Book Review: Great Expectation by Charles Dickens
Great Expectations is Charles Dickens’s most popular book. It was published in the year 1861; in three volumes. Pip as he was known was from his names Philip Pirrip as he could not be able to pronounce his names when he was an infant. Pip being orphaned lives in the country at Southeast England with his sister and her husband. Being from a poor background, he expects to be a blacksmith when he grows up just like his sister’s husband (Dickens 1-5).
Richness to poor people is not something they expect to come their way. However, if given the chance of improving their status, they will handle the situation with care and diligence. This is to allow them plough back profits and make good use of the chance awarded them by the society. One day, an unknown benefactor resolves, to give him a large sum of inheritance that would change his whole life. Pip had to go to London and live a life, which was very different from what he was used. The new, profound richness made him unhappy of his poor background (McFadden, Dickens and Freeberg 78). He also continued to grow in love with his childhood friend Estella. Estella was an adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, who lived most of her life as a bitter old woman because she was left on the wedding day with her fiancée. Bentley Drummle, “a horrible brute of a boy” as referred to by Pip, later married Estella. In London, Pip was faced with numerous disasters and challenges, he grow apart with Mr. Joe and her sister who later died from the attack (McFadden, Dickens and Freeberg 120). Pip could not confess his love for the beautiful Estella who is becoming colder towards him due to the lesson from her adopted mother to be a cruel lady who breaks men’s heart. He made many friends in London and even went to school. This book focuses on Pip’s life and experiences from when he was a young boy to an adult. The novel Great Expectation indicates the emotional development of a person’s main character, which does not always be as one expects. The story is a tale of passion and has several twists in the story (Dickens 382).
One of the most important topics of this novel is Pip’s love to Estella. Despite the frequent unfruitful visit to Miss Havishm house, he continued to love the woman. When he moved to live in London and was able to get together and intermingle with many people his love for Estella did not die (McFarlane 56). He even believed that his newfound richness was from Miss Havisham, this according to him would enable him be fit to marry her daughter Estella. As a regular visitor to Miss Havisham house use, Pip was present when she accidentally set herself on fire, he bravely saves her, but the burns were a lot and the old lady ended up dying (Dickens 320).
Estella marriage was not happy, and when Pip visited, he found her alone and was friendlier this time, and they became good friends. It also turned out that the inheritance that Pip got was not from Miss Havisham by a long time friend of Pip, Mr. Magwitch who was a convict that Pip fed in the churchyard several years ago (Dickens 472). Mr. Magwitch later settled with Pip, and he was not amused about this. He tried to find the means and ways to drive him away with that help of his friend Mr. Herbert. After several attempts to drive him away, they ended up with a plan to help enable him to escape, with the help of another friend called Startop (Dickens 473). The plan backfired at them because of an enemy of Mr. Magwitch called Compeyson who reported him to the authorities and injured himself in the process and Mr. Magwitch went to jail but died from injuries. Pip later discovered that Mr. Mgawitch was the Estella biological father and a person with a good and decent heart (Dickens 474).
In conclusion, the book is written in an ancient style is surprisingly easy to read and is captivating to the reader, and one follows closes as the writer (Pip) narrates the story to the reader. The reader can have an impression that since the book is old; it is very general and does not bring out the points clearly. The experiences from this novel are for one to remember, and learn. It is a love story with a complex twist that becomes visible right from the start of the story, their relationship filled with many difficulties, as Pip’s does not let go of his love. The story is comical, with passion and with a lot of suspense; many cheering twist awaits the reader about the relationship of Estella and Pip.
Works Cited
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations single Title Classics. New York: Forgotten Books, 2012. Print.
McFadden, Deanna, Dickens, Charles and Freeberg, Eric. Great Expectations. Texas: Sterling,
2010. Print.
McFarlane, Brian. Charles Dickens' Great expectations: the relationship between text and film.
London: Methuen Drama, 2008. Print.
