Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens
Summary
Orphaned blacksmith's apprentice Pip receives a mysterious fortune from an anonymous benefactor and reinvents himself as a gentleman in London, only to have his assumptions about the source of his wealth and his own worth overturned. Dickens traces Pip's growth from a frightened boy who helps an escaped convict on the marshes to an adult forced to reckon with pride, guilt, and gratitude. The novel's tight construction and its unforgettable characters, including the jilted Miss Havisham, rank it among Dickens's finest achievements.
Historical Context & Significance
Dickens published the novel in weekly installments through 1860 and 1861 and rewrote its original ending after a friend objected to its bleakness. It remains one of the most widely taught and adapted of all his novels.