Rating: 
Summary: A Child's Journey to Adulthood
Review: "Great Expectations" is an extraordinary novel of a young boy's journey to adulthood. We meet Pip as he describes his sister who "raised him by hand." However, despite his misgivings about his sister he still feels very fondly towards his brother-in-law Joe Gargery. He meets many extraordinary characters along the way one of them being the classic literary figure Miss Havsiham. Miss Havisham had a broken heart and she raised her daughter Estealla to view men the same way she did. As Pip grows up and moves out on his own he becomes the only person to know the true identity of Estella. The other important character in "Great Expectations" is a criminal. He had threatened Pip in the marshes when he was a young boy and came back from New Zealand many years later to see Pip again. All though the criminal meets his untimely demise we still grow close to the character and miss him when he goes. This book gives an excellent view of not only a young boy's thoughts and emotions but outlook as well. It takes you on a journey that provides you with many lessons that can be carried throughout your life. Despote the magnificence and brilliance of the author's writing it is still a very difficult book. Dickens gives an amazing outlook on life and he deserves the recognition he has gotten, even since his death. "Great Expectations" is a true classic and deserves to go down in literary history.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Tale from an Exceptional Writer
Review: "Great Expectations" is Charles Dickens classic novels that portrays the story of Pip, born into a destitute and poor family, with little hope for a bright future. We would expect someone born into his social class to remain in this position forever, without much hope for improvements. However, Pip surprises us when he has a chance encounter with Miss Havisham, an old, grumpy, widow. She's obviously delirous, upset at men who have crossed her, and does take out some of her anger at poor Pip. But yet Pip is lucky behind his wildest dreams, for he is about to meet the beautiful Estella, and while this may appear normal, it is definitely not. And this is what makes "Great Expectations" a classic: the book is about Cinderella from reverse: it is the man, in this particular instance, who moves from working-class peasant to meeting an upper-class elegant lady who is beautiful beyong Pip's dreams. It is an aspiring tale in that it tells the reader that they, too, may be able to have widespread class mobility. They are not stuck in their present circumstances and may indeed exceed their own expectations. -- Michael Gordon
Los Angeles
Rating:
Summary: A Child's Journey to Adulthood
Review: "Great Expectations" is an extraordinary novel of a young boy's journey to adulthood. We meet Pip as he describes his sister who "raised him by hand." However, despite his misgivings about his sister he still feels very fondly towards his brother-in-law Joe Gargery. He meets many extraordinary characters along the way one of them being the classic literary figure Miss Havsiham. Miss Havisham had a broken heart and she raised her daughter Estealla to view men the same way she did. As Pip grows up and moves out on his own he becomes the only person to know the true identity of Estella. The other important character in "Great Expectations" is a criminal. He had threatened Pip in the marshes when he was a young boy and came back from New Zealand many years later to see Pip again. All though the criminal meets his untimely demise we still grow close to the character and miss him when he goes. This book gives an excellent view of not only a young boy's thoughts and emotions but outlook as well. It takes you on a journey that provides you with many lessons that can be carried throughout your life. Despote the magnificence and brilliance of the author's writing it is still a very difficult book. Dickens gives an amazing outlook on life and he deserves the recognition he has gotten, even since his death. "Great Expectations" is a true classic and deserves to go down in literary history.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Tale from an Exceptional Writer
Review: "Great Expectations" is Charles Dickens classic novels that portrays the story of Pip, born into a destitute and poor family, with little hope for a bright future. We would expect someone born into his social class to remain in this position forever, without much hope for improvements. However, Pip surprises us when he has a chance encounter with Miss Havisham, an old, grumpy, widow. She's obviously delirous, upset at men who have crossed her, and does take out some of her anger at poor Pip. But yet Pip is lucky behind his wildest dreams, for he is about to meet the beautiful Estella, and while this may appear normal, it is definitely not. And this is what makes "Great Expectations" a classic: the book is about Cinderella from reverse: it is the man, in this particular instance, who moves from working-class peasant to meeting an upper-class elegant lady who is beautiful beyong Pip's dreams. It is an aspiring tale in that it tells the reader that they, too, may be able to have widespread class mobility. They are not stuck in their present circumstances and may indeed exceed their own expectations. -- Michael Gordon
Los Angeles
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Read
Review: Absolutely one of my favorite books ever written... superb, intense and emotional, this books is highly reccommended to anyone who likes literature. Follows the coming of age of Pip, who is realized so fully that the reader cant help but identify with him, and come to feel as if he knows him. Anything by Dickens is bound to be something special, but in my opinion this one takes the cake.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Complex Dickens, but the first that I read.
