Great Expectations

by Mitsu Yamamoto (Adaptor), Charles Dickens, Brendan Lynch (Illustrator)

To Be a Gentleman! Young Pip, an orphan boy, apprenticed to the village blacksmith, yearns to be a gentleman. Suddenly a mysterious person wills him a fortune and he leaves his village to be educated as a rich gentleman. Pip longs to Marry Estella, beautiful ward of the eccentric Miss Havisham. But Pip's new life is shattered by the re-appearance of Magwitch, a convict who once forced him to steal. Will Magwitch's demands spell the end of Pip's "great expectations"....?

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Literature, Romance

239 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

LIBRARIAN: Did you know that you have Great Expectations?
SMITTEN GUY: No; how did you know that?
LIBRARIAN: You checked it out last week.
-- Early Edition

(Every time I hear any reference to the original Dickens work, I'm reminded of that.)

Most of Dickens' works are very long; it's very hard to condense them into a kid-friendly package. This one does an amicable job, though I'm not 100% familiar with the original. The illustrations suit the story very well. This adaptation is obviously old, though, as the word "gay" is used to mean happy. Still, fans of kiddie literature will definitely enjoy this.

[Tiana Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was great. It had lots of misery and unexplained mysteries. During the book, things started to fit together, like puzzle pieces. There was some deaths and broken hearts. I also enjoyed reading about the stories of the characters in the book. It helped me learn more about them and understand their emotions better. I loved reading this wonderful story that the author wrote.

[The · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute joy to reread after so many years. I loved revisiting it not only for Dickens' work but also the nostalgia of reading this when I was a kid. It was so well done! I can't wait to read Dickens' masterpiece in its original form.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago as a kid, but decided to pick it up again since I needed a quick read. I liked it just as much as I liked it as a kid!

[Deigan Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading through this to content check :). Loved it! Can't wait to read the original now!

[Suzan Amin Khoja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what to say about this book. I read it 2 months back but I didn't know what to say then and I don't know what to say now, to be honest. This book left me speechless and in awe. I loved it a lot and I can't even tell you how much. This is my second book of Charles Dickens after the Christmas Carol and my 16th Classic out of the 88 books challenge that I have started. This is my second fav of all of them. The writing style of the book was so clean and it really reminded me of The Christmas Carol's writing style. The story was so unique and truly portrayed the reason it is held as a classic. I don't know how or why but the story is still roaming around my head. The old times must have been so beautiful and exploring them through Charles Dickens's eyes was a wonderful experience for me. I want to read more of his books and explore more literature written by him. The sadness and the gloom that he brings with him can be felt in this book. The ending made me feel a little emotional and I wanted to read further ahead. Overall, this was a well written, direct, sad and beautiful master piece that everyone should try atleast once in their lifetime.

[Lisa Wells · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it was too long ago....but I thought it was too slow

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to Kate. I think she got some of it... we'll have to read it again together in the future.

[Kelly Wickham · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoy most of Dickens's books, but for some reason, this one has never interested me and I find it very boring. I also don't care for abridged books either as I feel like I am missing parts of the story which I am. Although I have read the unabridged version of this book also and still found it boring. I just feel like the characters and themes of this book are not as developed, interesting, and complicated as his other books.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you didn't already think Great Expectations read like a soap opera, you might after reading this condensed version. Part of the Great Illustrated Classics series which was published for young readers of all ages, this one is best suited towards tweens and teens.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those that I will never forget. I read it a couple of times in my youth. It was bizarre enough to be intriguing to me. It expanded my mind to a different world other than my own. As a grown up, I definitely can say the storyline is not my favorite, but the impression it left me as a young girl must be noted with 4 stars.

[Arely Cortes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the best book that I have read. I just didn't find it as interesting as other books. The book was about a boy named Pip. As he lives, many things happen to him. Unfortunately he does not get to marry the woman he wanted to marry but he deals with it.

[Greg Hovanesian · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did not this enjoy this Dickens novel as much as David Copperfield, it was still an interesting story to read.

[Israel Cortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

sometimes it's a happy story or a sad story. pip and Estella are going to get married. At eleven years old it's pip and little pip.

