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Great Expectations
The first volume of the new CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED DELUXE series presents graphic novelist Michel Plessix's lush adaptation of "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame. The artwork is in aquarelle, with thin, precise, detailed lines. In Wind in the Willows , Plessix breathes life into Mole, Rat, and Toad (of Toad Hall) as they picnic on the riverbank, indulge in Toad's latest fad, and get lost in Wild Wood. The pacing is each panel lingers just long enough to make you appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
56 pages, Hardcover
Published March 4, 2008
2 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Rick Geary
194 books202 followersRICK GEARY was born in 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Wichita,
Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where his first cartoons were published in the University Daily Kansan. He worked as staff artist for two weekly papers in Wichita before moving to San Diego in 1975.
He began work in comics in 1977 and was for thirteen years a contributor to the Funny Pages of National Lampoon. His comic stories have also been published in Heavy Metal, Dark Horse Comics and the DC Comics/Paradox Press Big Books. His early comic work has been collected in Housebound with Rick Geary from Fantagraphics Books.
During a four-year stay in New York, his illustrations appeared regularly in The New York Times Book Review. His illustration work has also been seen in MAD, Spy, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and American Libraries.
He has written and illustrated three children’s books based on The Mask for Dark Horse and two Spider-Man children's books for Marvel. His children’s comic “Society of Horrors” ran in Disney Adventures magazine. He was the artist for the new series of GUMBY Comics, written by Bob Burden, for which they received the 2007 Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Publication for a Younger Audience.
His graphic novels include three adaptations for the Classics Illustrated, and the nine-volume series A Treasury of Victorian Murder for NBM Publishing. The new series A Treasury of 20th Century Murder began in 2008 with “The Lindbergh Child.” His other historically-based graphic novels include Cravan, written with Mike Richardson, and J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography.
Rick has received the Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic Convention (1980) and the Book and Magazine Illustration Award from the National Cartoonists Society (1994).
He and his wife Deborah can be found every year at their table at San Diego’s Comic Con International. In 2007, they moved to the town of Carrizozo, New Mexico.
(from http://www.rickgeary.com/bio.html)
Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where his first cartoons were published in the University Daily Kansan. He worked as staff artist for two weekly papers in Wichita before moving to San Diego in 1975.
He began work in comics in 1977 and was for thirteen years a contributor to the Funny Pages of National Lampoon. His comic stories have also been published in Heavy Metal, Dark Horse Comics and the DC Comics/Paradox Press Big Books. His early comic work has been collected in Housebound with Rick Geary from Fantagraphics Books.
During a four-year stay in New York, his illustrations appeared regularly in The New York Times Book Review. His illustration work has also been seen in MAD, Spy, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and American Libraries.
He has written and illustrated three children’s books based on The Mask for Dark Horse and two Spider-Man children's books for Marvel. His children’s comic “Society of Horrors” ran in Disney Adventures magazine. He was the artist for the new series of GUMBY Comics, written by Bob Burden, for which they received the 2007 Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Publication for a Younger Audience.
His graphic novels include three adaptations for the Classics Illustrated, and the nine-volume series A Treasury of Victorian Murder for NBM Publishing. The new series A Treasury of 20th Century Murder began in 2008 with “The Lindbergh Child.” His other historically-based graphic novels include Cravan, written with Mike Richardson, and J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography.
Rick has received the Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic Convention (1980) and the Book and Magazine Illustration Award from the National Cartoonists Society (1994).
He and his wife Deborah can be found every year at their table at San Diego’s Comic Con International. In 2007, they moved to the town of Carrizozo, New Mexico.
(from http://www.rickgeary.com/bio.html)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 22, 2013
One of the best piece of literature .....and very well told in this beautiful graphic novel
January 21, 2021
I'm pretty sure I had two other reviews here for Great Expectations.
I'll start by saying that this was assigned high school reading and I did not like this story then. I later read a graphic novel of it and actually liked the story. I suppose I saw it differently through adult eyes the second time around.
This particular book, I ran across looking for another book and decided to give it another read. I started off just wanting to see how someone else adapted it into a graphic novel but by the end of it I found myself very emotional reading the ending. I was not expecting that. It made me realize how perfect and necessary each character is in this story. I do love moral and karma stories and this was a full circle story of revenge, forgiveness, and karma.
I also came to the realization that not only Estela and Miss Havisham were repugnant characters but Pip was also a little ungrateful weak punk who looked down on those who cared for him and looked out for him. His undying love for Estella made him blind to everything and turned him into her lapdog.
This was a very good adaptation of Great Expectations and I'm now considering rereading the novel again. Thirty plus years since I first read the novel. I think it would be a great time to read this again. My daughter would be so happy. This is one of her favorite books and she's been trying to get me to reread it for some years now. Maybe I can get her to reread it along with me, as well.
We commit our worst meannesses for the sake of people whom we most despise. (Quote from the graphic novel, not sure if it's a direct quote from the novel.)
I'll start by saying that this was assigned high school reading and I did not like this story then. I later read a graphic novel of it and actually liked the story. I suppose I saw it differently through adult eyes the second time around.
