Reviews

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

chl0beau's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My first ever Dickens novel did not disappoint. I loved following Pips extraordinary story and the characters he meets along the way. I feel this is a good book for anyone who is wanting to read a classic but isn’t sure where to start. 
I flew through the first 100-200 pages and the final 100 pages but the middle of the book did become slightly stagnant. 
I enjoyed reading about Ms Havisham and the legendary Satis House. These extracts of the book are filled with imagery that is largely unmatched. I also loved Pip’s character and his undying love for Estella (even if sometimes as a reader it is slightly infuriating to read). Herbert and Joe were among my other favourite characters. 
Dickens manages to explore lots of aspects of Britain at the time and is a great reflection on many social issues like poverty, grief, love and friendship. 

gooberjk's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

evelynepisodes's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I thought this book was definitely a slog, but a worthwhile one. It was interesting to read about the conflicts within Pip, and at the end when he went back home to find a happier life and re-appreciated Nature, I really understood that. The conflict between the convicts I didn’t really follow, it was interesting to see the two classes come together but not really that interesting to me. However, a good classic nonetheless- just maybe not a must read for everyone.

egcunn's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

amallard's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

I hope I never read Dickens again.

anaccfarinha's review against another edition

4.0

3.5

arceus997's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tash035's review against another edition

3.0

no to the writing, yes to the character development

connell98's review against another edition

3.0

I liked the supernatural parts the most. Dickens has some really poetic moments, but the plot points could be kind of predictable. I can assign this to the fact the book is nearly 200 years old or that it was published serially, so it had to be interesting with various subplots to keep people interesting.

Still, not a bad read.

Also, Pip was kind of insufferable at times. But that may just be..... because of his Great Expectations.

slushysands's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75