Great Expectations

Written by Charles Dickens

Narrated by Anton Lesser

Narrated in the first person, Great Expectations tells the story of Philip Pirrip (known as Pip) from his disadvantaged start as an orphan in the Kent marshes to the improvement in his position following an anonymous allowance. Pip moves to London where, only after many trials, does he learn humility and the value of loyalty. Key Dickens characters abound – the convict Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham and the pompous Pumblechook. Great Expectations was first published as a complete novel in October 1861 shortly after its serialisation in All The Year Round. Like David Copperfield, it drew on his early life, especially the trials of a boy who, about to enter his teen years, find himself challenged by tough life experiences. Among the many remarkable scenes is the famous meeting with Miss Havisham, surrounded by the mementos of her wedding day many years before. It remains one of Dickens’ most popular novels.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Oct 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9789629544911

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens had a prolific collection of works including fifteen novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories and articles. The term “cliffhanger endings” was created because of his practice of ending his serial short stories with drama and suspense. Dickens’ political and social beliefs heavily shaped his literary work. He argued against capitalist beliefs, and advocated for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens advocacy for such causes is apparent in his empathetic portrayal of lower classes in his famous works, such as The Christmas Carol and Hard Times.

Reviews for Great Expectations

[Rebekah Westin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Phenomenal narrator. All the different voices were performed with creativity and talent, truly bringing this epic work of literature to life. We especially enjoyed Miss Havisham’s voice.

[Natalie Nielson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing book, but the recording was muddled, and kept jumping around??!! Very frustrating. The reader was incredible, though, and the story so memorable!

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dickens is in fact, “the” chronicler of the human condition. Great Expectations is the fifth Dickens novel that I have read (A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist) and it is probably my favorite. There are so many plot twists and turns that the reader is ever surprised. Miss Havisham is an engima, never fully explained, but certainly one of the most interesting and pathetic characters in literature.

[Liam Devine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It could hardly be better. Anton Lesser reads this very great novel wonderfully.

[Pete Henare · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliantly read - made it come alive! Thank you !

[Janelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my favourite book. I read it every few years. This audiobook was a brilliant way to re-engage while I did other things, such as cycling and walking the dog.
Dickens was a masterful writer and truly understood the human psyche.
If you haven't read any Dickens novels, start with this one.

[Megan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply Dickens at his absolute best. The plot is brilliant and both the charm and disgrace of humanity are somehow entangled throughout. Each character is painted true to themselves, in all their ugliness, all their potential and all their beauty. It’s essentially a book about any one of us, more about who we can be than who we have been. With much dialogue throughout this audio edition is delightful.

[msaucier818 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic that has been the favorite of readers for generations. I first read parts of this in high school but did not truly appreciate it at that point in my life. I then read it in full a few years back and totally fell in love with Pip and the cast of characters. The story, the setting, the people, the twists and turns of the plot, there was nothing about this book that I did not enjoy. Dickens was at his finest here and I recommend this book to all for enjoyment.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dickens needs to be consumed in whole big gasps so that one can appreciate the whole big story complete with his innumerable minute details.

[Jake Anderson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best reader ever. Loved it. The story comes to life.

[Gary Shanahan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The narrator is the best! Love all the character voices so much!!!!

[Richard Knapp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really brilliant version so well read by a great actor - it shows off the best of Dickens and his characters

[EGabrielle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magnificently narrated, Dickens work is surely a a masterpiece to enjoy

[tess_w · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dickens is in fact, “the” chronicler of the human condition. Great Expectations is the fifth Dickens novel that I have read (A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist) and it is probably my favorite. There are so many plot twists and turns that the reader is ever surprised. Miss Havisham is an engima, never fully explained, but certainly one of the most interesting and pathetic characters in literature.

[Nicci · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dickens challenges the reader to consider their own expectations against the different characters expectations in order to get the reader to think about whether or not their own expectations are truly “great expectations “.

[Alice Scandura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listening to the various voices enhanced the book for me.

