I did with A Tale of Two Cities) I made it through the book. As I was nearing the end of the book, I thought the expectations I had were not coming true and was disappointed, but true to Charles Dickens, the last fifteen pages was enough to take the book from one tier to the next.

A quarter romance, a quarter adventure, a quarter mystery, and a quarter drama makes up this novel in the finest degree. 

I really liked the book. It is a must read. My favorite character in the book is Joe Gargery because of his humble and loving personality.