A review by portybelle
Estella's Revenge by Barbara Havelocke

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.