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    Great Expectations
    Great Expectations
    Great Expectations
    Audiobook17 hours

    Great Expectations

    Written by Charles Dickens

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Considered by many to be Charles Dickens's finest novel, Great Expectations traces the growth of the book's narrator, the orphan Philip Pirrip (Pip), from a boy of shallow dreams to a man with depth of character. From its famous dramatic opening on the bleak Kentish marshes, the story abounds with some of Dickens's most memorable characters. Among them are the kindly blacksmith Joe Gargery, the mysterious convict Abel Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham and her beautiful ward Estella, Pip's good-hearted roommate Herbert Pocket, and the pompous Pumblechook. As Pip unravels the truth behind his own "great expectations" in his quest to become a gentleman, the mysteries of the past and the convolutions of fate through a series of thrilling adventures serve to steer him toward maturity and his most important discovery of all-the truth about himself.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 18, 2008
    ISBN9781400176328
    Author

    Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is the most popular and, many believe, the greatest English author. He wrote many classic novels, including David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol. Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities are available from Brilliance Audio.

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    Reviews for Great Expectations

    4/5

    7,376 ratings220 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is a classic that has been the favorite of readers for generations. I first read parts of this in high school but did not truly appreciate it at that point in my life. I then read it in full a few years back and totally fell in love with Pip and the cast of characters. The story, the setting, the people, the twists and turns of the plot, there was nothing about this book that I did not enjoy. Dickens was at his finest here and I recommend this book to all for enjoyment.
    • 2/5
      Oh I really couldn't relate to this book at the time. Required reading in school.
      I was not cooperative in getting into it really. Can't say i gave i t any fair shot.
    • 4/5
      By 1860, Charles Dickens was a national celebrity and a sort of "elder statesman", now devoting much of his life to speeches, essays, social work, and generally not writing so many novels. Great Expectations is his 21st major work and 13th novel (of 15), and is - I would argue - his third masterpiece, following on from Bleak House and Little Dorrit, although in a very different way to either of them.

      The psychological development of Pip Pirrip is perhaps unequalled in Dickens' canon, and it feels as if this is a breakthrough in terms of character. I've not yet read Our Mutual Friend, which I'm told takes this further, but it's certainly a good feeling. Estella herself is an interesting figure but ultimately more of a paper moth than a full human, although that is in some ways deliberate. More to the point, Great Expectations achieves its targets by applying characterisation to numerous supporting characters, such as Orlick and Magwitch, and in the rich history of Miss Havisham, a character who has so haunted Western culture ever since.

      It is also perhaps the most challenging of Dickens' novels in its more complicated moral message. Pip's "Great Expectations" in many ways don't seem so bad: success! comfort! Dickens' arguments against them, along the lines of a younger generation coming of age and staying steadfast to moral development, seem admirable, although I can't help seeing him as a man growing older and more disconnected from the younger members of his society.

