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saskia6's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
this book has an interesting plot and characters, but feels quite long and isn’t very well written. and by that i mean to say that the writing style isn’t engaging, and it could be a lot shorter - there are lots of parts that are included seemingly for no reason, that don’t further the plot at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Minor: Terminal illness
benblackwell's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Child abuse
catherinedsharp's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
DISCLAIMER - I read this text as a set text for university meaning I did not pick this up for myself. It does not fit my usual reading selection so my review may be rather biased.
I read this book when I was younger and my thoughts have not changed much on it, although I certainly remember much more of the text. The plot of this text is somewhat interesting; it does have some drama and an air of mystery surrounding it, yet all of this overshadowed by Dickens' writing style.
For a little bit of historical context, Dickens first published this text in a magazine of his and was therefore paid by each line he wrote. The consequence is that his writing style is often very long-winded and complex. Personally I found this rather difficult to get on with, and so listened to the audiobook at 3.0x speed whilst reading along myself. This made it a little more manageable but I still struggled with the text and how it was written.
In summary, the plot is somewhat interesting but not necessarily something I would pick out to read/finish, if this was not a university text for me. Additionally, this has made me realise that the writing style of Dickens is not that which I enjoy yet is still an interesting one to analyse nonetheless.
I read this book when I was younger and my thoughts have not changed much on it, although I certainly remember much more of the text. The plot of this text is somewhat interesting; it does have some drama and an air of mystery surrounding it, yet all of this overshadowed by Dickens' writing style.
For a little bit of historical context, Dickens first published this text in a magazine of his and was therefore paid by each line he wrote. The consequence is that his writing style is often very long-winded and complex. Personally I found this rather difficult to get on with, and so listened to the audiobook at 3.0x speed whilst reading along myself. This made it a little more manageable but I still struggled with the text and how it was written.
In summary, the plot is somewhat interesting but not necessarily something I would pick out to read/finish, if this was not a university text for me. Additionally, this has made me realise that the writing style of Dickens is not that which I enjoy yet is still an interesting one to analyse nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
clapyourshands's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
dumaurier's review
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
3.5
Started out strong, but started losing me after the first part. I adore Pip, Havisham, and Estella, but as soon as they weren’t the focus, I lost interest. Will check out more Dickens, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
helene_kuragina's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ferretgazette's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
gm_vak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I decided to read this, I was skeptical. It's a little intimidating to pick up a 575 page whopper, especially a classic, because I was expecting purple prose and a tedious plot. But those judgements were completely wrong! I loved this book so much!
Every character that is introduced is, in some form or fashion, integral to the plot. Even the ones that aren't named (such as Trabb's boy and Aged Parent). All of the characters have flaws and virtues, and there is great contrast between the characters who embrace change and those who resist it. I also liked that every character's arc was tied up by the end of the novel.
I was also surprised to see that Dickens was class conscious and interested in social justice reform! I, again, expected that a nearly 200 year old book would be so sympathetic to less fortunate memeber of society. In addition, I appreciated that there was a conversation about how education, elocution, and fashion all play a role in society's treatment and expectations of a person. It was a pleasant surprise to connect so much with Dickens' social/political views!
In addition to these comparisons of characters individually, it was enjoyable to see how these differences play out when characters are in the same scene together, as well as how each setting affected the way a character felt and acted.
My other favorite aspect was that the main male characters were portrayed as being both emotionally vulnerable and incredibly loving of their friends and family. Male characters having close friendships, male characters being allowed to cry, male characters being allowed to nurse a friend back to health, and male characters being allowed to show love and affection was so refreshing! I can't think of a single contemporary book, show, or movie I've seen recently that portrays that.
Every character that is introduced is, in some form or fashion, integral to the plot. Even the ones that aren't named (such as Trabb's boy and Aged Parent). All of the characters have flaws and virtues, and there is great contrast between the characters who embrace change and those who resist it. I also liked that every character's arc was tied up by the end of the novel.
I was also surprised to see that Dickens was class conscious and interested in social justice reform! I, again, expected that a nearly 200 year old book would be so sympathetic to less fortunate memeber of society. In addition, I appreciated that there was a conversation about how education, elocution, and fashion all play a role in society's treatment and expectations of a person. It was a pleasant surprise to connect so much with Dickens' social/political views!
In addition to these comparisons of characters individually, it was enjoyable to see how these differences play out when characters are in the same scene together, as well as how each setting affected the way a character felt and acted.
My other favorite aspect was that the main male characters were portrayed as being both emotionally vulnerable and incredibly loving of their friends and family. Male characters having close friendships, male characters being allowed to cry, male characters being allowed to nurse a friend back to health, and male characters being allowed to show love and affection was so refreshing! I can't think of a single contemporary book, show, or movie I've seen recently that portrays that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ruthbeadle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
I actually really enjoyed reading this! It is my first Dickens novel, and I adored the storytelling and Pip's narration throughout. These novels that are almost slice of life, but obviously have bigger themes and topics to tackle are some of my favorites. I thought that this was easy to get into if you haven't read any of Dickens' other stuff. I think the only thing holding me back is that the last chapter was definitely not my favorite. Everything else is great though, so I highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
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