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| Book Cover From Dresden Files |
Published in 1861 by the great novelist Charles Dickens, Great Expectations is a classic novel everyone must read at least once in their lives. The novel has also received numerous film adaptations, with the latest released back in 2012, sharing the same name as the novel.
Reading the book at fourteen, I was engrossed with its venturesome main character, Pip, and the mystery that would resolve as the chapters progressed.
Great Expectations is a coming-of-age novel that delves into the effects of wealth and the aspirations of Pip. The novel closely follows Pip from his upbringing as a child up until his adulthood as he confronts many of his expectations and their realities in life. The plot centers on Pip's quest to rise above his working-class status, facing struggles in his journey as he approaches adulthood. In the end, Pip's struggles ultimately prepare him into becoming a better person.
With the time period of its release witnessing a surge of aspirational literature with characters that are overly eager to succeed, Dickens dared to question the common perception of success tied with wealth, as opposed to personal development as a whole.
Pip faces conflicts with himself, others, and society in general throughout the story, hence why the novel should appeal to people of my age. The themes range from looking for silver linings in a seemingly meaningless world to social mobility, abrasive adult life, and unrequited love. Dickens did not paint a rosy picture of human struggles, leaving room for distinct emotions such as poignancy, fright, and intimacy to arise from the situations he leaves our characters in.
Although many may regard the novel as slow and boring, its message makes it an undeniable masterpiece. The themes, alongside the superb characterization, the masterful use of language, and the suspenseful plot work together in making the novel an exceptional piece of literature. While the plot may not always be on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting, it leaves the readers agog as they follow the unpredictable rise and fall of the climax.
On the same note, the characters are complex and written in a way that does not hinder them from being comprehensibly developed. The strong use of figurative language and literary devices aid the readers in being able to put themselves in the shoes of the characters.
The novel has 59 chapters, totaling around five hundred pages. A novel of that size may require an extensive amount of time to read and definitively absorb. Nonetheless, it is all worth the extra time and patience as its themes and ultimate moral payoff make for an almost perfect piece of literature. Thus, Great Expectations was one of my most pleasurable reading experiences during high school.
I'd like to end this piece with one of the novel's famous lines. From Chapter 29, the quote has never failed to give me goosebumps:
“The broken heart. You think you will die, but you just keep living, day after day after terrible day."
