Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

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salberson 10
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Re: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Post by salberson 10 »

My favorite Dickens novel - Miss Haversham one of my favorite characters--- but I only like the orginal ending.
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Post by DickDatchery »

This is one of my favorite Dickens novels. It has his usual variety of characters, who he induces you to know well and affectionately. As usual, a strong and interesting plot in this work. And Joe Gargery is one of my favorite characters in literature, a beacon of honesty, plain feeling, and strength.
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Post by thsavage2 »

I read an abridged version in ninth grade English, and while I am not a Dickens fan, it is a valuable read and a good introduction to English literature of his era. I enjoyed the indirect characterization when Dickens describes various characters houses, and he definitely has a way of crafting sentences (especially long ones, but of course they are grammatically perfect). I remember being a bit frustrated that after the first four or five characters you meet, they are all actually the same people who keep coming back, although I now find this more humorous than aggravating. The story is where I mainly took issue. It was pretty bad, to be frank. Pip's story never made me feel anything for him (other than mild annoyance) and it was never compelling. I didn't care about reading what happened next. It's a good novel but not a good story. (I much prefer books like 1984 and To Kill a Mockingbird because of this.)
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Post by amen jamir »

I absolutely love this novel. I remember my English teacher narrating this story to us at highschool though it wasn't in our course. I read up the book in the later years..n yep I agree Pip's character is fully developed.
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Post by adulargy+ »

SydKS37 wrote:I read this awhile ago, and thought it was absolutely amazing. Pip's transformation from the beginning of the book to the end are so interesting, and when the tale comes to a close, and all the twists are revealed. I would recommend this book to anyone, it's definitely a wonderful read.

I agree that Dickens did a great job in revealing the changes in Pip as he matures.The plot is gripping and the descriptions amazing.Even though it is a while since I read this book I can still visualise the graveyard and the old house as the descriptions are so brilliant.
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Post by Mickaila »

I also had to read it for my English class in highschool. I was so interested in it, I think everyone in my class was so enthralled by the book we all couldn't stop talking about it.
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Post by bovaird50A »

This is by far my favourite of Dickens. The scenes with Miss Haversham still haunt me. I teach this to my very low ability year 7's and it captures them immediately. Sign of a good story when it holds the attention of dysfunctional children.
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Post by amybo82 »

I know I'm in the minority here, but Dickens has been one of my least favorite authors. I read Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol. I thought his writing was clunky and his descriptions were labored. I didn't really even find the stories that interesting. I must admit that I liked the Disney movie Mickey's Christmas Carol when I was little, though. And, I liked the musical Oliver!, so maybe I was distracted from the story lines while reading because of my distaste for the writing. Now, I'm left to ponder this: should I spend time reading another Dickens novel to try to see what everyone else sees and to see if maybe my tastes have changed over the years, or should I just move on?
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Post by bluebutterfly2 »

I have a copy of this book and have unlike most of the books in my classic illustrations collection have only read it twice. (I got the series when I was 10.) I didn't enjoy this book barely at all. It seemed like just another book where someone messes up and becomes pompous. I usually like Charles Dickens, but not this work.
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Post by PashaRu »

I don't dislike any of Dickens' novels, but GE isn't my favorite. I find the stories and characters in others of his novels more interesting, compelling, and better developed.
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Post by Ryan »

Great Expectations is my favourite of his novels. I think Miss Havisham is incredibly interesting and she plays an incredibly important role in Dickens' exploration of women's position in society in the Victorian period. And Pip is the snob we've all known at some point. There's plenty to relate to in the novel :)
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Post by LSWS07 »

I bought a copy of this book 3 years ago and I still haven't gotten to it... But I will! Just before I finally start War and Peace...
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Post by stoppoppingtheP »

I still have not read this even though I know that it is one of the ultimate classics. One day I will, I promise.
It's just that I need to be in the right mood to absorb it in all its essence.

Right now it's just sitting on the shelf waiting for me.

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Post by Wind Wise »

I read this first in JH and loved it. (Amazing how the books I read for the first time in school shaped my view on them for life, I either loved them or hated them.) Yes, the story is a little depressing, but it has a happy ending for Pip.
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Post by Redlegs »

I read this a few years ago now and enjoyed just a little less than David Copperfield. It was a cleverly plotted story and full of great characters and somewhat unsettling scenes.

It has translated well to the screen, except for a modernized American version someone lent me on DVD that was absolutely awful!
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