Great Expectations

by Jen Green (Adapter), Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens' tale of Pip, Miss Havisham and the spiteful Estella is retold here with fresh enthusiasm contained within Victorian ambience.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Classics, Historical Fiction, Historical, Comics, Young Adult, British Literature

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jen Green is a British author of over 300 non-fiction books for children and adults. She earned a doctorate in English literature from Sussex University and became a full-time writer after a career in publishing. She lives near the Sussex Downs.

Reviews

[Beatrix Haase · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Catherine Hayden]

didn’t feel particularly attached to any characters but definitely an accessible way to get the story

[Kristi Clemow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good and the illustrations were great but I think it'd be hard to follow if you haven't already read the book

[Maya Hayat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Great Expectations was written in 1860 in London. The main character Pip is an orphan therefore he lives with his strict sister and her husband. One day he was caught by a man (Abel Magwitch) while going to his parents grave, he threats him and tells him to bring him food and a file which Pip does. Pip is being called to come and play with Estella, Miss Havisham's adopted daughter. He falls in love with her while she is being cruel and mean to him, he starts to work for his uncle Joe but was never happy doing it. One day he gets a large amount of money from a lawyer and goes to London to learn to be a gentleman thinking he got the money from Miss Havisham, later on he discovers that the money came from Magwitch. After studying in London for several years he comes back home for his sister’s funeral. In the mid time Estella married a rich man and he visits Miss Havisham where he discovers that she was the reason Estella was always cruel. He tries to help Magwitch escape London but the police finds them and Magwitch goes to prison where he dies. Pip decides to go and visit Miss Havisham once again and this time he finds out that Estella’s husband has passed away and the two of them end up walking and holding hands.

I enjoyed the book a lot and liked all the images and the dialogues and thought it help illustrate what happened but at the same time I found it confusing sometimes, not knowing what to read next.

[Koen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that the Great Expectation protagonist named Pip was a very well developed character throughout the story. We saw him starting as a very young boy who was innocent and had little fortunate future, he was merely a young boy who was family with a blacksmith. When he gets the opportunity to become a gentlemen in life and have a better fortune he starts changing and you can really start to see the development of his character. He starts off by wearing neater clothes that suit his position better and he starts speaking in a more formal way. Then when he did that he went back to Estella and learned she didn't love him, he became more grown up as a character, not only becoming a gentlemen but growing up and becoming a man instead of a boy. He learns things not from education but just life lessons that make him who he was by the end of story. Pip's character is so well developed that at some points you hardly notice his change. Another person who really changes is Estella, at the beginning she was very mean to Pip but later realized this wasn't right because you grew up as well and was able to think for herself and make her own choices. Overall I think the characters are very well developed because you can see them develop throughout the book.

[Seraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and I think the plot and characters in the book are very well developed. It also contains many important themes that can be seen throughout the book.

In the beginning of the book, the protagonist Pip is just a boy. He is an orphan raised by his sister and her husband, Joe, the blacksmith and lives on a piece of marshland. He encounters an escaped prisoner and saves the man, which is the first turning point in the book because his future will change. Being a common boy and insulted by the girl he likes, he starts to feel sick of his life and naturally wants to become better. After he leaves everything behind and begins his new journey in a new city, he starts with high expectations. However, as he goes through certain events in his life and the truth unravels, he starts to question himself. He then realizes what he really wants and becomes an experienced grown man.

