Great Expectations

Random House Australia0 stars

11 March 2013 at 11:59am

Thank you to everyone who left a review in our GREAT EXPECTATIONS READ & REVIEW IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT competition! The 3 major winners are: Robin12, Barbara87 and Andrew5. Please email webmaster@randomhouse.com.au with your full name, address and phone number to collect your prize.

Andrew55 stars

10 March 2013 at 9:53pm

Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, an orphaned boy, his obsession with Estella a girl he meets as a child and the many unusual characters he meets throughout his life. Many of these such as Miss Haverhsam, Estella's guardian and Magwitch an escaped convict are amongst the most recognisable literary characters in history and I often wonder if any other writer other than perhaps Shakespeare has created more characters whose names we remember and whose personalities seem closest to human nature. Like all of Dickens novels while the central plot concerns the main characters, much time is given over to fully developing these supporting characters and the novel is all the more satisfying for that. Freud suggested that a trauma sustained as a child can influence and inform one's actions for a lifetime and it might well be that Dickens was exploring this theory in following the life of Pip. At times Great Expections appears part horror or ghost story such is the delight which Dickens seems to take in creating an atmosphere of macabre menace yet at others it looks like it will take the path of a gothic romance. These changes in style are part of the appeal of the story and you never know what's in store until you reach the melodramatic conclusion. Despite the changes in atmosphere, it remains a wonderfully fluid and engaging story and I highly recommend it both to fans of Dickens and those who are new to his work.

samj24074 stars

10 March 2013 at 6:50pm

I've spent the past 25 years since school avoiding Charles Dickens but encouraged by Random House's Read and Review It competition and the forthcoming movie adaptation by one of my favourite directors - Mike Newell I decided it was time to overcome my irrational phobia and re-read Great Expectations outside of the classroom. I approached Great Expectations in a manner unlike my usual way of reading deciding to read a piece each night before bedtime rather than just sitting with it for hours as I would often do with my typical choice of reading and I would recommend this to other readers. Great Expectations was written and published in serial format and its storytelling has more in common with modern day TV Serials such as The Killing or Homeland than the typical modern novel. Similar to the modern serialised TV Show each part ends on a cliff-hanger leaving you in suspense of the next episode and by taking the novel a piece at a time you get greater opportunity to become accustomed and engaged with the vast number of eccentric characters that Dickens introduces. Great Expections tells a vast tale of the orphan Pip and his growth and development into an arrogant young man and later to a humble mature gentleman who learns from his mistakes and experience. Like many of the classics, it's a timeless tale which is as relevant today as 150 years ago when it was written and the themes contained are ubiquitous - love and rejection, poverty and wealth and the battle between good and evil. The writing is elegant and highly enjoyable though perhaps symptomatic of its serialised nature I found it to be somewhat uneven losing its way in the late middle section. It does however pull together at the end and comes to a satisfying conclusion. It has certainly given me encouragement to further pursue Dickens novels and I await the new film version with anticipation.

Lynda484 stars

3 March 2013 at 4:51pm

A classic tale brought to life by Charles Dickens skill with word and pen. An insightful look at bygone area which has you turning the pages to follow the lives of these wonderful characters as they develop and mature. A wonderful must read book.

Veronica464 stars

3 March 2013 at 11:47am

I studied this book for my Year 12 exams many, many years ago. It is riddled with satires and wit. Whilst being a wonderful read, I find it a great lesson in life adaptable to any era. Isn't it incredible to think of the total understanding that Charles Dickens held for human life. His knowledge and acceptance of people. His critique of lifestyle choices and consequences. I look forward to this movie and wonder what lessons that this new generation will take away from it.I hope that it will inspire more reading and give a new life to the many classic novels that have been written.

Barbara875 stars

3 March 2013 at 9:25am

Even those who feel they know the story of Great Expectations well will find much to delight them in reading (or re-reading as the case may be) this classic in its original mid-19th century text. Whilst multiple TV and movie adaptations have probably provided the greatest spoilers for the key plot twists in Dickens’ story, there is still much to engage the reader. The original text is both delightful and, at times, challenging to read. Indeed, to fully understand some sections you may find yourself, as I did, reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the speech and break through the accents that Dickens brings to his text and which happily have not been standardised by his (and future) editors. Whilst the key characters in the story, Pip, Estella, Miss Havisham, Joe, Herbert, Magwitch and Jaggers are iconic characters whose stories and characters are generally well known, a reading of the text brings to life many more characters who, are equally vivid, and add to the telling of Pip’s story. There is the rather frightening Mrs Joe (more frightening in text than in any screen version I recall seeing); the ever wise and faithful Biddy; the pompous and greedy Pumplechook; the wide array of the Pocket family including the chaotic family of Matthew Pocket, Pip’s tutor; Mr Wemmick, the law clerk, with his wonderful relationship with his near deaf father, known simply as the Aged; and the exceedingly dubious Avenger, who Pip employs and dresses in livery … each character, however small a role they play is brought to life with a few words of descriptive detail that is often amusing, and always insightful. In Great Expectations Dickens creates a complex world of truths and half truths, of reality and imagined reality, of a world both lived in and hidden from … there is yearning, there is dreaming, there is scheming, there is tragedy and overwhelmingly there is humour as we go with Pip on his journey. Will Great Expectations live up to your expectations? For me it does!

Jess384 stars

18 February 2013 at 2:41pm

I loved this book - it was filled with passion, energy, stunning characters and written with an eloquence that captivates you with each page.

Tanya924 stars

14 February 2013 at 7:18pm

A True Classic. Always a good choice to keep in your book cabinet, and you can guarantee there will be a test on it for all the high school kids... Such strong characters that will engrave a memory for a lifetime.

Robin124 stars

12 February 2013 at 8:25am

Great Expectations is a moving story, beautifully told by a master story teller. Descriptive writing is one of the strengths of the book. The meeting in the churchyard between Magwitch and Pip is an example of this skill. I could almost taste the mist rolling over the landscape as I read the opening chapters. Another strength is the ability of Dickens to create characters who remain firmly imprinted in your imagination. The capricious and spiteful Miss Havisham, the cold, beautiful and disdainful Estella along with Pumblechook, Wemmick and Pip’s friend Pocket are both distinctive and unforgettable, along with the hot –tempered elder sister and the good natured Joe Gargery. Narration in the first person adds power to the story and captures the reader’s attention right from the first chapter. Apart from being a rollicking good yarn it is also a thoughtful reflection on the events and values of the time and the relationship between man and the society in which he lives. Great Expectations is Dickens at his best.

Elmorrow893 stars

11 February 2013 at 1:03pm

Another classic being made into a film just shows how great these stories are. One of Dickens best work with many well-known characters like Miss Havisham.