Great Expectations in The Dickens Reading Project

Jul 06, 2009 Laurel Hicks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, dickens-novels, 0-kindle, books-read-in-2016, books-read-in-2009, 2016-4, books-read-in-2021, 2021-10

I see more in this book each time I read it. Class distinctions, friendships, character development, sin, repentance, forgiveness, redemption--all are explored and charted in this thirteenth novel of Dickens.

My favorite characters are Joe Gargery, the gentle and loving blacksmith; the faithful Herbert Pocket; and the helpful Mr. Wemmick and his Aged P.

I've been seeing a recurring theme in several of Dickens' novels--a degrading reliance on hopes of the future to the detriment of the duties and ...more

50 likes · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2013 Malvina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

GE is my favourite Dickens. I think I could reread it every year and be enriched every time. The themes of social class and ambition are universal. So also the maxim that crime does not pay. This audio edition was read by Michael Page; such a fabulous way to enjoy the book. He read all the voices so well, he made me see some of them in a different light (eg. Drummle). Pip and Jo were particularly well done. I consider Dickens perfect to read aloud. His serialised books would have been shared aro ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2009 daniel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: librivox, audiobook, classics, drama, favorites, social

Astonishing novel. Encloses everything one would wish for in a good novel: striking satire, a steadily welded thick plot, never-ending in-jokes, fluent narrative, page-turning plot dives, and at last but not least what larks!
I shall not go into details for it has already been said much on this novel, what I must say though, is how I have been struck with the ingenious creativity of Dickens. Each character is provided with peculiar, recurrent, manias and fixations. Might that be a recurrent sente Astonishing novel. Encloses everything one would wish for in a good novel: striking satire, a steadily welded thick plot, never-ending in-jokes, fluent narrative, page-turning plot dives, and at last but not least what larks!
I shall not go into details for it has already been said much on this novel, what I must say though, is how I have been struck with the ingenious creativity of Dickens. Each character is provided with peculiar, recurrent, manias and fixations. Might that be a recurrent sentence, as in "looking about him"(Herbert) or "May I?"(Pumblechook) or "personal capacities"(Mr. Wemmick) or "if the Church had been thrown open"(Mr. Wopsle) and "By hand"(Pip's sister and others), or might them be compulsive attitudes as the great washing of hands of Mr. Jaggers, or Wemmick mildly bipolar disorder, all those distinctive traits make for me the real richness and value of this novel. As in real life, everyone has its personal vocabulary, preferred and recurrent idioms and weird, though quite indicative, neurosis. Dickens makes wise and wide use of these, seemingly little trifles, to have his characters come to life.
I also much enjoyed the Irony which is very well sown throughout all the book by means of hilarious in-jokes, though it fades into a stronger, precisely aimed satire near the end.

To sum it up, this novel shan't, and won't be missed by any reader who has the boldness to call himself as such.

--

Mr. Pumblechook, getting up again the moment after he had sat down, "see afore me, him as I ever sported with in his times of happy infancy? And may I—may I—?"

This May I, meant might he shake hands? I consented, and he was fervent, and then sat down again.

"Here is wine," said Mr. Pumblechook. "Let us drink, Thanks to Fortune, and may she ever pick out her favorites with equal judgment! And yet I cannot," said Mr. Pumblechook, getting up again, "see afore me One—and likewise drink to One—without again expressing—May I—may I—?"

I said he might, and he shook hands with me again[...:]

[..:]"Ah! poultry, poultry! You little thought," said Mr. Pumblechook, apostrophizing the fowl in the dish, "when you was a young fledgling, what was in store for you. You little thought you was to be refreshment beneath this humble roof for one as—Call it a weakness, if you will," said Mr. Pumblechook, getting up again, "but may I? may I—?"

It began to be unnecessary to repeat the form of saying he might, so he did it at once. How he ever did it so often without wounding himself with my knife, I don't know.

"And your sister," he resumed, after a little steady eating, "which had the honor of bringing you up by hand! It's a sad picter, to reflect that she's no longer equal to fully understanding the honor. May—"

I saw he was about to come at me again, and I stopped him.

"We'll drink her health," said I.

"Ah!" cried Mr. Pumblechook, leaning back in his chair, quite flaccid with admiration, "that's the way you know 'em, sir!" [...:] "that's the way you know the noble-minded, sir! Ever forgiving and ever affable. It might," said the servile Pumblechook, putting down his untasted glass in a hurry and getting up again, "to a common person, have the appearance of repeating—but may I—?"

---

"On the Rampage, Pip, and off the Rampage, Pip:—such is Life!"

--
Audio available at: http://www.archive.org/details/great_...
Original Text at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1400/1...
-- ...more

Like · see review

Dec 08, 2013 Ibis3 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bildungsroman, canonical, nineteenth-century, suspense, romance, england, women, 2005

My 2005 review:
As with every book I've read by Dickens, I enjoyed it very much. Though I have to say, for a Dickensian protaganist, Pip was decidedly unlikeable and shallow. Only at the very end does he redeem himself at all. As always, Boz filled his pages with rich characters and his wonderful sense of humour. I'm not sure whether I incline to approving of the published ending or the original. I did like the idea of Joe and Biddy ending up together though--they really deserved one another. I k ...more

Like · see review

May 16, 2019 Malvina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A reread. Fabulous as always.

Like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 David Adams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of my personal favorites. The only book I was forced to read in high school that I went out and got a copy of.

Like · see review

Aug 11, 2016 Mikee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dickens, british

A great book! If you’re not familiar with Dickens, read this book! If you like Dickens, read this book! If you don’t like Dickens, read this book! If you’re a self-absorbed, smug snob, don’t bother.

Like · see review