Great Expectations

Great Expectations is considered a classic, and deserves to be so. Dickens' possessed a gift for writing that few writers have ever had. His specific skill is the ability to weave a compelling dialogue with vivid description and detail. There are plenty of fine "idea people" today writing books - people who can come up with a good idea for a plot and then use their merely average writing skills (if that) to tell the story.

Great Expectations follows the adventures of Pip, and orphan who is raised by his sister and brother-in-law. His sister is cruel and his brother-in-law makes only just enough money to put food on the table. He takes breaks from his tough world to spend time keeping company with a rich elderly woman who never ventures outside. Along the way he befriends her adopted daughter, Estella.

Then, suddenly one day, Pip is surprised by a lawyer, Jaggers, who reveals to Pip that he has a mysterious benefactor who has provided for him to be trained (and funded) to be a proper (rich) English gentleman. Throughout his training, Pip learns many lessons, some the hard way, but emerges successfully as an English gentleman. In the final portion of the book, many secrets are revealed, including the identity of the benefactor.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. Great Expectations is a fairly easy but still rich book to read. Enjoy!

Rating: Classic (duh)

22 books, 92 days...at this rate I'll read 87 books