Reviews

Estella's Revenge by Barbara Havelocke

nikey_view's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

heather_j_fitt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.25

portybelle's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

 

Now, I feel I have to begin with a confession. I have never read Great Expectations or even seen a tv or film adaptation of it! Shocking, I know. However, I am familiar with the basic plot and of course everyone knows about Miss Havisham, surely the world’s most famous jilted bride? Barbara Havelocke is keen to stress this book is not a straightforward retelling of Great Expectations but rather looks at key events from that book and beyond from the point of view of Estella, adopted daughter of Miss Havisham.

Estella is such a fascinating character. It’s really hard to like her at times with the way she treats people, especially men. And yet at many points of the book, I felt sorry for her. She had been moulded into the way she was – you might even say groomed – by Miss Havisham who was stuck in her past sorrows and determined that Estella would avenge all the wrongs done to her.

Women really didn’t have a great life in the early 19th century! Through Estella’s own experiences and interactions with other female characters, the author shows us how little control they had over their own lives. Poorer women were at the mercy of their employers who frequently had little mercy. Richer women like Estella were at the mercy of men, though Miss Havisham was determined that this would not be the case for Estella. There were huge societal expectations of how women should behave regardless of their education, rank or wealth and they almost all involved being completely subservient to men. “Men shape the world. Women must shape themselves around it.”

I admired Estella’s spirit even if I didn’t always agree with her actions. She was frequently cruel to people who did not deserve it but perhaps she was just as much a victim due to her upbringing. She had been taught never to trust anyone and certainly never to fall in love. “Go to London, entrap men, coolly break their hearts, and keep moving on, like a never-ending dance.” It was so interesting to have a main character who was so flawed and yet who I was keen to see overcome the obstacles in her way nonetheless.

Estella’s Revenge is a captivating and beautifully written novel. I really liked Barbara Havelocke’s way of unfolding the narrative over two time periods: the time covered by the original book and imagining what may have happened afterwards. Her style of writing felt very authentic to the era. Fans of Great Expectations will delight in recognising parts the familiar story told from a different and very feminist perspective. Those like me who haven’t read it will simply enjoy Estella's Revenge for the well written book it is. 

laurahastoomanywips's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A good solid 4.
This is a very well written, new take on Estella's story, although it has "meet points" with Dicken's original it gives a new voice to Estella. It tells what the author believes is her story in often graphic detail, something Dicken's would not have been able to do.
This was often a gripping read, as the characters were so well drawn I was caught up in their lives.
With thanks to the author and the Pigeonhole for the opportunity.

myreadingcorner's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

sam48bell's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

liseyp's review

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

Thank you to the author, publisher Canelo Hera, and online book club The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this. This is an honest and voluntary review. 

 

A dark re-imagining of Great Expectations from the perspective of Estella, Miss Havisham’s ward. 

 

It’s an interesting concept. Raised in the house where time is frozen in Miss Havisham’s post-abandonment depression, Estella is naturally affected by that experience. This book takes that concept and runs with it. 

 

There are moments which echo plot points in Great Expectations, but this is a far darker tale. While Pip’s life is impacted by his early poverty, he is able to improve his life and gain independence and autonomy through his mystery benefactor. Estella however has to face the restrictions of not just her upbringing, but of the legal and social limitations placed on women of the time. 

 

Unfortunately the concept was let down by the delivery. Estella is not a sympathetic character. That she’s unlikable and makes bad decisions is understandable given everything she goes through. But, she’s also very hard to empathise with at all. The coldness of her character bleeds into the writing. The plotting also dragged, particularly in the second half. I wanted to read the whole thing, but I was ready for the story to be over by halfway through so everything after that was grudged. 

thebooktrail88's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

 

You don’t have to have read Great Expectations first to have read this. Just know that the title is very apt – in Dickens’ novel, Estella is the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, a rich woman living in Satis House. Since she was cruelly rejected on her wedding day when she was young, she has worn the wedding dress ever since in a bid to remember and wallow in her misery. No doubt, this has shaped Estella and given her a keen sense of revenge and what is wrong with the world. So, this novel reimagines what could have happened next.

The book is told in two timelines – here we see Estella and Miss Havisham in full force. Then, the present day Estella with her bitter and twisted ways having shaped her into the woman she has become. Seeing this through her eyes, given that she is not really the focus of Great Expectations, was intriguing and very well done.

Map of locations in Estella’s Revenge

The novel is one based on character and oh boy, there’s a lot of baddies, shifty ones and ones you really don’t want to meet in a dark alley. Pip – ah it was nice to see him again. In fact, it was so lovely stepping back into GE through Barbara Havelocke’s eyes and seeing it afresh. The author has obviously a great love and appreciation for Dickens and his world yet has crafted a whole new one of her own.

I’ve always wondered what happened to Estella. Some characters just stay with you and I loved Miss Havisham so this was a real treat for me to read. I savoured it, even put off Donna Tartt from the library to read it. Totally worth it.

The setting of gothic London, richly decorated houses with devious and dark people within is just a delight from start to finish. The dialogue is clever, the atmosphere immersive and dark and the characters intriguing and so vividly drawn.

I love  that Havelocke’s name even sounds Dickensian to me. (There’s a Sir Leicester Deadlock from Bleak House which is quite close)

Just brilliant. 

coris_bookshelf's review

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo/Hera for an eARC of "Estella's Revenge" in exchange for my review.

The writing style is easy to digest and even though I had never read Great Expectations so I didn't know exactly what I was getting into, the world was introduced and presented to the reader thoughtfully. Which did hold onto it's promise through the novel. It starts off with the hook of suspense, mystery and murder. This story envelopes gothic fiction to it's core. The dual time line shows past and present actions with how they affect our main character, Estella. Estella is a unique and refreshing character to journey with. Along with the other female characters in this book, she has a bold, cunning and witty personality. Experiencing similar events to Estella, I loved seeing her grow throughout her struggles and become this strong, independent woman. (Those are my favorite types of FMC's). I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more by this lovely author

gretel7's review

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.75

I received this from Netgalley.com. 

"‘Never love. Never trust. Hurt men before they hurt you. Steal their hearts and break them,’ she hissed."

An okay read.  An imagination of Estella's life if Dickens' Great Expectations had an addendum.