Book review: "Great Expectations", by Charles Dickens

Synopsis: Pip, a poor orphaned boy who's being raised by his sister "by hand", falls unwittingly into favourable economic circumstances that promise to lift him out of his rustic routes, and "make a gentleman" out of him. Funded by a mysterious and elusive benefactor, he discovers that the road towards supposed success and wealth in this world is a treacherous one, that life has a habit of being unpredictable, and that in following one path instead of another, he's in danger of losing the treasures that he's been looking for all along. 

Review: Often sighted as Dickens's best novel, it certainly has the qualities to be in the running for such a title. A compromise between a compelling page-turning storyline, a series of thinking points and life lessons (the foolishness of taking life on face value alone, and the lie of financial security being just two), and the hum-drum normality of everyday descriptions (which allow the reader to be able to hear the stagecoaches passing on the cobblestone streets, and the chiming bells over a smoggy Victorian London) await the reader.

Character development is (as you would expect from such a large book) rife within. There's the young, impressionable Pip, his ever-loyal and loving friend Joe (unwavering throughout), the proud siren Estella (the temptress who drives Pip semi-mad with her flirtatious ways and dismissal of him)... the list could continue for a long time, but the point is that these are all real people we know. To such an extent, that it's difficult to read this book without casting each character as a person you're acquainted with in your own life! (Be careful when doing this- you may accidentally ruin some friendships!). REAL, BELIEVABLE characters and human reactions to true(ish) circumstances- this is as much Dickens's strong suit as it is Victor Hugo's.

A further testament that this could only have been written by Dickens is the darkness that you don't see, but that you can feel (aided, no doubt, by the London smog previously mentioned). The world described is a misty one- full of crime, deceit and secrets. The streets are dirty and smoky, the clothes are ragged and unwashed for days... everything just feels a little bit grimy. The flickers of light in Great Expectations are brought sparingly by the charming quirks of the side-characters. Notable examples include Herbert, who upon meeting Pip affably invites him to fight (for a reason that is never explained), only to be thoroughly beaten... and yet decides to go easy on Pip, despite being put on his back more than once. Or Mr Pumblechook who, strongly convinced over a weak claim that he is the sole reason for Pip finding his fortune, and believes himself to be the steadfast stone bridge to his better life, takes every opportunity to ride the wave of fortune to improve his status in front of his peers (again- we all know this person!).

Right from the off, Dickens lays out little threads of storyline for the reader to pick up and follow, only to find that they lead to a supposed dead end. While your mind is working on the new, apparently more reliable thread, the original lead will stay silent and content to be irrelevant until it's forgotten... all the while making his cunning plan to come storming back into the forefront of the narrative, changing the character's perception of reality forever. It's in this picking up, losing and returning (much later on) of character's plots that leave the reader on edge, and never quite convinced that they've seen the last of anyone. An example (Go on- just one! Indulge yourself!)- the desperate yet appealing (and almost heroic) escaped criminal at the beginning. As he's re-arrested, he leaves a cryptic message to his captors within earshot of Pip, only to be rowed off by the authorities over the dark waters into the thick mist... If the reader is disappointed that this thread leads nowhere, then they won't be by the time they finish the book! It seems a shame to compare this book to a soap-opera, as Dickens was a master of surprise- a puppeteer of suspense. But, if it WERE a soap-opera, his characters would be bursting through doors to the shock of everyone with impressive frequency.

Dickens likes his goodies good, and his villains bad. Everyone in this book fits either into one column or the other, and receives their reward or punishment justly. Taking no prisoners (after all- he had Fagin hanged in Oliver Twist!), Dickens is a clear believer that the just will rise, and the dark will be consumed by the darkness. With this knowledge, rest assured that he will not abandon his heroes, but also that villains will not be spared.

Why is Great Expectations such a classic? Simply put, it's for the following reason- because it takes uncomfortable truths that any experienced adult should know (namely, money doesn't make a man, that wealth is a treacherous and unreliable friend, and that, as David Brent from "The Office" puts it, "You should never assume, as it makes an ass out of you and me!"), and turns these well known yet often denied or forgotten lessons into a piece of literature. Add some fictional yet genuine characters to gravely carry these truths along (like funeral bearers) to its inevitable end, add a single twist (make it a big one, and all the little surprises will follow), and there you have a truly spectacular read.

Score: 9/10