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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.
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
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.
"‘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.
crothe77's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Estella’s Revenge by Barbara Havelocke is a Gothic retelling of Great Expectations from Estella’s point of view. We have two timelines, one is happening after Estella marries Bentley Drummle and the ramifications of that choice and the other details her childhood being raised by Miss Havisham in a house that refuses to recognize the passage of time.
It’s been awhile since I read Great Expectations, but I think someone who has not read the original could reasonably keep up with the story in Estella’s Revenge. The novel discusses several social issues of the day, mostly the sexism that was common in the early 1800s and poverty, while keeping inline with Estella’s colder nature and frustration with her place in society as a puppet or object of desire.
What I really liked was the prose conveying a Gothic, creepy atmosphere and the attention to detail regarding the Santis House, the home of the Havisham family. The rotten feast, the insects moving around as a result of the lack of care, the wedding dress Miss Havisham wears, all feel like characters on their own.
Content warning for depictions of abuse, still birth, and sexual assault.
I would recommend this to fans of Estella from Great Expectations, readers of Gothic historical novels, and lovers of retellings of classic literature from different view points.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
mhmrose's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I'll admit, Great Expectations isn't my favourite Dicken novel, but reading Barbara Havelocke's novel has me wanting to re-read it with a different perspective. The enigmatic Miss Havisham becomes the cruel dictator over Estella's childhood shaping her into the woman who fears feeling love.
Taking place over two timelines, the story seamlessly moves between Estella's younger years and her marriage to the insufferable and violent Bentley Drummle. Estella's Revenge explores the toxicity of relationships that destroy Estella's perspective on the world around her, turning men into the ruin of the world (which, in this novel, you can understand with so many horrible men in it).
Havelocke's letter at the end of her novel changed how I saw Estella's Revenge; 'Listen to two people describe an event and they are never identical. [...] This book is no different. It is not a retelling of Great Expectations'. With this change of perspective, I re-read with new eyes and I found myself loving Estella's Revenge more. Seeing this as more than a retelling shows Havelocke's novel in a new light and makes it clear that this is a must-read for those who want a different perspective on a tale that has more to it than what meets the eye.
Estella's Revenge is a beautiful reimagining of Dicken's classic novel and is a must-read for those who want to see it from Estella's perspective.
Thank you, NetGalley and Canelo for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Taking place over two timelines, the story seamlessly moves between Estella's younger years and her marriage to the insufferable and violent Bentley Drummle. Estella's Revenge explores the toxicity of relationships that destroy Estella's perspective on the world around her, turning men into the ruin of the world (which, in this novel, you can understand with so many horrible men in it).
Havelocke's letter at the end of her novel changed how I saw Estella's Revenge; 'Listen to two people describe an event and they are never identical. [...] This book is no different. It is not a retelling of Great Expectations'. With this change of perspective, I re-read with new eyes and I found myself loving Estella's Revenge more. Seeing this as more than a retelling shows Havelocke's novel in a new light and makes it clear that this is a must-read for those who want a different perspective on a tale that has more to it than what meets the eye.
Estella's Revenge is a beautiful reimagining of Dicken's classic novel and is a must-read for those who want to see it from Estella's perspective.
Thank you, NetGalley and Canelo for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
inkreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Having read most of Dickens' works, Estella's Lament was a dream to read. Stunning in its authenticity and a treat for those who lament the limited amount of books available from the era.
The Pickwick Papers and Great Expectations are my favourite works of Dickens and I have to say, Barbara Havelocke achieved that seemingly impossible task of remaining authentic to the original book, whilst writing in a manner accessible to a new generation of readers (I have discussed The Pickwick Papers with American friends who were put off by the language for example)
Being somewhat a purist in respect of classic literature, I felt that Barbara Havelocke's recreation is perfect in bringing Dickens into the 21st century, whilst keeping the story and prose firmly rooted in the era
The story is told from the perspective of Estella and it is atmospheric, dark, and reflects the original work beautifully. We delve deeper into the minds of our beloved characters, gleaning a greater understanding of the bitterness, the pain and resentment. The weaving of the two timelines is artful and immersive
I believe that this book will in time be shelved next to Great Expectations as an essential complimentary read and I do not make that compliment lightly. Stunning
Thank you to Netgalley, Caneo Hera and Barbara Havelocke for this outstanding Arc. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
The Pickwick Papers and Great Expectations are my favourite works of Dickens and I have to say, Barbara Havelocke achieved that seemingly impossible task of remaining authentic to the original book, whilst writing in a manner accessible to a new generation of readers (I have discussed The Pickwick Papers with American friends who were put off by the language for example)
Being somewhat a purist in respect of classic literature, I felt that Barbara Havelocke's recreation is perfect in bringing Dickens into the 21st century, whilst keeping the story and prose firmly rooted in the era
The story is told from the perspective of Estella and it is atmospheric, dark, and reflects the original work beautifully. We delve deeper into the minds of our beloved characters, gleaning a greater understanding of the bitterness, the pain and resentment. The weaving of the two timelines is artful and immersive
I believe that this book will in time be shelved next to Great Expectations as an essential complimentary read and I do not make that compliment lightly. Stunning
Thank you to Netgalley, Caneo Hera and Barbara Havelocke for this outstanding Arc. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
bookswithlydscl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo/Hera for an eARC of "Estella's Revenge" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Great Expectations is one of my favourite Dickens stories. Atmospheric, gothic with incredibly memorable and iconic characters, so when I saw that Barbara Havelocke was giving us a chance to dig deeper into Estella's story I knew that I needed to read it and I wasn't disappointed.
