After writing A Tale of Two Cities, which was unique among his novels in that it had none of his trademark humour, Dickens set out to make Great Expectations rich in comic elements. This despite, or perhaps because of, being in a depressed state of mind himself at the time. The conventional critical view is that he largely failed in this attempt, but I strongly disagree. The book is hilariously funny in parts and the main character, Pip, exhibits a characteristically British humour-in-adversity throughout his adventures. There is also the host of minor comic characters that we expect from Dickens. And he for once manages pathos without spilling over into bathos, so there are tears as well as laughter here, sometimes both at once.

If you have not yet read any Dickens, this is not a bad book with which to start, although for younger readers (teens) I would recommend Hard Times or A Tale of Two Cities as their first. Great Expectations demands a mature sensibility to appreciate its symbolism and psychological depth. Perhaps because it chiefly concerns the childhood and youth of the protagonist, it is often recommended to young people. This is a pity because, in its dark complexity, it is more likely to turn youngsters off, rather than onto, Dickens.


Read this!   January 16, 2005
 5 out of 8 found this review helpful

This is a brilliant book with something for everyone.
Don't be put off if you read it at school and didn't enjoy it as it's well worth a second, third or fourth read. I read it at school and was bored by it, I'm an English teacher now and look forward to teaching it as it's got so many layers.
Try reading Carole Ann Duffy's poem 'Havisham' if you are captivated/repelled by Miss Havisham.


A Book With 'Great Expectations'.   September 27, 2004
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

It is quite obvious that almost anybody contemplating reading this novel will either be aware of the story already or at the very least is aware of the genius of the author. Great Expectations's reputation as an all time great novel contender goes before it, but in simplest form, I'd like to say that having now read it, I can confirm it is one of the greatest tales ever told.
Why? A mixture of reasons, strong deep characters, a twisting and turning plot line, beautifully written flowing prose, and fundamentally it just holds a capacity over the reader to be unputdownable.
It's a truly remarkable balance of pensmanship from Charles Dickens as the novel somehow is both highly amusing and yet deals with the deep morose troubles of a young man called Pip.
One of the very few books that boldly meets its great expectations.