This book was, as I’m sure it was for many, was assigned to me as a set text at school when I was perhaps 14 and altogether too young to appreciate it. In fact, it left me with a jaundiced view of Dickens that lasted several decades.
This is one of the most enjoyable of his novels that I have read as I work through his canon. The opening of the book is famous and rightly one of the better known scenes in all Dickens, if not the whole of literature. From there the plot develops with, for CD, quite some pace as we follow Pip’s life and development, via an unknown benefactor, from a blacksmith’s apprentice to the life of a “gentleman”.
Of course, this is a love story too, or at least a story of unrequited love as we are introduced to Miss Haversham and her adopted weapon against men; Estella. As ever when I read Dickens I am struck by the realism of his characterizations. Of course there are themes that run through all the plots, good versus evil perhaps uppermost among them as is the case here. As a result we are presented with some of the finest villains in all literature as well as, usually, flawed heroes. As we learn about the main characters though, we find aspects to dislike in the heroes, and elements of sympathy in many of the antagonists (although perhaps not Uriah Heep) and this is the case here.
Miss Haversham herself is an iconic literary villain. Her manipulation of Estella into vicariously acting out her vengeful plans resulting from being jilted are macabre and sinister. She, too, develops a compassionate side towards the end but the descriptions of her decaying, crumbling, shrine of a house are haunting and disturbing indeed. Dickens is so good at painting a picture with words, one can almost smell the decay and the malevolence that issues from the rooms where Miss Haversham dwells.
Pip is certainly flawed, although it is impossible not to like him. Told in the first person, we see the whole plot through his eyes and Dickens is extremely adept at this form of story telling although it must be very hard to outline plots in this way. Because of this, we know Pip very well by the end of the story and understand his thought patterns. Whilst overall a “good” character, there are elements of snobbery and disgust about him that are most unpleasant, especially in his dealings with his adoptive father, Joe. These are resolved eventually as the development of Pip’s character (and his “expectations”) is a central theme and this is beautifully written throughout.
We see changes in most other characters too (except Joe) as Pip discovers who is the source of his “Great Expectations”. There is much symbolism and social comment here as always. The narrative takes place exclusively in and around London and we learn about crime and punishment in Victorian England, the issues of wealth and status, social class and people “knowing their place” and also Dickens’ well known thoughts on these issues.
I am not a writer but it must be very hard to conclude a novel. I am disappointed in the published ending to Great Expectations. Fortunately this edition also provides the two or three paragraphs of the original ending. I much prefer the original that, apparently, Dickens was persuaded to change by some of his fellow authors and literary friends. It is well worth seeking this out as I find it by far the more convincing of the two. The published ending panders to the reader’s desire for a happy ending and I find it very incongruous with all that has gone before. Did we really need to close it out that way? I wish Dickens had left the original which, like Hemingway in “A Farewell to Arms” would have been bolder in my opinion.
So the ending rather spoiled it for me since I thought Dickens cared more for realism that pleasing those looking to feel good at the end of a great novel. He’s certainly never seemed reticent about doing so in other novels. Still, this is a great read and if, like me, you were put off by this book when first exposed to it, I strongly encourage you to become reacquainted with it. Dickens is a literary genius and not nearly as unapproachable as I thought for all those years.