Book Title: Great Expectations

Author: Charles Dickens

Genres:  Classic Fiction

Back in the beginning of 2008, I took on a number of reading challenges: My Year of Reading Dangerously, Chunkster, Mini challenge #7, A to Z Title (G), Back to History and 101 Books in 1,001 Days. And this is the first book with reflective thoughts that kicked off the year.

I have to confess that I kept putting off snapping the binding on this book because it started to feel like I had a college assignment…one that I truly didn’t want to read. However, I was glad that I read Great Expectations again. It was actually my second time through as I realized when I started reading. I quickly discovered that this book was one of the classics I read in between my last years in college and dental school when I was bound and determined to read as manny classics as possible.

I have to confess that it was definitely a different experience reading as a seasoned adult versus a naive 20 year old. Great Expectations follows the classic Dickensian plot of  an orphan who comes of age and learns valuable life lessons along the way. Written in the first person by Pip, you are constantly coming in contact with characters that you love or hate with very little in between gray. There are definitely high points in the story…love the scenes with Miss Haversham and low points…did not enjoy the years when Pip is an apprentice with his brother-in-law Joe.

Reading these thoughts now in 2017, it just reminds me how many more classics have not been read. Thinking that there might be a couple to add to the TBR pile for 2018.