Another main character in the book is Estella, the girl Pip loves, who has also developed significantly throughout the book. Miss Havisham raised her up as a proud and insulting girl who has hurt Pip’s feelings multiple times. But as time goes by her youthful beauty fades and she finds no more meaning in her cold actions, she sees what she could have had and becomes a more mature woman.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great Expectations was originally written by Charles Dickens. This particular book was written by Jen Green, although it uses the same original text by the original author. I think that this is a great decision by Ms. Green, as it allows me to experience what Dickens wanted me to. The transformation of the novel to a graphic novel was interesting, especially as the art style is aesthetically pleasing, with many colours. I do not think that it improved my reading experience exponentially, although it made it slightly better, although it sometimes disrupted the flow of the book (probably due to the fact that this was the first graphic novel I have had the pleasure of reading). I did not enjoy the novel, due to the fact that I found the plot incredibly slow, with little to no development in characters other than Pip, until the end of the book. I also found the characters very difficult to remember, making the plot even more confusing.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Great Expectations: The Graphic Novel' allows the reader to enjoy the uses of old english while still being able to understand the plot through pictures. The novel, although set in the past, involves some valuable lessons still relevant today. This allows the reader to reflect on it and learn something about expectations and experiences. The graphics allow more people to read the story without english as their first language, and they are very detailed, drawing the reader in, as most graphics in novels do. I gave it a three-star rating because although it is not the most eventful and exciting novel it still has a purpose for its plot as it teaches valuable lessons. In addition the graphics in the graphic novel were good and the plot builds up throughout the story with many problems Pip has to face but in the end sorts them out and becomes closer to the people who are important to him.

[Gil Omer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the classic tale of Great Expectations, originally written by Charles Dickens and adapted into a graphic novel by Jen Green.

On its own, Great Expectations is a good story. It tells the story of a boy named Pip, and follows his life as he leaves his rural heritage and pursues the life of a gentleman. An endearing story, and one boasting characters and themes worth studying and analyzing.

This graphic novel is also a worthwhile adaptation. The artwork is beautiful and the book itself is of remarkable page quality, gloss and everything. My only complaint, however, is that the layout of the graphic novel makes it a bit hard to follow sometimes.

In conclusion, this definitely deserves a look in.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The graphic novel form of "Great Expectations" shows the journey the protagonist (Pip) takes throughout his life, from being a poor boy who lives with his sister and her husband to being given an opportunity of a lifetime.

The graphic novel version of the book "Great Expectations" was interesting and brought a different perspective to a well-known book. The graphic novel format helped bring life to the characters and scenes without many interruptions to dialogue. In addition, the graphic novel format adds more description of the landscape and emotions on the characters faces and their surroundings aiding the mood in scenes.

[Noah Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that the story had good well built characters however this was little help to the book as there was little to no risks in it. All that happened, happened very slowly so that the reader never felt bad or good for the characters as it was more like reading a documentary about berries then a story about a country boy turned gentleman. It seemed as if everything that was given to him and he did not deserve anything. This made the whole book quite dull as there was no thrilling part of the novel. I also think that the novel could have done a better job in showing the reader the feelings of the characters instead of telling them how the Pip interprets their movements/actions.

[Alex Adsett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an entertaining graphic novel with twists and characters coming back who you thought you would not see again. The pictures were very precise and were created by a talented artist. The pictures accurately described what was happening and sometimes gave more insight than just the captions alone. I was not Pips biggest fan but I suppose there were some qualities he possessed that were desirable. Such as him being a good friend and giving half his money to his best friend. Margerets feelings were an interesting part of the story because they were the revenge of her guardian. This was a fun book to read.

[Thomas NEuweiler]

I feel the Book was very well written and explored the theme of coincidences very well. The characters in the book are also very remember-able and interesting. The coincidences can get a bit annoying tho as it seems like too much sometimes. The book explores countless amount of themes during the story, this makes the book very fun to read and interesting. The ending of the book was a bit of a let down. The language used is very well as the great mid of Charles Dickens describes the surroundings very well and adds much detail in his writing. Overall this is very well thought out and definitely a must read.

[Mathilde Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my summer reads for school was The graphic novel version of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I found it was better than I had expected as I connected well to the characters. I personally also liked the story line, however occasionally found it difficult to follow. The novel includes some very interesting ideas and themes and has a deeper meaning which I liked. It also teaches you a lot of about England in those times and how social classes was very important. Therefore, it is interesting to see the protagonist develop his thoughts about social classes. Overall, it is an enjoyable novel, which ideas will stay with you.

