Rating: 
Summary: Great Expesctations- the worst book of all time
Review: Charles Dickens.......when the name comes to mind at first we think of a great author, but this absolutely pointless book disgraces his name. It brings me down to the point of feeling sory for the trees to which this book had to be printed. This book is entirely over-rated and just due to dicken's reputation for great work, we're supposed to just read the trash and nod our heads? Absolutely not. This book might be interesting to someone chained to a palm tree on a deserted island but to the remaining other i would tell them to not waste their time by reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant Irony With A Story That Illuminates Exactly That
Review: This is a novel of bitterly dashed hopes and people who still cling to their broken dreams, allowing them to rob the present of meaning. Pride and greed are shown to delude even the best of people, causing them to believe what they want, rather than the obvious facts. The characters are over-the-top, yet still drawn sympathetically, and are some of the most memorable figures in the whole of literature. This is Dickens' best work.
Rating:
Summary: One of the top ten novels of the 19th century.
Review: I find myself surprised at the comments provided by earlier reviewers. One critic gave "Great Expectations" one star because he/she failed a test. Why should Dickens be blamed for that? Another said there was no structure (in a Dickens novel???). Another, that there was "little direction and less power." That there was no theme and no plot. Perhaps I am seeing things that aren't there but, whatever the shortcomings are, it is not in plot, themes, or characterization. It is the story of the orphan Philip Pirrip, known to everyone as Pip, from the age of about seven to the age of twenty-three, with a brief section at the end that takes place about eleven years later. Pip is being brought up "by hand" by his loud and quarrelsome sister and her kind and quiet husband, the blacksmith Joe Gargery. Young Pip is soon asked to serve in the home of Miss Havisham, who appears to be half mad since the day, years earlier, when she had been left at the alter by her old lover. Miss Havisham is raising a young girl named Estella to be heartless in her treatment of men when she grows up as a form of revenge against all men. And, Pip naturally falls in love with her. After a few years, Pip finds himself wealthy due to some unknown benefactor (who he mistakenly thinks is Miss Havisham and who he also believes has planned to have Estella marry him when they are older) and he now has "great expectations" made of him. He plans to become a gentleman and he leaves the kind and devoted Joe to live in London, Pip hoping to leave behind his humble past of which he now feels ashamed. After a few more years, he discovers that his unknown benefactor was Abel Magwitch whom he had helped when he was seven. Magwitch had been convicted and deported to Australia where he became a wealthy sheepman. Even though Magwitch was forbidden to return to England, he does so just to see the young man he had been helping to become a gentleman. Through problems with the law trying to arrest Magwitch, problems with Magwitch's past, the loss of the fortune and of Pip's great expectations, and through illness, Pip discovers the basic goodness in Joe, the devotion of Magwitch and of Pip's close friend Herbert Pocket, and what really is important. He discovers the value of family and of close friends and confidants. Estelle, who had married a cruel oaf, also learns her lessons and finds that she may have a heart as well (in the more common of the two endings of the novel). This is a great novel.
Rating: 
Summary: A rambling book with very little direction and less power
Review: I don't know where to begin. The book never had me. I don't think it ever actually tried to have me. It's premise centers around a boy named Pip and his life in 19th century England. It's only too bad that Dickens spends far too much time showcasing his prolific skills of writing in the English language and less time on any sort of a solid base for this specific novel. The reader feels absolutely no connection to any of the characters, most notably Pip or Joe. The one bright part of the book is Miss Havisham, who Dickens spends enough time with for us to empathize with her for her lonely life.The biggest problem of course, is it's lack of commitment to any sort of theme. A great novel, as many would claim this is, must possess the language and have something to say. It seems, especially at the beginning, that Dickens is taking his stand against early Industrial Revolution labor practices. However, the book never really delves into that in any way shape or form. When Dickens chooses to describe Joe's house or some other hovel, he persists to use the same kind of language as when he describes, for instance, Miss Havisham's or Wemmick's house. This book, on the whole, is as dry as Spanish sherry and is simply not meant for anyone who wishes to extrapolate anything of meaning from the books they read.
Rating:
Summary: A true literary classic by a gifted author
Review: One could not expect to get a decent review on this book from American youth who lack the culture, knowledge, and discipline to enjoy anything that is not a video game. Understanding Dickens, one must remember that he wrote his book in chapters which were printed as excerpts in popular magazines of the time. Compiling these excerpts together results in a lenghtier novel. Appreciate the author's ability to develop characters, to visually put the reader into 1800 Victorian England, and Dickens as a social justice advocate for the poor. If you're looking for extensive sex, violence, and meaningless dialogue and plot, watch American Television.
Rating: 
Summary: My First Dickens Novel
Review: This book was on my reading list for 9th grade, and it was my first Dickens novel ever. It took me about 3 days to read, and it was kind of a fluctuating thing. Some parts of it I couldn't put down, while other parts I dragged myself through. On the whole, I thought it was a good book, but not one I would read over again for a while. Dickens' use of figurative language is exquisite, but sometimes I found it hard to understand at first. The way almost every character described is tied some way into the tale is fantastic. You always have to pay attention, for you never know when that character might turn up again. This is such a tragic story already that I wish it would have ended a little better. I know it broke my heart. All in all, I would only recommend this book to someone who is in the mood for a complex tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Even though I'm only in High School, this book had a deep impact. This book was extrmely well written, Dickens use of figurative language and his descriptive language was fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: Not slow, but absorbing
Review: This is a great book, and if it's too 'complex' for you, you haven't read many good books, because it pioneered the layout of a novel. It is full of forgiveness, obsession, pride, disillusionment... rich and involving. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: I liked it! I can't believe I liked it!
Review: My previous experience with Dickens is that I picked up A Tale of Two Cities, got about five pages, and then returned it to the library, yawning. Well, I finally decided that I would will myself through a Dickens novel. And I enjoyed it immensely. I can't say that the plot was especially thrilling -- nor the ending particularly satisfying. And yes, it is long, and if you just want to find out what happens, you won't find it to be of much interest. But what I like about the books is the attention to characters and details -- even ones that are almost irrelevant to the story -- but which kept kept me smiling and reading. In particular, his friend who is a clerk who has made his house TRULY to be his castle, complete with moat and drawbridge -- and who has an Aged Parent that had me laughing like crazy. The unexpected irony -- when Pip describes things to be such and so, but when it is clear to the reader to be much different -- I found to be wonderful. I felt that Dicken's had painted very strong visual elements -- by the end of the novel, I had very strong visual images of most of the characters and settings. I'm pleased to say that I have read a Dicken's novel and I truly enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Great look inside a compelling season
Review: The 1990 Niners were a special team. The author probably set out to cover the NFL's first threepeat, only to be denied when the Giants moved on to the Super Bowl instead of San Francisco. No matter. The book tells a story of a great mix of youth and veterans, and offers a great glimpse into the worries and concerns of an NFL player. A good read. Very underrated book.
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