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Summary: winds of fate, mystery of identity
Review: There is no doubt that Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" is a masterpiece. The intricacy of its plot has rarely been matched. Its characters are unforgettable. It speaks powerfully to what it means to be human.Pip is the perfect picture of flawed humanity. He is essentially well meaning, but his vision always seems to get cloudy at just the wrong time. Throughout the book, Pip falls prey to his dreams and infatuations. In the process he ignores those who truly love him. Only in the end does he learn, in catastrophic terms, the importance of love. Only then is able to accept it. "Great Expectations" is the story of Pip's learning process. Along the way we encounter some of Dickens greatest secondary characters: the fierce Mr. Jaggers, the self-centered and mentally unstable Mrs. Havisham and her heartless prodigy Estella, and Pip's great friend Joe. I give a special recommendation to this Bantam Classic edition of the work. Its introduction by John Irving is one of the greatest pieces of criticism ever written. Though not my favorite Dickens novel, I give "Great Expectations" a heartfelt recommendation.
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Summary: AN ILLOGICAL STORY
Review: As a student, I was expecting to read a literary masterpiece. I don't like long books like Great Expectations but this book went into extreme detail about the most meaningless things.The novel grabs you fast and has a story with many surprises and twists along the way.Theres all sorts of unknown parents, secret coniving, mysterious benefactors, and worst of all, many unrealistic characters. Miss Havisham, Pip, Magwitch, Mr. Jaggers, and Estella are the characters that you should think more about them understand them.
If this is to be your first reading of the book, be patient with the book's middle third,because the real and important events starts very late;The story centers around a young boy--well, almost young man-- named Pip, and revolves around his growing into age. Much of Pip's worry and concern I could relate to--falling in love with a girl who only plays with your heart, growing up and leaving home for the first time, and discovering your true relationships with others and yourself.
It is a darker work, but it has some exciting and entertaining parts to it, too. If a ex-convict came up to me, I would be so scared that I would run away. The fact that Pip trusted Magwitch with a lot of things really amazed me.
Actually there are great descriptions with wonderful dialogues and I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, but an illogical read.
Rating: 
Summary: A "Great" Book
Review: Great Expectations, a book that Dickens ironically considered as one of his "little pieces." Though it is small compared to other works by Dickens, what this novel lacks in size it makes up for in quality. Great Expectations succeeds beyond almost all novels of its time in exploring the roots of character and moral behaviour. Charles Dickens makes the case for there being the potential for good and evil within everyone. Evil and sin follow from a combination of being self-absorbed and selfish. What is remarkable about the way these themes are handled is that they are clearly based on an assessment of human psychology, long before that field was established. The book is also remarkable for its many indelibly memorable and complex characters. Miss Havisham, Pip, Magwitch, Mr. Jaggers, and Estella are certainly some of the most complex characters ever created by Dickens.
Though a novel founded on philosophic concepts, the story is full of action to keep the plot moving. An escaped convict, an attempted murder, and a mysterious benefactor all add to the sense of mystery that exists throughout most of the novel and forces the reader to continue. Murder, deceit, jealously, and revenge also help to hold the attention of the reader while Dickens explores the depths of human nature.
As you read Great Expectations, raise your expectations (sorry, I couldn't help myself) to assume that you will receive answers to any dangling thread. Every detail is important, if not to solve the mysteries of the characters then only to enhance the "sense of place." Although the England described here is long gone, it becomes as immediate as a nightmare or a dream that you have just awakened from.
This story by Dickens is a must-read and deserves five-stars.
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Summary: Great Expectations rules!!!
Review: I was forced to read Great Expectations in the ninth grade, and i am still in the ninth grade, so yeah. I am currently on page 133, and so far it is the coolest book I jave ever read. I thought i would hate it, but i was quite mistaken. The gripping drama of it all was unbeatable by any modern mystery i have read today. Get this book quickly because it is already my favorite book ever, and you will love it, too!!!