Review: Although one of the first Dickens books that I've read, it is still one of my favourites. The scenes with Miss Haveisham's ghost wedding banquet are haunting and have stuck with me for years. We see how Pip saw this abandoned wedding banquet, and then we follow Pip and his subsequent relationship with Miss Havisham as he grows up. Miss Havisham, for some reason has resolved to take out her considerable vindictiveness on little Pip, and we see how this moulds little Pip's character. We also see the positive effect that a prisoner (Joe Gargery) has on Pip. The tone of this novel is quite gloomy throughout, but it does end on a positive note. Although gloomy, it does have Dickens' usual warmth and humour displayed throughout, and of course his wonderful characters. This is a book that will stay with you for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Best novel EVER!
Review: Another reviewer claims that you have to be at least 21 years old to read this book. Although I don't think it should be "forced" on schoolchildren (they will only hate it) I read this novel when I was a child and I loved it. I have just re-read it now and I enjoy it all the more. This is my favorite novel by Dickens. It is from his later period and is criticized for being too dark - which, however, makes it more perfect for today's sensibilities. Stephen King cites this work as one of his favorites: he believes that it is this book that brought the gothic novel mainstream. Was there ever a novelist who created more memorable characters than Dickens? Here, we meet perhaps his most intriguing - Miss Havisham. For anyone unfamiliar with the story, I will not spoil it by describing her. The story is similar to parable about the prodigal son - good Pip inexplicably comes into some money and goes off to the corrupting city. AN IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE: Dickens wrote two ending for this book. His friends thought that the original ending was too downbeat and they asked him to come up with a different one. It is the upbeat ending that is the official ending of the novel. However, most critics agree that the original unpublished ending is better. Most modern editions feature the unpublished ending in an appendix. MAKE SURE YOU BUY A COPY THAT CONTAINS THE ORIGINAL ENDING!
Rating: 
Summary: Review
Review: Charles Dickens Review
I think that this book was a little bit advanced for us to be reading there was way too many different characters and way to many character changes. If he would have kept the book simpler, it might have been a little bit easier to read and understand. It also would have helped if the author would have only given some of the characters one name instead of giving some people two names making it look like they were a completely different person, that was very confusing.
It was good at the end when things finally started coming together and making a little more sense. One of my favorite parts was when Pip finally realizes that he is not meant to be a gentleman, and that he was meant to be a blacksmith. The major themes were the only thing that really helped me understand the book. I really didn't like this book very much because I couldn't really relate to it, therefore, I couldn't understand it. I think that we should have read a book that was more modern and practical.
Rating: 
Summary: English Writing
Review: Great Expectations
By: Jeremy B.
Naples, FL.
Great Expectations is about a young kid named Pip. The book starts out when he is 8 years old and he is in a grave yard when an escaped convict comes up to him and demands that he get him some food and a file, so he can get out of his ankle cuffs. Pip does as he is asked and doesn't tell a sole like he had sworn too. The story then continues to follow Pips life as he gets older.
This book is an English novel written by Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens wrote many books, of which a couple are required reading by English classes. Great Expectations is a well written book in which the surroundings, characters and noises are well described. Although Great Expectations is well written I feel that the story is a little slow to pick up and, it is hard to become engrossed into the book because it seems a little monotone. In later chapters you can also guess at what might be coming next.
Great Expectations though slow to pick up, does have a good, solid story line and can be entertaining to read once you pass the first chapter. This would not be a good book for people who like action books or books with a lot of twists and turns that keep you reading to see what comes next. But if you like a slower paced book with maybe a hint of love in it with a less gripping more predictable out come then Great Expectations would be a good pick.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, but could have been better
Review: Great Expectations was ok, but there were a few things that the author could have done better. First, in my opinion he shouldn't have changed certain characters names around, which can be confusing for some people. There is also illegal activities on the part of some of the characters. Also, even the abridged version of the book is a bit long. Perhaps Dickens could have wound things up in a tighter package for the reader. Dickens plot can be a bit confusing at times, and the reader sometimes is left to piece together the novel for himself.
However, this is not a necessesarily a totally boring read. There are several good things about it. Lying is at least partially looked at in a negative light, and steadfast faithfulness among friends is evident among some of the book's main characters. Justice is done to an man for his wrongdoing.
Overall, the book is readable but too long. Also, when considering this book, keep in mind that author's back then, are different from authors today. If you like Dicken's works, you might like this book.
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