This particular book, I ran across looking for another book and decided to give it another read. I started off just wanting to see how someone else adapted it into a graphic novel but by the end of it I found myself very emotional reading the ending. I was not expecting that. It made me realize how perfect and necessary each character is in this story. I do love moral and karma stories and this was a full circle story of revenge, forgiveness, and karma.
I also came to the realization that not only Estela and Miss Havisham were repugnant characters but Pip was also a little ungrateful weak punk who looked down on those who cared for him and looked out for him. His undying love for Estella made him blind to everything and turned him into her lapdog.
This was a very good adaptation of Great Expectations and I'm now considering rereading the novel again. Thirty plus years since I first read the novel. I think it would be a great time to read this again. My daughter would be so happy. This is one of her favorite books and she's been trying to get me to reread it for some years now. Maybe I can get her to reread it along with me, as well.
We commit our worst meannesses for the sake of people whom we most despise. (Quote from the graphic novel, not sure if it's a direct quote from the novel.)
August 10, 2013
I'm working my way through Rick Geary's backlist and he wrote three books in this series. Great Expectations is one of, if not my most, favourite Dickens novel. First of all, every time I see Geary in full colour it is always a bit of a shock to the system as I just prefer him soooo much in b/w but just browsing through the book and you can recognize his signature style immediately. Adapting Dickens is no small feat and Geary pulls this off very well. He concentrates on Pip and his rise to gentleman status along with the events that directly effect that storyline. We have the convict, Miss Havisham, Joe, Herbert and Estella storylines played out while the other side stories have been omitted though many of the characters still make an appearance such as Biddy and Clara and her father. Geary has chosen to make the ending finite rather than leave us with the ambiguous original ending. This is the only part I wasn't pleased with and I'm inclined to believe it was an editorial decision because of the book's targeted young audience. Otherwise an enjoyable revisit with one of my favourite classics and I'm quite impressed with the quality of this book (presentation, paper, etc.) I may be inclined to read others in the series when I've finished the Geary ones; they have an interesting list.
October 25, 2016
If you are a student with an assignment involving this classic by Dickens and you are short of time, this book may prove to be a better crutch than the summary by Cliffs Notes. The essence of the story and many of the social mores of England of the nineteenth century are captured in graphic novel form.
The main character is the orphan Pip and he is exposed to convicts, a bitter old woman raising a girl to be emotional and unfeeling and other aspects of the stratified English society. As Pip grows, he is the receiver of significant help from an unknown benefactor, allowing him to transform into a gentleman. Yet, underneath this social mobility there are many undercurrents of his past, all of which are presented in the social context of a class conscious England.
This is a book that would work very well in middle and high school English classes where the work of Dickens is being examined. It could also be used in history classes where the topic is the social structure of England in the nineteenth century. All tools should be used when young people are being educated and this is one that will prove valuable.
The main character is the orphan Pip and he is exposed to convicts, a bitter old woman raising a girl to be emotional and unfeeling and other aspects of the stratified English society. As Pip grows, he is the receiver of significant help from an unknown benefactor, allowing him to transform into a gentleman. Yet, underneath this social mobility there are many undercurrents of his past, all of which are presented in the social context of a class conscious England.
This is a book that would work very well in middle and high school English classes where the work of Dickens is being examined. It could also be used in history classes where the topic is the social structure of England in the nineteenth century. All tools should be used when young people are being educated and this is one that will prove valuable.
July 7, 2020
This is a graphic novel adaptation of Great Expectations that I got as a kid (from Half Price Books, if I remember right - it's been awhile!). I read this to Melia, since she really likes graphic novels. Actually, for a good part of the book, Melia and I would trade off pages.
The story itself is fabulous, of course. It's Dickens. It's just that our pacing was poor. Sometimes we would sit down and read it a few days in a row, and sometimes it would sit on a shelf for a month. Whenever that happens, the enjoyment of the story necessarily suffers.
The story itself is fabulous, of course. It's Dickens. It's just that our pacing was poor. Sometimes we would sit down and read it a few days in a row, and sometimes it would sit on a shelf for a month. Whenever that happens, the enjoyment of the story necessarily suffers.
February 23, 2016
Immediately from the cover alone I can tell that this is going to be one of Berkley's poorer versions of Classics Illustrated comics. Which, of course, it turns out to be, with the artwork being very childish and actually distracting from the story which is very serious.
There's a short biography of Charles Dickens included with the book.
There's a short biography of Charles Dickens included with the book.
January 22, 2015
Not sure why I liked this adaptation so much. I was impressed by the ability to condense the story into such a narrow format. Truth is I am shocked I liked the story. Tales that rely on coincidence usually leave me cold.
November 27, 2013
You can read my thoughts here. (3.25/5)
March 6, 2015
I really really loved this so much it was so good
May 10, 2016
Great Expectations is already one of my favorites by Charles Dickens, and I loved the way the story is paired with the artwork in this graphic novel.
November 12, 2016
My first attempt--and probably the best way ever-- to acquaint youngsters with classical literature!
April 14, 2021
Not a fan of the art but it was nonetheless a good abridged version.
March 2, 2022
Neatly covers the highlights of this classic novel, with a great depiction of Miss Havisham. Can't compete with the original though.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews