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The tale of the orphan, Pip, and his mysterious
benefactor provides a grotesque but pointed comedy that explores the
many levels of English society with insight and sympathy as well as a
satiric eye. Considered by many to be Dickens's best novel, GREAT
EXPECTATIONS is the story of a young man who rises out of a rough,
deprived childhood to a life in which his expectations--or some of
them--are fulfilled: he is a gentleman and a success, though he soon
finds that happiness doesn't necessarily accompany money and position.
The novel is full of fascinating scenes and characters, among them the
coldhearted Estella, the vengeful and dotty Miss Havisham, Joe Gargery
the noble blacksmith, the ever-lovable Herbert Pocket, and of course
Magwitch, the grotesque and terrifying but ultimately benevolent
convict, one of Dickens's most vital creations. As the compelling plot
progresses, Pip's fortunes rise and fall, and he slowly gains in
wisdom, learning to value what is important and to abandon most of his
illusions. But the moral of the story is never heavy-handed or
didactic, and in telling his tale, Dickens epitomizes all the best
qualities for which he became famous: a comic vision, an inventive
imagination, and a bountiful appreciation for the wonderful variety and
boundless possibility inherent in the most ordinary humans
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