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Ratings: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Genre: Classic Literature / Bildungsroman / Victorian Novel / Psychological Fiction

Book Review:
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (1860-61) is a profound and moving story of an orphan named Pip who dreams of becoming a gentleman. Helped by a mysterious benefactor, he moves to London, rejects his humble past, and pursues the cold, beautiful Estella. But as the truth about his benefactor emerges, Pip learns harsh lessons about loyalty, snobbery, and what truly makes a “gentleman.” Filled with unforgettable characters — the convict Magwitch, the jilted bride Miss Havisham (still in her wedding dress), and the loyal Joe Gargery — this novel explores class, crime, guilt, and personal identity. Graham Greene called it “full of secret prose… the sense of a mind speaking to itself.” This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction by Angus Calder. Essential reading.