Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Review

Friday 28th of November, 2025

Category: book-reviews

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I just finished reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (on the night of my fiance's stag do). My first Dickens. His characterization is unlike other author's, in a good way. He makes you believe that these characters had lived a life before making it on the page.

As far as relatability goes, I can't say I have ever known anyone to be raised out of poverty and made into a lady or gentleman, but I think there is something to be learned from Pip's journey from poor boy to wealthy man with jingly pockets, as Dickens takes us through his dealings with losing and finding one's identity, love, loss, friendships, and family.

There's no two ways about saying that newly rich Pip was a bit of a dick. But then who of us wouldn't get a little cocky when a little fortune comes our way? I think an important point to note is how Pip's character develops when he learns where his wealth comes from and how easily it can be stripped away. It brings back to the fore of his mind the things that actually matter to him. He had all this money but still it couldn't buy him what he really wanted.

I'm still trying to understand Dickens' thematic use of classism. Forgive me if I'm wrong because my history is not great at all, but I think, at the time of writing, there was such as distinction between the rich and the poor, that to have been rich was seen as life's greatest achievement. I reckon this story might have caused quite a stir with the people reading it as it came out that, here was this boy who was not destined to be rich, but by some miracle was brought up out of poverty and into the life of a gentleman, to then have his glamorous life and riches pulled from under his feet and back into a life of low means. To lose his love, his riches, even his health, could this be Dickens' way of taking a dig at the elite?

Sometimes the best things in life are the things you already have. You don't need to be rich to see that value of what;s right in front of you.