[benbulben_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Victorian literature was another revolution, replacing the romantic literature of the past that had romanticized the upper classes. Victorian literature was written for the people. Magazines became very popular with the English people and catered to all classes of readers. The popular magazines provided an outlet for many writers who wrote their novels in month-to-month sections, much like a serial. The pressure of social problems tended to create a new awareness of and interest in human beings and relationships; thus, characterization became a dominant quality in literature.Dickens was a master at creating characters and bringing them to life. Great Expectations houses some of the greatest characters of all time. The timeline of Pip as he grows from the loneliness of a little orphan boy into the complicated world of a young adult has proven to be one for the ages. He encounters the likes of Magwitch, Miss Haversham, Jaggers, Wemmick, and Estelle along the way.

[sixteendays · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Halloa!" said he. "Here's a couple of pair of gloves! Let's put 'em on!"As the gloves were white kid gloves, and as the post-office was widened to its utmost extent, I now began to have my strong suspicions. They were strengthened into certainty when I beheld the Aged enter at a side door, escorting a lady."Halloa!" said Wemmick. "Here's Miss Skiffins! Let's have a wedding."Where have you been all my life, Wemmick?

[natek_23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dickens was a great writer, and deserves all the praise he gets. That said. I didn't like this book. I don't relate to stories like this and have a hard time connecting with the motivations of the characters. I find the majority of the actions exasperating, and rather than propelling me forward in the tale, I'm just left wondering how long this will go on. Unfortunately Dickens was paid by the word, so the answer is inevitably, too long.

[bruce_deming_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oh I really couldn't relate to this book at the time. Required reading in school.
I was not cooperative in getting into it really. Can't say i gave i t any fair shot.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyable, thus far. For someone who was paid by the word, Dickens is doing a wonderful job getting to the point. Update: Excellent story. It's a moral story, but it doesn't really beat you over the head with the lessons - though Pip ruminates on them often in the second half of the book.Dickens' writing style is very much to my liking. He's long-winded, like Tolkien, but unlike Tolkien, he won't spend four pages talking about the same rock, but rather focuses more on ideas.

[Tyson Douglas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A true masterclass in narration. Anton Lesser has brings this story to life with a performance equal to that of Dickens’ writing. I am left in awe, admiration deepest gratitude for this gifting. Thank you.

[ca8bookwyrm · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The only English class-assigned book that I didn't finish. And I never plan to.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD narrated by Simon Vance3.5*** Decades ago, I read a children’s classic abridged version; I’ve also seen at least one of the film adaptations, and read multiple books that reference Miss Havisham and her wedding attire. (My favorite references being in Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series; the scene where Miss Havisham reads Heathcliff the riot act – book 3 in the series - is priceless!) And a couple of years ago I read Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs which was inspired by Dickens’s classic. So, I figured it was time to get to the original.It’s typical Dickens in that there are many characters and many hidden relationships between them, which will eventually be revealed and explain the seemingly “random” encounters. I enjoyed watching Pip mature from a child to a young man finding his way to some measure of success. I absolutely loved Joe Gargery, Pip’s brother-in-law and an all-around good guy. He was so steady and caring, the epitome of a good father, IMHO. Magwich was a very interesting character, starting out as a dangerous criminal and later showing more humanity and caring. On the other hand, I thought Dickens gave too little attention to the women. Miss Havisham and Estella would be ideal main characters but were relegated to supporting roles. I haven’t researched this, but I hope that some talented author has taken up the task of fleshing out their story. The edition I read included a bonus epilogue, indicating the first ending Dickens wrote (originally published in weekly installments). I’m glad he revised it, for I prefer the ending as it was later written. Simon Vance does a marvelous job of performing the audio book. He has a wide range of characters to deal with and his skill as a voice artist was up to the task . (Though I did read the text for about a third of it.)

[jonbrammer-788089 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

You can't fault Dickens for setting his sights too low. His novels attempt to capture the broad feeling of his age, and his ambition is palpable on each page. What makes reading his novels a slog is that he often tries to do too much - his prose is overstuffed, he says in 200 words what could have been elegantly stated in 20.

This is the story of Pip from the marshes, and his transformation from a lowly blacksmith's apprentice to a young gentleman, thanks to the generosity of a mysterious benefactor. In the process, Dickens comments on class and gender relations, the criminal justice system, and the cultural distance between London and the provinces.

Being able to appreciate this social commentary is necessary to really understanding Dickens' novels. Unfortunately, many of the characters are drawn as mere caricatures, and one has the sense that only the Victorian reader could get the inside jokes and references.