      There's plenty of comedy sandwiched amongst the Gothic here, but what stands out most - as often with Dickens - is the beauty, from the ruined Satis house to the thriving metropolis and back to the rural marshes of Pip's youth. A truly poetic novel, that should cater to even the most Flaubertian of Dickens critics. (I hope!)
    • 5/5
      (Warning, this review has spoilers.)Books become classics for a variety of reasons, but I think this book is a classic because it tackles the major life issues: What do we want to make of our one life? How do the choices of our youth impact our one life, and what impacts, seen and unseen, do we have on the lives of others? Since life is valued uniquely by every individual, this book says something different to every careful reader. Some reviewers on this site even remark that the personal themes of this book change for them as they reread it at different times of their lives. So here are some of my reactions to the book, at least for this, first reading: (1) Pip's shame over Joe. Everybody has done things they regret but Pip's problem is larger -- there is a side of himself that he regrets but cannot bring himself to overcome. Partly because he's so ashamed of himself that he can't face it. What if he could only have talked to Herbert about it? He talks freely to Herbert about everything else -- Estella, Magwitch, his debts -- but not about his shame of home and Joe. He can't say it out loud. He *never* says it out loud. (Just as Miss Haversham won't turn her face to the sun . . . .) What if Pip could have said out loud, "I am ashamed of Joe, and ashamed of myself for feeling that way"? Would he then have been able to deal with it? (What if Biddy had had the nerve to say it to him?) (Tough question for any of us: What am I so ashamed of that I can't say it out loud?) (2) Pip's treatment of Joe. I see this as a two-way street (even though the narrator Pip blames only himself). In their first London meeting, Joe is so uncomfortable that he rushes back home without even staying for dinner. And the invitation he gives Pip is so open-ended, it's easy for Pip to talk himself out of it. Of course Pip wanted to avoid the people of his home town, they were horrible to him, before and after; and the longer he went without a visit, the more awkward the visit would be. But what if Joe had made a direct invitation: "Will you please join us at the Forge for dinner this Sunday, for your dear sister's sake?" Joe's afraid of rejection, perhaps; or feels he shouldn't have to ask; but, after a morning of calling Pip "sir" Joe becomes responsible for some of the distance between them. Unless you want to say, Joe is so simple and stupid that he doesn't bear equal responsibility. Maybe not until Pip accepts Joe fully can Pip shoulder his share of the responsibility in their relationship. And this, perhaps, is another of the gifts Pip receives from Magwitch. Pip feels himself superior to Magwitch, but is grateful towards him, and caring towards him, and patronizing towards him (not telling him the truth about the lost inheritance), and openly shows love towards him; then when Joe comes to take care of Pip while he's sick, Pip is able to adopt some of that same manner with Joe. And just to round out the discussion, I think one of the contributing factors to Pip and Joe's disengagement in Book 2 is the lack of an organizing maternal influence between them. Imagine if Biddy had been Pip's sister, instead of the live-in help -- she could have written a letter saying, "Joe would be so happy to see you. Why don't you come over for dinner this Sunday?" Sometimes a guy just needs to be told what to do. (As an aside, the whole business between Joe and Pip in Book 2 reminds me of what Mr. Emerson said to Lucy in A Room with a View: Take an old man's word; there's nothing worse than a muddle in all the world. It is easy to face Death and Fate, and the things that sound so dreadful. It is on my muddles that I look back with horror--on the things that I might have avoided.)(3) The last scene with Estella. To me, "He saw no shadow of another parting" means he had no problem saying goodbye, because their parting would have no dark side (no shadow). This parting wouldn't impact him the way the last one did. They walk away from the ruins, knowing that what happened there will always be a part of them, but letting go of the physical, worldly aspects -- she's selling the property; he's comfortable never seeing her again. I've googled and read a lot about this ending, some people prefer the original and some prefer this one, but what I haven't seen mentioned is what a disservice both endings do to the character of Estella. Mr. Jaggers had predicted that either Drummle or she would be the winner, but how can any reader believe it would have turned out as it did, that she would have allowed Drummle's abuse to bend and soften her? She was too cold and strong for that. I believe she would have tricked him into his own death within a year, and ended up with all his money, in addition to her own. That's how Miss Haversham raised her to act, and there would have been a cold, bitter justice to it. (4) The real ending. I am surprised that some people find this to be a dark or unhappy book, because to me it seems like a happy ending, for Pip, for Joe and Biddy, for Herbert and Klara, regardless of the last few paragraphs with Estella. Despite the fears he had when his life flashed before his eyes at the lime kiln, Pip lives to accomplish everything he feared would be left undone: he's at Magwitch's side until the end and brings him peace; he's able to open his heart to Joe and Biddy; he repays his debts; he takes joy in the happiness of Herbert and Klara, Joe and Biddy. And in the end he looks forward to being a good uncle to little Pip. Is it supposedly an unhappy ending just because he's not married himself? "A Christmas Carol" is considered to have a happy ending, and Scrooge doesn't come to regret his mistakes until the very end of his life: Pip figures it out in his mid-twenties. In the last paragraph of Chapter 59 (which should have been the last chapter in the book, in my opinion, leaving Estella's future an open question for another book), Pip says, "Many a year went round, before I was a partner in the House; but, I lived happily with Herbert and his wife, and lived frugally, and paid my debts, and maintained a constant correspondence with Biddy and Joe." He lived happily! How is that not a happy ending?
    • 4/5
      Dickens needs to be consumed in whole big gasps so that one can appreciate the whole big story complete with his innumerable minute details.
    • 4/5
      I'm sure I've read Great Expectations before, or I tried to, but after I got to a certain point I didn't remember ever reading any of it before, so I think perhaps I never finished it. It does take some time and attention, certainly, but it was easier to read than I remember. I'm aware that Charles Dickens' novels contain a lot of social commentary, but I don't remember as much about the context as I'd have liked. So I'm not going to say anything on that score, and just talk about what I did and didn't enjoy about the book.

      It's written in first person, which makes the young Pip's voice kind of endearing at first, particularly his observations about what he imagines his parents to be like, from seeing their gravestones, etc. Pip does get less likeable later on, due to his great expectations, but a lot of the other characters are interesting. If one doesn't get on with Pip, I should think there's some other character one can get interested in.

      I found the characters the strongest thing in this book, while some of the writing felt like filler. Not too much so, but some. The characters, however, were strong -- strange, some of them, and others loveable. Or both. All the imagery that surrounds Miss Havisham sticks really strongly in my mind; I wanted to hug Herbert a lot; Mr Wemmick was fun, with his secret castle and his strong division between work and home. I was surprised at how fond I got of Magwitch, too, but he turns out to be a more sympathetic and sweet character than you'd expect.

