Great Expectations

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Original en 184232 words First published 1861 United Kingdom

One of Dickens's greatest novels, first published in 1860-61. Pip, an orphan raised 'by hand' by his fierce sister on the Kent marshes, helps an escaped convict one terrifying afternoon — an act that will entangle his whole life. When a mysterious benefactor sends him to London to become a gentleman, he gets his 'great expectations' and learns, painfully, what they are worth. Comic, sinister, and deeply moving, it contains some of Dickens's most unforgettable characters — Miss Havisham in her rotted wedding dress above all — and one of his finest endings.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

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