Author: Charles Dickens
Pages: 514
Format: Paperback
Published: 1861
Publisher: Penguin Classics
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: July 12, 2025
My rating: 
Thoughts
A Christmas Carol has long been my all-time favorite book, but with Great Expectations, I finally and properly met Charles Dickens. And what an introduction it was.
We’ve probably all heard about Pip and his “great expectations,” but what this really is is a rags-to-riches-to-somewhere-in-between story. Pip is an orphan, being raised by his horrible older sister and his caring brother-in-law. When he comes into money from a generous, yet unknown, benefactor, his life is changed. In this novel, Dickens masterfully weaves themes of ambition, class, love, and forgiveness through Pip’s journey from the marshes to the heart of London society.
There is a lot to love about this book. First, I always imagined this would be a “difficult” read – you know the kind: old-timey, Victorian language that describes each wrinkle on a person’s face. However, I found Great Expectations surprisingly approachable and readable. Yes, Dickens is vivid in his characterizations and settings, but never to the point of being overwhelming.
In fact, the character of Pip is so well done that he even feels older by the end of the book. His growth and complexity throughout this novel are second to none. I’ve never read a child character, who acts and speaks like a child, grow up before my eyes into a well-formed, thinking adult.
Other characters are just as vivid, like Joe, Miss Havisham, Herbert, Magwitch, and all the others. And the locations are spectacularly visualized, from Joe and Mrs. Joe’s home, to Joe’s shop, to Miss Havisham’s decaying rooms, and especially Wemmick’s “castle,” the clerk’s quirky and fortified home.
Dickens’s balance of humor, tragedy, and heart shows just what kind of author he was. That a story could hold up so well after over 160 years is a true testament to his vision. And the ending was at the same time bittersweet, thoughtful, and open to interpretation.
By the end, I was struck by how Dickens manages to portray real humanity – the flaws, regrets, and capacity for change – so vividly. Pip’s journey is one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
Overall, this book deserves 5 stars and its place in history. There is no other rating I could give this book. It is a true masterpiece. To be so involved in a character’s journey was a privilege. I was frustrated, saddened, and delighted at multiple points throughout and that, to me, is what books are supposed to do. I cannot wait to get into more of the works of Charles Dickens.