[Meike · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first time having read a graphic novel, so it was nice to make the process of reading a classic story a little shorter. I wasn't really into the story, but it was nice to have something visual to help me understand the story. I feel that reading the actual novel might help with my overall understanding of the story, the characters, and the message of the story. The illustrations were very well done, but sometimes the pages came across to be quite cluttered and it was hard to know where to begin.

[Bence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it really put me in pips shoes and the choices he made and paths he took could all be explained from his point of view. It was also interesting to see how the characters interacted with each other for example towards the end Pip and Joe, since Pip was now a gentleman while Joe was still a blacksmith. The only limitation of the book was that since it was a graphic novel it didn't leave much to the imagination and so I think it would be interesting to read the original book too.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Expectations was quite frankly a phenomenon of a novel. Dickens use of exceptional language really brings this timeless classic back to life. Pip, the main character who is also the protanganist in the novel, is a character who is easy to sympathize with. What, with his parents untimley and unfourtunate death at such a young age, Pip was frced to blend into normal society once more, this time with out a kind and helpful guiding hand. This novel is a heart-wrenching book full of suprises and tradedgy. A book to denfinatly look at.

[Casper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good images and really clear emotions shown through them as well. I did not enjoy the book much, not because I don't like the writing, but I think that the original book is a lot better. I also think that the book, as an introductory for many students to Charles Dickens, is not the best of ideas. I think this because it does not show off his writing style in the same way the original does. For example it does not display his long, run-on sentences. Overall I still managed to find myself enjoying the books at certain points, because of the incredible illustrations.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Expectations: The Graphic Novel is an excellent way of understanding the story for people with English as their second language. The Graphics are very detailed and interesting to watch while helping the reader understand through old English language. My rating is a four out of five because even though the story is set during older times, it is still reflecting people nowadays and it should be a lesson to take into account.

[Laurel Seed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dickens' uses skilfully illustrated scenes to portray scenes and events from an original text but in a fascinating form.

[Aine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic novel of the classic, Great Expectations. Although I was vaguely familiar with the characters (through osmosis?), I had never read Great Expectations. And this graphic novel seemed like an easy way to read it quickly. It was a fast read, but to be honest the content is probably too complicated for a 160-page set of images. There was often a lot of contextual text; it didn't really flow like most graphic novels I've read. But still a worthwhile read and every 40-year old should have a good understanding of who Mrs Havisham is. Not sure how I got to this stage of my life without such basic knowledge!

[Elle Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic adaption of the novel seemed to tell the tale tolerably well but I did find that I wasn't engaged in the characters and for most of the book I utterly disliked the main protagonist Pip. I think I was missing a more in-depth look at the characters and their motives, something I suspect I would find in the original text, and this version seemed to present the most simplest interpretation of all the people involved. But, for an introduction to Great Expectations this served the purpose and it is very well drawn.

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite story, but I wanted to give graphic novels a try this year, and thought something based off a classic novel would be a good place to start. The original novel is over 400 pages, so this was like the Cliff's Notes version of the story... but with pictures. It still isn't my favorite storyline, but it made a lot more sense distilled down to 140 pages! It retained the characters, original dialogue, and major events of Dickens' novel, but cut out a lot of his rambling narratives. Plus, who doesn't like pictures?

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was assigned this book in junior high but never read it (or at least not most of it). This book is certainly an accessible way to learn about the novel. Having said that, the novel itself didn't seem that appealing to me even after reading this version.

[Steven Nowak · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest books ever written , even in a graphic novel .

[Precious Sagbodje · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun way to revisit this great story.

[Meesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting to see a Charles dickens book in graphic novel form butttt it wasn’t really my thing…

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Great Expectations: The Graphic Novel" is a condensed, 140 page, classic and graphic book by Jen Green and is an adaption of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations. The copy I read contained original text, not a modern translation and used the revised ending instead of the original.
The story follows Pip from childhood to a later age and shows the reader the his transition from young, peasant-like child, to a proper older gentleman. Along the way, he encounters Estella, a beautiful girl whom he falls in love with, Ms. Havisham, a Estella's crazy (and crazy wealthy) adoptee mother, and Magwitch, a kind-hearted criminal. The book begins with the Pip as a young child. Along the outskirts of the small town he lives in he meets a criminal whom he agrees to help. Some time passes, and he quickly forgets about this. Soon after, Ms. Havisham takes an interest in him, and invites him over to spend time with her and Estella. While there, Estella makes taunts and teases Pip, playing with his emotions, and making him cry. She looks down on him for being poor, and he believes that she is correct, and is desperate to be like the learned gentlemen in cosmopolitan cities. These invitations do not last long however, and Pip once again returns to the life of a blacksmith-in-training. Then, one day, when he's a young man, he is approached by a lawyer that tells him that someone is willing to fund his transformation to becoming a gentleman, and together they head to London. But one of the conditions is that Pip can't ask who the money has come from. Pip automatically assumes that it was Ms. Havisham, and begins to believe that she is grooming him to be worthy of Estella. Later, it's made apparent that it is not in fact Ms. Havisham that's grooming him, but the Magwitch, the convict he helped escape. Pip is crestfallen, and refuses to accept any more of Magwitch's money. Some time after, when he has become a middle-aged man, while he's back in the small town he grew up in, he hears that Estella was unhappily married and then widowed. He knows that he still loves her. At the end of the book, while he's at the graveyard, visiting the spot he first met Magwitch, Estella shows up. She tells him that now she too is capable of love, and together they walk out of the cemetery, and the text implies that they stay together forever.
I enjoyed the story because it was well told and because it contained a truth that is all too easily forgotten: if you expect too much, you will be disappointed (just like Pip was when he found out that he wasn't being groomed for Estella). The plot twist kept it interesting, I too believed at first that Ms. Havisham was grooming him, and when I found out the truth the story just got juicier. What I didn't like about the story was that Ms. Havisham's story (after Estella's marriage, Pip moving, etc.) was left untold. She was an eccentric character, and I would have liked to see more of her. It was a little difficult to tell what was happening in the illustrations at times because the scenes were always so dark. Also, the characters all looked mad/irritated all the time. It was a little misleading. But all in all, it was nice having some pictures to back up what I was reading. It helped me imagine the conditions at that time.

[Emily Yarrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought Great Expectations was an ok book. It wasn't the genre I usually read, although I thought it was interesting. I thought it had a good plot and it kept me interested for most of the book. I grew to like a lot of the characters like Estella and Joe. I liked how the author made Pip's sister not as nice as Joe, and how Joe was there for Pip even when they didn't live with each other anymore. I liked how Pip stayed friends with Biddy, even when he went off to London. I think the author could have expressed Pip's thoughts and feelings a bit more, so we can understand how he feels and what he thinks. The author, Jen Green, could of said how Pip doesn't like to be away from home, so he was out of his comfort zone when he went to London, this would of made you have a bit more empathy for Pip. I liked how the graphic novel had different types of characters. It had characters like Trabb's Boy, who helped Herbert find Pip when Pip was in danger, but Trabb's Boy wasn't a main character, he was just an extra character. But then there was Estella, who was part of most of the story, and impacted Pip. Overall I found this book decent, considering it was written in 1861.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Dickens really knows how to write a comic book. And Classical Comics knows how to publish one. The idea of publishing graphic novels of classic literature is long overdue (not to denigrate the original run of Classic Comics) and this company has put a lot of love, care and quality into all the works they have so far interpreted. [return]Great Expectations is one of my favorite Dickens novels and several graphic editions have been published in the past. None however have tapped into not only the story but the actual language of Dickens and it makes for wonderful reading.[return]I will not summarize the story here (you should know it!), but I will say this is the perfect introduction to the world of Charles Dickens for not only the young but everyone.[return]If I had one quibble to make it would be that the art, though professional and appropriate, lacks any real character of its own and seems satisfied to visualize the story and illustrate the plot – and with a text by Charles Dickens this is probably sufficient.