[:) IV (: · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Expectations was an intriguing and fast-paced book. Though easy to read, Pip's experience teaches the reader important life lessons.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 5y/o and I enjoyed the surprises and interconnectedness of the characters, but the characters are very one-note and underdeveloped, at least in this annotated children’s version.

[Matthew Lauderdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my four year old daughter. A surprisingly fun tale with many more twists and turns than expected. Also impressive how they managed to abridge this for a much younger audience.

[Emily Storie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easier version of great expectations that relates to the movie

[Emilie D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book may look boring but is a good read.

[Kyle W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me make something clear. This book is amazing. That being said, this is purely a list of what I found wrong with the book. First of all, though Dickens says great things in great ways, his voice for doing so is not and frankly, I found it rather dull. I'm taking into account the fact that this was written in a different time, but even so, I find it to be more of a problem with Dicken's own writing voice rather than the voice of that era when compared to other writers of the time. I will say that the one main plus of his writing voice is that it is often subtle and dry, something which is very appreciated. Next, the "romance" between Pip and Estella. I have never been one much for romance but this is so forced it's insane.
Pip is a very good character. I like him. He is very fleshed out as a protagonist. He seems to understand people quite well. Which begs the question: Why the Hell does he love this person? Seriously, Estella is a horrible sexist who openly states to Pip that she wants to ruin his life and everyone else's. And Pip is aware of this, he just seems to not care. Eventually she states that she does want to be with Pip, but only after her husband abuses and beats her bloody getting himself arrested, she has nowhere to go and Pip is in possession of a large amount of money. That is not love. You can even clearly see her motives through her words. And Pip is still aware, he just keeps "being in love." This is not love. This is lust. That is the only thing it could possibly be. The only positive traitknown about Estella is her beauty. Is this what Pip wants? All this trouble for this? There are MANY other reasons why this is horrible, but you should just read it yourself. Seriously, without all these, this book would be amazing. But because of a dull writing voice and a forced one sided romance with no chemistry, this book gets my 4 out of 5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. It is the condensed version adapted by Mitsu Yamamoto. The story is very complex and there are many details and parts to it.
The plot is about a boy named Pip and his adventures through his life from age seven to his forties. As a boy, Pip helps an escaped convict by bringing him food. Then, one day he is invited to the old and very wealthy woman, Miss Havisham’s large mansion, to play with her daughter, Estella. After that, Pip’s life changes forever. In time, he becomes a gentleman, has money, moves to London, and learns the dark secrets about his family, friends. Pip also learns that his benefactor(sponsor) in London, whom is giving Pip money, is a criminal.
The story reminds me of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Hugo is an orphan boy who gets a hold of this mangled automaton who can write. He steals from a grumpy toy merchant for pieces to complete the automaton. As the story progresses, Hugo meets friends and he learns the dark secrets behind the automaton and the toy merchant. The tales are very similar because the plots are very complex and their are many different stories woven into one and many of the characters influence each other greatly. Both of these stories contain moving parts.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy stories like Into The Woods(Disney Movie), Haunted Mansion(also Disney), The Marvels(Brian Selznick) and Hugo Cabret(Brian Selznick). Great Expectations can get confusing, I had to reread some parts.

[Kent Kirker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I saw this book was in my high school library in Coshocton, Ohio. I had stumbled across the section of Dickens books, "The Tale of Two Cities", "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield", and there it was, the thick bound "Great Expectations". I remember grabbing the copy of Copperfield and skimming through it to try and get a feeling of what it was about. At the time I had a growing distaste for Shakespeare, (which I still have), I find him dry and hard to get into. Dickens was another classic English author who I lumped alongside Shakespeare, and that left a dry taste in my mouth, so I moved on. I'd seen some renditions of Dickens through television and cinema, but I had rarely read any of his actual work. Since that time, I have read a lot of his work, and some of his stories have stuck with me for years.

When I saw this version of the book I figured why pass it up this time? In sum, it's a pretty simple contemporary realistic fiction drama. It follows the life of Pip and his great expectations for his life. Starting with his life as a young boy living with a common family and extending to his life as the distinguished middle-aged gentleman. A few unexpected twists and some poignant scenes draw it together. For anyone who enjoys tales of rags to riches and self-worth, two themes prevalent in Dickens work, you will find this will whet, maybe even satisfy your appetite! For me it kind of felt short.

