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A review by frasersimons
Great Expectations (Paper Mill Classics) by Charles Dickens
4.0
I was already familiar with this. Both the general intellect, as well as from having watched the film with Hawke in it a while ago. But the plot beats are more-or-less the same. So this isn’t a “fresh” reading.
That said. I did really enjoy the reading experience of this and there were more granular surprises. Probably due to the fact it was serialized initially, there are so many juxtapositions and twists and turns. Admittedly, it’s a bit melodramatic but it does a good job of establishing the tone and texture of the fiction early on. If it hadn’t, this would absolutely feel more funny and silly and camp.
Instead, the characters, though well drawn and gregarious in expressing their inner natures, kind of feel like symbols and notions and ideas on collision courses. The result of which is the predominate feeling of this being plot driven rather than character driven, even as it tries to obfuscate that plot with his character development.
But how much could Pip really influenced his life when one of the main drives is how classism pigeon holes people into making the choices that they do. You can’t really have it both ways, can you? If circumstance is the forge, it feels odd to enunciate so much that Pip should just be nice. It feels a bit milquetoast after all the actual social movement he managed.
Regardless, this is a very fun read. Very engaging. Descriptive and flourishing, characters that pop off the page. And as mentioned: twists and turns in a dark and old London.
That said. I did really enjoy the reading experience of this and there were more granular surprises. Probably due to the fact it was serialized initially, there are so many juxtapositions and twists and turns. Admittedly, it’s a bit melodramatic but it does a good job of establishing the tone and texture of the fiction early on. If it hadn’t, this would absolutely feel more funny and silly and camp.
Instead, the characters, though well drawn and gregarious in expressing their inner natures, kind of feel like symbols and notions and ideas on collision courses. The result of which is the predominate feeling of this being plot driven rather than character driven, even as it tries to obfuscate that plot with his character development.
But how much could Pip really influenced his life when one of the main drives is how classism pigeon holes people into making the choices that they do. You can’t really have it both ways, can you? If circumstance is the forge, it feels odd to enunciate so much that Pip should just be nice. It feels a bit milquetoast after all the actual social movement he managed.
Regardless, this is a very fun read. Very engaging. Descriptive and flourishing, characters that pop off the page. And as mentioned: twists and turns in a dark and old London.