The Great Expectations   by Charles Dickens

Feb 2005     A Christmas gift from my loving, book-addict Mother.

Well, This just might be the first book of Dickens that I've read. And I've been looking forward to it, because a reference was made to it Ciderhouse Rules. This is certainly a good book, and the story is... well told. In case it's unknown, I found this to be a... tale. A novel. It's about people, and their lives. I didn't see any great political or sociological criticisms in it, although the point of view of the author is made clear, and he puts forward a couple of his feelings. (The moral that convicts can still be reputable people, and that wealth alone can easily corrupt a person's morals, but with special and careful watching, it can be used to this person's and societies enrichment.)

Well, in all truth, that last bit was pulled out of my hat, and it's more an extrapolation that I've made this moment, because I can't put my finger on exactly what this book Says. It shows the characters of the people in it. That's the main thing. There are true black-guards, and reformed sinners, and naturally violent, but still loving people, there's the simple, but completely honest and good people of the country,then there's the meddlers, and braggarts, and the hangers on. Then there's the rather mad, utterly bitter and emotionally broken old lady.

I feel that the value of having good descriptions of all these people is that the reader can see what they do and do not like in these people, and then better them selves. (Or, at the least, have a better understanding of other people.) I personally found it wonderful the way the protagonist forgives the woman that completely broke his heart, and actively made him lovesick for years.

The ending was also wonderful, dealing with the relationship between the two. It's not the typical ending, where all is happy, and they get together in the end. They are given peace. They manage to meet each other, and acknowledge each other's needs and lives, and go their separate ways. As friends. They are comfortable with the past, but still feel fine leaving it in the past.

This book was not hugely gripping, except for the end, but the whole was still good to read.