[Bookworm007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, I greatly enjoyed this! Never thought I'd read Great Expectations but in a whirl of fate, this particular edition came into my life. One glance at the first page and I was instantly hooked! It proved to be easy to read and understand, and though I feel a bit guilty for reading an abridged version, at least I got to (finally) know what the story is about 😅

Prior to reading, I had literally no idea what the plot was about, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a coming-of-age story that follows the protagonist, Pip, from childhood to adulthood.

Miss Havisham is such a great character, with her creepy old house and her wedding garment 😂 I have to say, I would love to read the original book just for her descriptions!

The thing I loved about Great Expectations is all the character development. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, even Estella!, all had such interesting backstories and development and "mysteries" that tied them together. And sweet honest kind Joe, ah! Love the kind of character who stands by the protagonist no matter what and is like "let bygones be bygones, you'll always have a place in my world" :')

Now that I know the story, maybe one day I'll tackle the original novel. (And perhaps even Charles Dickens's other stories too now :))

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent ONLY if you're okay with the willing suspension of disbelief. There are so many coincidences and contrivances, it's amazing that in the tiny, backwater hamlet of...London...the same 10 people keep running into each other. But Dickens is superb in his prose and imagery. Some of my favorite examples:

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts."

"I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born, in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality, and against the dissuading arguments of my best friends."

"I know that Fortune alone has raised me, that is being very lucky. And yet, when I think of Estella--then, my dear Herbert, I cannot tell you how dependent and uncertain I feel. I may still say that on the constancy of one person (naming no person) all my expectations depend. And at the best, how indefinite and unsatisfactory, only to know so vaguely what they are!"

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, okay; I'll admit that I haven't read the original. This version, however, was in my younger sister's “book bag,” and I was bored.

Now, on to the quality of the story. I felt as though this book were a little rushed—noticeably so. It's as if the narration itself said, after every plot point, “All right; now that that one's out of the way, let's move on.” At times, the story felt disconnected and juvenile (but, hey; this is a kid's adaption, and I am out of the target range, so why am I complaining?).

Otherwise, I did enjoy the idea and basic plot of the story. I mean, a lady who spends every day in her wedding dress because her ex-fiancé left her? Hauntingly tragic, if not beautiful, to show how her then-innocent heart was broken so cruelly and how her life changed because of one person's decision.

Soooo…that's that. And I think I'll probably read Great Expectations soon. Toodledo.

[Candi Hadley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up from the Free Little Library at my son's school. I remembered having supposedly read it in high school, but couldn't recall anything about it. I was excited to find a "classic" in there, but realized when I opened it that it was the illustrated adaptation. Oh well. I decided to go ahead and read it anyway.

I think I know now why I don't remember the story. I probably didn't read it as a teen because it was boring. The characters in this version completely lacked depth. The plot moved along very quickly without events that would have tied it together or helped it make sense. I still don't know why things happened, and I'll probably never find out, as this version definitely did not inspire me to read the original.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably last read this book when I was 15 or 16 years old, and I think I liked it better than (I downgraded from 4 stars to 3). It is down-to-earth and charming as only Dickens can be, but I think that I matured out of the angst and heartbreak that the story rotates around. In particular, I remember being most moved by Estella and poor Pip's heartbreak and dashed expectations... this time around, not nearly so much. Perhaps I'm just getting old and don't so well remember the angst of youth :-)

[Becky H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This version of the classic Great Expectations caught my eye as a great way to review a classic. However, as I was reading it I realized that perhaps I had never finished the original. This is a great condensed version that is perfect for the younger reader to discover Pip and learn from his life.

#50/50BookQuest categories= book you can read in a day, a classic, and a book set in the past.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a terribly brilliant book. I presume the original novel has more depth and emotion, but I think for an adapted children's version, this was great. I read this back in fourth grade and thought it was boring, but I now understand the purpose of the story, and I think Pip is such a well-written character. I love to hate that guy.

[Ana Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a super abridged version of the original novel, but it is such a good story that now i want to read the original.
At first I thought the story was just going to be about a dreamy kid, but as you go on the plot thickens and the plot twist are soooooo good.

Definitely a good interesting read.