Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Book one - COMPLETE! I've never read Great Expectations before, but it's the first book Matilda reads from the grown-up section of the library so I had to.

It's long. 554 pages! Althought Matilda's edition is 411 pages so hers was either a large hardback or a much smaller font.

DID I LIKE IT?

Yes! Everyone says Pip is one of Dickens' greatest characters. Did you know the book is in three volumes?

Volume one - childhood. Pip is naive.

Volume two - becoming a gentleman. Pip is pretty annoying.

Volume three - all the drama. Pip is remorseful.

What do I think of Dickens? As a brand-new read, it's hard. The language is dense and flowery. Some fun new vocabulary ('frouzy' - a weather word, excellent) and honestly I did skim when he started going on a bit, which was often. I can see why this book has endured so long, and is still so recommended. It's an epic story, starting with a child character and following him through some really tricky and interesting times.

How does it compare to the 1999 BBC adaptation I remember so vividly? Similar! Some scenes snapped straight back into my head - the marshes, the forge, Miss Havisham, the fire (spoiler - although, first published in 1860 - spoilers probably ok?), the final meeting of Pip and Estella. My favourite TV adaptation scene was lamentably missing. At no point did Pip read ancient Greek lying in a boat under a tree, like Ioan Gruffyd did (and which persuaded me to take Greek GCSE and led me to the very sensible degree choice of Classics...).

Would I recommend this book to Matilda today? Please bear in mind that Matilda, though precocious, and it was the 1980s so fine for children to walk to the library by themselves, she is only 'four years and three months' old at this point. Let's pretend Matilda is an 8-to-12-year-old reader. I would recommend an abridged version for the excellent story, but 554 pages and the tough language is a bit much for a middle-grade reader today.

Do you agree? Have you read it? Recently? Have you watched a better TV or movie adaptation? Let me know!

Now, what to read next on Matilda's list...? Because Great Expectations took me nearly a month (yes, I'm reading several books at once, but still), and Matilda got through her whole list in just six months... I am thinking I will do a quick re-read of Animal Farm and then try Kim. But I would love to re-read Pride and Prejudice for Valentine's Day...

Join me!