Our hero Pip is not very sympathetic, either. He neglects his brother-in-law Joe and pines for Estella, the ultimate ice princess. He wastes his money in London (even though he spends much of it setting up his best friend Bernard in business). By the end of the novel, Pip remains a flat character - although he gains some wisdom and a deeper moral sense, he remains humorless and melodramatic.

Great Expectations is worth reading if only to gain insight into Victorian English society, but don't expect a page-turner.

[debbie13410 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first half of the book is pretty good. Every so often I got lost in the old style writing but I was still able to understand what was going on. Their is a lot of subtle humor that made this a less stodgy old fashioned read. Once Pip grew up and become a horrible snob it was harder to read. It has a satisfactory ending.

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While many things happen, at its core this is the most straightforward plot that Dickens has mustered since the Curiosity Shop. Young Pip is destined for a lowly life as a blacksmith's apprentice, until he is introduced to Miss Havisham and her ward. Shortly afterward he comes into a bit of property and takes up the life of a gentleman, as if this were the story of Little Dorrit again. Dickens loves to repurpose ideas from former novels in new clothes, but there's some fun (eventual) twists to this one that make it unique.It never does to have too great expectations before reading any novel, and mine were relatively low after Two Cities didn't live up to its billing. Plus I had spoilers this time, vague memories of when I ripped through this novel as a teen reading every third or fourth word after it felt like treacle. Thirty-some years later it has none of those problems and proves to be one of my favourites among all of Dickens' work, although I wonder how much my opinion is influenced by having enjoyed the dramatic irony. A couple of minor quirks stand out. I don't like how Orlick enters the story out of nowhere in Chapter 15 as if he'd been there all along, and I couldn't shake thoughts of Dickens' poor reputation as a father that drained the fun from his depicting the Pockets' hopeless parenting. The coincidences nearly choked me this time and the conclusion feels too prolonged. I also can't help wondering (perhaps am meant to wonder) if Pip's original destiny he was steered from wouldn't have been the happiest outcome.This is a textbook study of the reckless ways one can get up to when coming into money without guidance; note to self, if I ever win the lottery. It's most true-to-life aspect is Pip's self-awareness, and yet he continues to do it, demonstrating how pernicious it can be. He has a similar challenge in the romance department, where again he knows his object is a poor choice but he's unable to direct the stirrings of his heart. Saying 'no' to yourself can be a difficult thing to do. Continually saying 'yes' to every temptation is the root of more evil than all the money and batting eyelashes in the world.

[therebelprince · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

By 1860, Charles Dickens was a national celebrity and a sort of "elder statesman", now devoting much of his life to speeches, essays, social work, and generally not writing so many novels. Great Expectations is his 21st major work and 13th novel (of 15), and is - I would argue - his third masterpiece, following on from Bleak House and Little Dorrit, although in a very different way to either of them.

The psychological development of Pip Pirrip is perhaps unequalled in Dickens' canon, and it feels as if this is a breakthrough in terms of character. I've not yet read Our Mutual Friend, which I'm told takes this further, but it's certainly a good feeling. Estella herself is an interesting figure but ultimately more of a paper moth than a full human, although that is in some ways deliberate. More to the point, Great Expectations achieves its targets by applying characterisation to numerous supporting characters, such as Orlick and Magwitch, and in the rich history of Miss Havisham, a character who has so haunted Western culture ever since.

It is also perhaps the most challenging of Dickens' novels in its more complicated moral message. Pip's "Great Expectations" in many ways don't seem so bad: success! comfort! Dickens' arguments against them, along the lines of a younger generation coming of age and staying steadfast to moral development, seem admirable, although I can't help seeing him as a man growing older and more disconnected from the younger members of his society.

There's plenty of comedy sandwiched amongst the Gothic here, but what stands out most - as often with Dickens - is the beauty, from the ruined Satis house to the thriving metropolis and back to the rural marshes of Pip's youth. A truly poetic novel, that should cater to even the most Flaubertian of Dickens critics. (I hope!)

[steve02476 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I spent my whole adult life thinking I’d read this book in Jr High school - but this month it was my book club’s selection and I discovered that the first few chapters seemed very familiar; the rest was a total surprise, clearly I’d only started the book as a kid. Anyway, an amazing story and I’m glad I read it now.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A favorite book. I read it in 8th grade and most everyone else hated it, but I was enthralled! I could relate to Pip somehow.