      The two endings are interesting. I think I prefer the one in my edition, which I believe is the second one -- the happier one. It reads better, and less like a last minute thought, giving a bit more resolution.
    • 5/5
      Dickens is in fact, “the” chronicler of the human condition. Great Expectations is the fifth Dickens novel that I have read (A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist) and it is probably my favorite. There are so many plot twists and turns that the reader is ever surprised. Miss Havisham is an engima, never fully explained, but certainly one of the most interesting and pathetic characters in literature.
    • 4/5
      Thoroughly enjoyable, thus far. For someone who was paid by the word, Dickens is doing a wonderful job getting to the point. Update: Excellent story. It's a moral story, but it doesn't really beat you over the head with the lessons - though Pip ruminates on them often in the second half of the book.Dickens' writing style is very much to my liking. He's long-winded, like Tolkien, but unlike Tolkien, he won't spend four pages talking about the same rock, but rather focuses more on ideas.
    • 4/5
      Great Expectations by Charles Dickens; (4*)This book was not at all what I was expecting. I recall reading it eons ago for my Jr. Lit class and being sooooo bored that I ended up simply skimming through it & writing my report, which I Aced anyway. ??I don't think this is even the same book. Well, of course it is not as I was 16 then and am 69 now.Great Expectations is a wonderful work of 'art' about a young man who has lost his mother and father. He is raised by his older sister whom I immediately nicknamed 'Hagatha', for obvious reasons, & her husband. The story is one of great poverty, coming of age and all of the events, emotions & angst that go along with that. Pip, our protagonist, is an English lad. His tale of adventures of his life. As Pip grows up, he must strive to understand what is going on, why it is happening & how he should adjust to his life at the time.The book is long and covers most of Pip's life. Great Expectations is rich with humor which we can all relate to. Short episodes make up the majority of the book. Dickens is able to link the episodes together in a way that gives the readers a meaning behind the stories.A wondrous book to be read by those of all ages. Those of you with life experiences will love it.
    • 1/5
      The only English class-assigned book that I didn't finish. And I never plan to.
    • 5/5
      Dickens is in fact, “the” chronicler of the human condition. Great Expectations is the fifth Dickens novel that I have read (A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist) and it is probably my favorite. There are so many plot twists and turns that the reader is ever surprised. Miss Havisham is an engima, never fully explained, but certainly one of the most interesting and pathetic characters in literature.
    • 5/5
      Victorian literature was another revolution, replacing the romantic literature of the past that had romanticized the upper classes. Victorian literature was written for the people. Magazines became very popular with the English people and catered to all classes of readers. The popular magazines provided an outlet for many writers who wrote their novels in month-to-month sections, much like a serial. The pressure of social problems tended to create a new awareness of and interest in human beings and relationships; thus, characterization became a dominant quality in literature.Dickens was a master at creating characters and bringing them to life. Great Expectations houses some of the greatest characters of all time. The timeline of Pip as he grows from the loneliness of a little orphan boy into the complicated world of a young adult has proven to be one for the ages. He encounters the likes of Magwitch, Miss Haversham, Jaggers, Wemmick, and Estelle along the way.
    • 5/5
      "Halloa!" said he. "Here's a couple of pair of gloves! Let's put 'em on!"As the gloves were white kid gloves, and as the post-office was widened to its utmost extent, I now began to have my strong suspicions. They were strengthened into certainty when I beheld the Aged enter at a side door, escorting a lady."Halloa!" said Wemmick. "Here's Miss Skiffins! Let's have a wedding."Where have you been all my life, Wemmick?
    • 4/5
      I spent my whole adult life thinking I’d read this book in Jr High school - but this month it was my book club’s selection and I discovered that the first few chapters seemed very familiar; the rest was a total surprise, clearly I’d only started the book as a kid. Anyway, an amazing story and I’m glad I read it now.
    • 5/5
      A favorite book. I read it in 8th grade and most everyone else hated it, but I was enthralled! I could relate to Pip somehow.
    • 4/5
      After being forced to read parts of The Tale of Two Cities in high school, I’d convinced myself that I couldn’t stand Dickens. After reading this book, I can definitely say that I was wrong. I very much enjoyed this book, its story, and the characters.
    • 5/5
      "I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face up to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude."

      One of the many quotes I liked from this book, but this one really spoke to me for some reason. Probably because it's semi-haunting. Compared to other Dickens books that I'v read so far this one is the best written.

