Great Expectations (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

~ Charles Dickens (Author), (Editor), Kate Flint (Introduction) "MY FATHER'S family name being Pirrip, and my christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than..." (more)
Key Phrases: pale young gentleman, awful dull, portable property, Miss Havisham, Miss Skiffins, Uncle Pumblechook (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Novel by Charles Dickens, first published serially in All the Year Round in 1860-61 and issued in book form in 1861. The novel was one of its author's greatest critical and popular successes. The first-person narrative relates the coming-of-age of Pip (Philip Pirrip). Reared in the marshes of Kent by his disagreeable sister and her sweet-natured husband, the blacksmith Joe Gargery, the young Pip one day helps a convict to escape. Later he is sent to live with Miss Havisham, a woman driven half-mad years earlier by her lover's departure on their wedding day. Her other ward is the orphaned Estella, whom she is teaching to torment men with her beauty. Pip, at first cautious, later falls in love with Estella, to his misfortune. When an anonymous benefactor makes it possible for Pip to go to London for an education, he credits Miss Havisham. He begins to look down on his humble roots, but nonetheless Estella spurns him again and marries instead the ill-tempered Bentley Drummle. Pip's benefactor turns out to have been Abel Magwitch, the convict he once aided, who dies awaiting trial after Pip is unable to help him a second time. Joe rescues Pip from despair and nurses him back to health. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192833596
• ISBN-13: 978-0192833594
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #541,737 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Social commentary, mystery, romance and a great story..., November 26, 2000

By	Linda Linguvic (New York City) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Great Expectations (Wordsworth Classics) (Paperback)

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+

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Human Nature VS. The Human Condition., January 12, 2007

By	Steve Guardala "Support The ASPCA. Ignore All... (?????) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Great Expectations (Oxford World's Classics Hardcovers) (Hardcover)

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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, wonderfully read, January 24, 2000

By	Christopher Dudley (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Great Expectations (Cover to Cover Classics) (Audio Cassette)

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.