In this dual timeline novel we split our time between Estella's youth and her present as she starts out married life to the despicable Drummle. She has been bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold by jilted bride and mother Miss Havisham and as she realises that her deal with Drummle won't quite follow her plan she moves towards vengeance whilst battling to decide if she should fully embrace the darkness within.
The setting and atmosphere of this novel is spot on. It's gothic, dark and moody, perfectly suiting our characters, the story and the classic Satis House. The writing is beautiful, tragic and full of intrigue which keeps you turning the page wanting to see how this tale unfolds.
This is not simply a re-telling of Great Expectations. As with many of the feminist re-tellings of Greek myths we've been seeing, this is a woman finding her voice, her identity and her power.
Fans of Fyneshade will identify a lot of Marta in Estella and will enjoy the same complex and immersive type of tale and fans of bad men getting what's due to them will also enjoy this gothic, historical fiction.
Great Expectations is one of my favourite Dickens stories. Atmospheric, gothic with incredibly memorable and iconic characters, so when I saw that Barbara Havelocke was giving us a chance to dig deeper into Estella's story I knew that I needed to read it and I wasn't disappointed.
In this dual timeline novel we split our time between Estella's youth and her present as she starts out married life to the despicable Drummle. She has been bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold by jilted bride and mother Miss Havisham and as she realises that her deal with Drummle won't quite follow her plan she moves towards vengeance whilst battling to decide if she should fully embrace the darkness within.
The setting and atmosphere of this novel is spot on. It's gothic, dark and moody, perfectly suiting our characters, the story and the classic Satis House. The writing is beautiful, tragic and full of intrigue which keeps you turning the page wanting to see how this tale unfolds.
This is not simply a re-telling of Great Expectations. As with many of the feminist re-tellings of Greek myths we've been seeing, this is a woman finding her voice, her identity and her power.
Fans of Fyneshade will identify a lot of Marta in Estella and will enjoy the same complex and immersive type of tale and fans of bad men getting what's due to them will also enjoy this gothic, historical fiction.
cballar5's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I received this ARC through netgalley in return for an honest review.
What a roller coaster! I was unprepared for this to say the least. I have never read Great Expectations, but this book almost makes me want to (I just don’t love Dickens). The plot is split; we have a past Estella who her mother is honing to be a weapon of revenge against all men, and current Estella, who realizes she has to form her own life. The plot is interesting, but not overly so. More intriguing than anything, I wanted to know more about why her mother was the way she was. Definitely a character driven book, but the plot wasn’t bad.
The characters… the only truly lovable character is Pip. By the end, I liked Estrella and her mother, and maybe even Yvette, but that’s truthfully the only characters I enjoyed and connected with. This is intentional, though, as this book has LOTS of villains (even Estrella is a villain for a bit). They have dimension and are well thought out, even if some of the characters are a bit… stuck in their ways.
The writing was surprisingly easy to read. When I went into this, I did not realize it was written in formal English. That being said, it isn’t overly superfluous or difficult to read. I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly I could absorb the authors words and meanings considering most of what I read nowadays is pretty modern fiction.
All in all, I enjoyed this. There’s even a bit of LGBT+ representation, which is nice for a book set in this time period. I won’t say it’s my favorite book ever, but it has a nice redemption arc. I wonder what happens to her after the conclusion of the book, but I appreciate how the author ended it. 3.75⭐️
What a roller coaster! I was unprepared for this to say the least. I have never read Great Expectations, but this book almost makes me want to (I just don’t love Dickens). The plot is split; we have a past Estella who her mother is honing to be a weapon of revenge against all men, and current Estella, who realizes she has to form her own life. The plot is interesting, but not overly so. More intriguing than anything, I wanted to know more about why her mother was the way she was. Definitely a character driven book, but the plot wasn’t bad.
The characters… the only truly lovable character is Pip. By the end, I liked Estrella and her mother, and maybe even Yvette, but that’s truthfully the only characters I enjoyed and connected with. This is intentional, though, as this book has LOTS of villains (even Estrella is a villain for a bit). They have dimension and are well thought out, even if some of the characters are a bit… stuck in their ways.
The writing was surprisingly easy to read. When I went into this, I did not realize it was written in formal English. That being said, it isn’t overly superfluous or difficult to read. I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly I could absorb the authors words and meanings considering most of what I read nowadays is pretty modern fiction.
All in all, I enjoyed this. There’s even a bit of LGBT+ representation, which is nice for a book set in this time period. I won’t say it’s my favorite book ever, but it has a nice redemption arc. I wonder what happens to her after the conclusion of the book, but I appreciate how the author ended it. 3.75⭐️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape
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