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Summary: a great intro to Dickens beyond "A Christmas Carol"
Review: Charles Dickens is an excellent writer and I think young readers will enjoy Great Expectations in particular, as it begins when Pip, the protagonist, is a poor young boy living with his sister and her husband, and progresses through adulthood. Kids can identify with the helplessness Pip feels about his living situation, and share in his hope for a better future when he "is all grown up". One night, young Pip is out when he meets up with a convict, whom he feeds and so he lets Pip go, promising not to kill him after all. Shortly afterwards, he becomes a sort of ward to the legendary Miss Havisham, a woman who was stood up at the altar many years beforehand and, as a result of her broken heart, has left everything as it was on that day -- rotting wedding cake on the table, herself in a fraying wedding gown .... Miss Havisham is raising her niece Estella, whom she is teaching to be cruel enough to break Pip's heart the way hers once was broken, as a means of exacting revenge on all men. Pip has been set up with a trust fund by a mysterious benefactor, and so he sets about distancing himself from the poor youth who hobnobbed with convicts into the kind of gentleman he assumes Estella will love. This is an intriguing tale of one young man's bouts with love, folly, and snobbery intertwined with the kind of colorful, haunting characters for which Dickens is famous.
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Summary: I could not put this book down. Awesome
Review: I too am one of those high school kids that was forced to read the book freshman year. But unlike most of them I loved the book. It was with in my textbook which made it hard to read but other then that I could not put it down. The themes of the story are so inviting that you can't wait to read about what happens next. Dickens kept the tone inving and I kept going back to read more. I am now a junior and reading the book yet again for a history assignment and even though I know what is happening I still can't put it down. To all the freshman out there that have to read this book: Give it a chance. If you really hat eit and want to watch the movie go to the local library and get Disneys version of it. They did it exactly to the book and it is awesome. Its long but it does get rid of some of the unnecessary backgorund information. It comes in a series of 3 tapes. Other then that I love this book. I am not an avid reader but this one was awesome.
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Summary: Too many words
Review: This is my least favorite book. I was forced to read it for freshman honors English, or I would have stopped reading it. It has a good plot, but because Dickens was paid by the word, he added too many useless details. I really didn't enjoy dinner scenes that lasted for 17,000 chapters without revealing anything remotely important. However, the way the characters intertwined was fascinating. If you want to get the interesting part of the book, read the cliff's notes. I've also heard it's a little less mind-numbing on tape. Only read the book if you're going to be quizzed on it the next day. I don't know if all Dickens is this bad, but I'll not read any more of his books until I'm forced to for my next English class.
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Summary: I never thought I could enjoy reading assignments ...
Review: This was required reading my English honors class, and everyone complained and hated this book thoroughly ... well I liked it! I had no idea this would be such a great book, (considering we just read Jane Eyre, from the same period, and it was the most dull and pointless book I ever read), and despite Dickens' never ending sentences and tough language, I was held to the book, (especially towards the beginning and end), and didn't mind reading it. What was everyone complaining about? Convicts and marshes and kidnappings ... what more could you ask for out of a classic book? Dickens's book wasn't just a story. It had a message about poverty and the wealthy. In the book, all the rich characters live unhappy lives. They are depressed, greedy, and overall cold hearted. And even though the poor characters don't live the happiest lives, they know how to love. Joe is a perfect example. Joe is always beside Pip, (the main character), even when Pip does things that would to any other person kill their friendship. And Magwitch has been through the most troubles of all, (in of prison out of prison, poverty, being "low"), but he is able to love, laugh, and keep a smile on his face. This is the one book where the convict is a good guy. Yes, the sentences never end. He can fit so much information into one sentence, that a few times I found myself not understanding and remembering the beginning of the sentence by the time I reached the end. This is one book you can't speed read and skim through ... you have to read every word or else you are totally lost. Most people disliked this book because it is a hard read. But the story line is great. So many things happen, so many messages are presented ... it has everything a great book needs.
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Summary: A light David Copperfield
Review: I was quite disappointed reading this book after having read David Copperfield. Although both books bear some resemblances, the plot in Great Expectations is much more condensed and simpler. The story is again the orphan-boy-who-gets-away-from-home-in-search-of-a-happier-life. The plot, however, is much less intricated than it is in David Copperfied. There are fewer characters (and fewer pages!) in this book. That caused me an impression that the story is not as feasible as it is in David Copperfield. Some things seem to be rather unreal or fantastical. There are some qualities, however, that remain the same as they are in David Copperfield. The narrative, the characters descriptions and their surprising behaviour keep the reader up to the last page. So this is my advice: if you are one of those who tried to read David Copperfield but gave up because thought it was too boring or long, Great Expectations is an excellent book for you. And maybe, after you have finished it, you'll be willing to read a much better one: David Copperfield.
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Summary: A short story told in 400 pages.
Review: This book could have made a wonderful short story, but as a full length novel it lacks both and entertaining plot and characters that one can truly empathize with.
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