bangtan_bookworm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.25
aleyslays's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you Charles for writing one of the best books I have ever read.
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
This one is a classic for a reason.
But I had a win/win solution for the ending. Jaggers is slipping.
But I had a win/win solution for the ending. Jaggers is slipping.
kiwi_of_serenity's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book, but I regret to say that most people my age do not. I found it really amazing, not just because of its own history, but because it is a good book all by itself. It has made me want to read more Dickens, which I have not yet done, but I just couldn't believe that something so intriguing, relatable, and downright fun could have been under my nose for so long. The characters are the kind you wish you could talk to, and their choices and experiences seem so firsthand. It's also cool because ( slight spoiler) you get to see the main character grow up- there are no loose ends at the end of the book, and you are really satisfied by the end. Which is good because the rest of the book is riff with cliff-hangers because the story was originally published serially. I recommend the website Discovering Dickens (http://dickens.stanford.edu/great/expectations.html) for help with the older words. That really lets you enjoy the story flow without constantly looking up what a hansom is.
bne's review against another edition
5.0
It may not be perfect.
But in my eyes it is a masterpiece of Dickens.
As to be expected of an 19th-century novel the first half could be a bit slow. But the way the book wrapped up in the last hundred pages was phenomenal. Fantastic expression of emotion, and making the choices in life that might seem to be right but in the end, weren't.
5 stars.
But in my eyes it is a masterpiece of Dickens.
As to be expected of an 19th-century novel the first half could be a bit slow. But the way the book wrapped up in the last hundred pages was phenomenal. Fantastic expression of emotion, and making the choices in life that might seem to be right but in the end, weren't.
5 stars.
karaklos's review against another edition
4.0
Great Expectations has been mentioned in so many books that I’ve read and it drove me insane that I didn’t understand the references. It seems that everyone has read this book but me. Even my non-reader husband read it in high school (when I started it, he told me how much he hated it...not exactly motivating).
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. The relationship between the main character Pip and his sister’s husband Joe was very sweet. Pip’s childhood worries were so realistic and believable. The clever lines made me smile.
When Pip started visiting Miss Havisham to “play”, the story started getting very strange. Miss Havisham was a bizarre nutcase and her adopted daughter Estella, her puppet. I wasn’t sure what to make of them. Dickens really made me really feel how bizarre and disgusting things were.
When Pip goes off on his own to become a gentleman, the story gets quite boring. It’s a lot of setup for what comes later and I trudged through it. I was very annoyed with Pip’s selfishness and obsession with Estella in part 2 but enjoyed the friendships he developed with Herbert and Mr Wemmick.
The story really picked up in the third part. I did not see the twists coming. The imagery is so dark and haunting.
There were so many extreme characters in this book...so many that it made Pip seem very ordinary. Could a single person know so many crazy people? While the characters were very memorable, I didn’t feel like I knew them very well. I only knew Pip’s feelings about them. So many themes were covered in this book and it almost reads like historical fiction with all of the topics covered about the time. A memorable read.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. The relationship between the main character Pip and his sister’s husband Joe was very sweet. Pip’s childhood worries were so realistic and believable. The clever lines made me smile.
When Pip started visiting Miss Havisham to “play”, the story started getting very strange. Miss Havisham was a bizarre nutcase and her adopted daughter Estella, her puppet. I wasn’t sure what to make of them. Dickens really made me really feel how bizarre and disgusting things were.
When Pip goes off on his own to become a gentleman, the story gets quite boring. It’s a lot of setup for what comes later and I trudged through it. I was very annoyed with Pip’s selfishness and obsession with Estella in part 2 but enjoyed the friendships he developed with Herbert and Mr Wemmick.
The story really picked up in the third part. I did not see the twists coming. The imagery is so dark and haunting.
There were so many extreme characters in this book...so many that it made Pip seem very ordinary. Could a single person know so many crazy people? While the characters were very memorable, I didn’t feel like I knew them very well. I only knew Pip’s feelings about them. So many themes were covered in this book and it almost reads like historical fiction with all of the topics covered about the time. A memorable read.
marinatedpenguin's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
3.5
alexa_rae's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0