Great Expectations

Charles Dickens is widely considered the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, so it's surprising that I've never read anything of his before. I've seen adaptations of Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol but I don't even know what any of his other books are about.

"Pip doesn't expect much from life...His sister makes it clear that her orphaned little brother is nothing but a burden on her. But suddenly things begin to change. Pip's narrow existence is blown apart when he finds an escaped criminal, is summoned to visit a mysterious old woman and meets the icy beauty Estella. Most astoundingly of all, an anonymous person gives him money to begin a new life in London.

Are these events as random as they seem? Or does Pip's fate hang on a series of coincidences he could never have expected?"

Mick bought me this beautiful cloth-bound edition of Great Expectations for Christmas so I thought it was high time I read it. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed every word. I really enjoy the experience of reading a book when you have literally no idea of what it's about and the story is only revealed bit by bit as you read on. The plot is excellent, the characters are diverse and Dickens' descriptive writing sets the scenes so well. Having been written over one hundred and fifty years ago, it's still attracting new readers and has certainly stood the test of time. 

I would definitely recommend you read Great Expectations if you haven't already, or even reread it if you've read it before. It's whetted my appetite to read more of what Dickens has got to offer.