Great Expectations (English Library)

(Penguin English Library)

Paperback, 512 pages

English language

Published Dec. 30, 1965 by Penguin Classics.

ISBN:
9780140430035
OCLC Number:
750846915

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4 stars (2 reviews)

Great Expectations (first published in 1860/61) is one of the most mature and serious of Dickens's novels. As Angus Calder points out in his introduction, it re- sembles a detective story — but in the sense in which Oedipus Rex also resembles one. From the first shock of the early pages, when Pip encounters the convict Magwitch, the mystery grips our attention and its psychological and moral truth holds us until the end. For, in discovering the secret of his •great expecta- tions'. Pip also begins to discover the truth about himself.

The cover shows a detail from 'A Country Blacksmith Disputing the Price of Iron' by J. M. W. Turner (photo: Rodney Todd-White)

The portrait of Charles Dickens inside the front cover is taken from an engraving after a painting by W. P. Frith, by permission of the Trustees of the Dickens House

162 editions

Review of 'Great Expectations' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

5* from me.

So this is my first pirate romance (ever), and it delivered! I love Ramsay and I love Maren, and I read this off two lines quoted in some short video and knew nothing else about anything. Which was exactly the right way to read this, I think!

The pacing is really good, there is humor, it's frustrating sometimes (so angsty all around) but the characters' actions make sense. They talk about what is going on with them emotionally. Maybe not always instantly, but the fact that this doesnt have a lot of the miscommunication trope is a HUGE plus. It actually felt so much more real: sometimes you can tell what's up, sometimes you need a while to get the courage to speak. You grow, you leave things behind. 

Idk why this gripped me so much, but pretty sure that this detail sold me 100%, and I'm …

avatar for Danie@bookwyrm.social

rated it

3 stars