      I'm very happy this was better than Oliver Twist. You can't really compared the two, but I really don't like Oliver Twist. This book made up for that one though. The character I liked far better. Pip I liked better because he's telling the story, but he also seemed more aware of what was going on. I also really liked Miss Havisham, she stole the show, she was on fire (okay bad joke).

      If you're looking for a semi-Gothic and semi-crime novel, this is a good choice. I was in fact looking for something with a little crime and something that was Gothic, but not too Gothic.
    • 2/5
      It was okay. I think its themes are meant more for a YA audience.
    • 1/5
      I did not finish reading this book. It just felt like an eternity every so often. And while I sometimes caught a sliver of enjoyable writing, the premise had never hooked me enough to now keep going. I think I've had enough at least for now.
    • 5/5
      I took a buzz-feed quiz on which classic novel I should read and got this. 1) The cover is beautiful. 2) I thought Miss Havisham was a ghost the entire story. I loved Estella the most as a character. She proves that every individual has the ability to love; despite their background. One of my favorites.
    • 3/5
      Better toward the end than at the beginning. Listening to it through tedium was better than trying to read it for myself.
    • 2/5
      I remember my mother expressing surprise that Dickens wasn't read in any of my college English classes. I can't think of a single graduate student in or around my cohort who worked on him either, yet I knew he was one of my grandfather's favorites and that Dickens was very popular in his day. In sum, I think this is a fairytale style of prose that's gone out of fashion (and for good reason). Everyone in the novel is an exaggerated caricature. It makes for very predictable dialogue and a static, boring plotline. There's an interesting central idea: Does the source of wealth matter and does money change a person? The examination of this question is fairly surface level for a work of nearly five-hundred pages. I'm content to have had the experience of reading one of his more famous novels, but I would only recommend Dickens to someone interested in that particular time/place in the history of England and English Literature.
    • 4/5
      It took longer to get invested in than some of Dickens's other works, but by the end I did care what happened to the various characters.
    • 3/5
      A sensible chuckle. I was surprised to see how little humour has changed and how old the "old jokes" really are. Poor Pip, forever blueballed.
    • 3/5
      Recognisably Dickensian in all the ways I remembered, perhaps 30 years after my first Dickens novels. I was not bowled over the way I was in freshman seminar, but well-enough pleased and the specific title was decided by R's school assignment so I'm content with that, too. Great Expectations points up Dickens's clear-eyed insight into the hearts of neglected if not destroyed children. I broadly recall a similar outlook in other novels, and it may not even be particularly manifest here. That deep psychology into other people (people different than me, and yet recognisable) registered then and now as a key characteristic of the modern novel.No doubt influenced by my reading in noir, I found in the central plot a mystery without a sleuth; Dickens's own asides the same role as the shamus's distracting tough talk in Chandler, Hammett, Macdonald.The fact that every character is in the end found to be connected to all others (Six Degrees of Pip Pirrip), amused me and more or less was expected, but R found it almost infuriating. Great Expectations has a clearer message than I recall from Bleak House or Little Dorrit, as though Dickens imagined characters and situations as a means to assess the myriad ways Pip might delude himself: class or caste, public acceptance or accolade, wealth or comfort -- all manner of outer appearance, in other words, in contrast with inner meaning. The sheer variety of it all, and the cast of characters with their idiosyncracies, kept it interesting.Uncertain whether I will next re-read one of the three novels from that freshman seminar, or pick another novel. My initial impression 30 years ago stands, Dickens is worth reading.//Favourite characters: Wemmick, Herbert Pocket, Havisham, Jaggers -- and Satis House. (I wonder if Peake thought of it when writing Gormenghast.)
    • 1/5
      Not my cup of tea.
    • 5/5
      One of the best novels ever written.
    • 5/5
      Required reading for being a human. Also it's epic.
    • 5/5
      Although lengthy, this book was hard to put down. Amazing characters all with unique personality and plot twists I didn't see coming. This book had a lot of humor in it surprisingly! And it had me laughing for 5 minutes straight. Pip living through hardship and experiencing family deaths at such a young age is bound to get someone down. But it never did get him down. He was a hard worker and always polite to his surroundings. Although he despised Mr. Pumblechook's claims of raising Pip up to the man he is today, he never snapped or said wrong things to him. His sister did more works in his life than he ever thought she did, she taught him well and he starts to realize it towards the end. (God rest Mrs. Joe Gargery's soul.) The ending is bittersweet yet happy. Turning over a new leaf at the end. I loved this book more than I thought I would and I'm happy I experienced it after years of it sitting on my shelf. (also my favorite character was Herbert, he's such a nice boy.)
    • 4/5
      Bit slow in parts. Since it was originally published in installments it has peaks and valleys. It pay better to have the story be longer. The ending is fitting