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Classic Starts: Great Expectations (Classic Starts Series)
 
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Classic Starts: Great Expectations (Classic Starts Series) [Hardcover]

Charles Dickens (Author), Deanna McFadden (Editor), Eric Freeberg (Illustrator), Arthur Pober Ed.D (Afterword)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Book Description

7 and up2 and upClassic Starts Series

When young Pip accidentally meets a convict out in the marsh one Christmas Eve, he has no idea that his life is about to change--forever.   The amazing events following that encounter, and the strange tale of Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella, have made Great Expectations a must-read since it was first serialized in 1860. Now, young readers can enjoy Dickens’s engrossing story in this simplified yet thrilling version.


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Classic Starts: Great Expectations (Classic Starts Series) + Classic Starts: The Odyssey (Classic Starts Series) + Classic Starts: Moby-Dick (Classic Starts Series)
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Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Sterling (February 2, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1402766459
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402766459
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Starts Edition, May 18, 2011
This review is from: Classic Starts: Great Expectations (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
There are two widely divergent schools of thought amongst home educators regarding the classics. You should only ever read them to (or have your children read) the unabridged, original versions. Another school of thought states that if you wish to have a great books education for your children, it is helpful to read them (or have them read) high quality abridgements and retellings of the original works during the grammar years.

Though I have in the past steadfastly held to the first position, after reading Great Expectations (Classic Starts) - a child-friendly retelling of Dickens' classic story for readers from 9 - 12, I have to say that I can see how children's versions can be a useful tool. Children can read and easily understand the simplified style while picking up on the major characters, themes, setting, and plot, while not becoming bogged down in the original work. Then when they revisit it, they will gain all the more from the original. The creamy pages, larger font size, and generous line spacing also combine to make this handsome hardcover edition a great choice for young readers.

Actually (and this might sound sacrilegious to Dickens' fans), I think I enjoyed the abridgement more than the original. I have always found Great Expectations to be a strange, disturbing sort of story, but when I read this to my daughter she was SO interested - even though she was only seven at the time. She was so excited to find out what would happen to Pip during his adventures through life. I still think the story is a bit odd (sorry Dickens' - maybe I'm just not enough of a "Great Books" gal) but this rendition is a great starter book to pick up the main points before digging into the real deal.

So, what is Great Expectations about anyway? Doesn't a book review normally include some verbiage about the story itself? Let me take a crack at it for you. Young Pip is an orphan living with relatives in Victorian England when he encounters an escaped criminal who he aids (somewhat reluctantly) to flee from justice. Soon after this nightmarish experience, he is drawn into a strange friendship with an old woman and her proud young relation - Estella. As he matures, a mysterious benefactor funds his education so that he can become a proper gentleman. This is an incredibly simplified synopsis, but that gives you a tiny taste of what this well-known story is about.

This is also a very affordable book - only $5.95 for a hardcover. Pretty nice if you ask me!
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3.0 out of 5 stars for younger kids, December 30, 2011
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This review is from: Classic Starts: Great Expectations (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
I thought this book was for older children (14-15) but it clearly was a shortened or condensed version. Probably great choice for a younger student.
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0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed!, January 11, 2011
By 
Kenya Brown (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Classic Starts: Great Expectations (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
I didn't realize the license the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawks took. I loved the movie but it was VERY different from the book. Therefore, I was disappointed with the book, due to my own expectations.

The book didn't really focus on the love between Pip & the girl.

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