Summary of Great Expectations
Pip is an orphan in early 19th-century England who lives with his elder sister and her husband in Kent, where he is apprenticed to become a blacksmith. Later, with the assistance of an anonymous benefactor, he is able to move to London to further his education and pursue the life of a gentleman. He is in love with Estella, the adopted daughter of the wealthy Miss Havisham, whom he believes to be his patron. Estella, however, does not return his affection, and the true source of his fortune is far less certain – and more troubling – than he imagines.
Reasons to read Great Expectations
“Great Expectations” is widely regarded as one of Dickens’ greatest novels, and a classic of 19th-century English literature. It is a bildungsroman that traces a young man’s journey from rural Kent to London in his attempt at self-improvement and social advancement. Yet the foundation of his fortune is compromised by darker realities. The novel explores themes of ambition, class, wealth, crime, and unrequited love. Charles Dickens was one of the most influential British writers of the 19th century. Other notable works by Dickens include “The Pickwick Papers”, “Oliver Twist”, “Nicholas Nickleby”, “A Christmas Carol”, “David Copperfield”, and “A Tale of Two Cities”.
Setting: Rochester & London (England, UK)
Book set in England: Rochester (Kent) – Satis House, Miss Havisham’s mansion, is thought to have been inspired by Restoration House; and London – Barnard’s Inn, where Pip resides is today the site of Gresham College.
Original title: Great Expectations
Year of publication: 1861
Nr of pages: 544
