Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Why I Recommend This Book…
In this classic, the protagonist, Pip, is an orphan living in Victorian England. His guardian is his sister, the apathetic and calloused Mrs. Joe, who we learn has a face that looks as if it has been “scrubbed with a nutmeg grater.” Thankfully, her harsh ways of caring for Pip are softened by her gentle husband, Joe, who shows Pip kindness.
When Pip meets Estella, the beautiful ward of the eccentric Miss Havisham, Mrs. Joe plants the idea into Pip’s head that Miss Havisham is planning to united the two in marriage. Pip, seeing this as his ability to rise socially, begins acting as if he has already become a “gentleman” believing he is better than those around him, including his friend, Billy.
Well, things do not go as planned for Pip. And since this is a Dickens novel, rest assured there are lessons to be learned, one of which is the notion that gaining worldly success is not as important as having success in love. A few other pieces of advices the novel offers: beware of greed, social climbing, selling your soul, or turning into a workaholic.
