#Interestingliterature – Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

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Great Expectations; my absolutely favourite Dickens book. I just love Miss Haversham and the convict in a creepy, chilling sort of way. When my sister, Hayley, was born, I shared a room with my Mother and “we” looked after the new baby. I think I managed to get this finicky little girl to sleep once in all the months I helped mom.

My Mom and I used to watch television together in the big bed after Hayley finally went to sleep. I think my Mom was so exhausted with this little howler that she didn’t assess the suitableness of what I was watching with her. At the tender age of eight years old I watched She by Rider Haggard and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens on television with my Mom and both of these gave me nightmares. If I close my eyes I can still that old woman in her wedding dress, sitting in a wheelchair, and cackling at Pip’s discomfort while the rats feast on the remnants of the wedding feast. When I read this book as a teenager and again as an adult, the descriptive scenes of Miss Haversham and her eccentric and reclusive behaviour and her interactions with Pip, and subsequent influence on his life had no less of an impact on me.

The other very memorable scene from this book and movie for me was when Pip, aged seven years old, meets the convict in the graveyard while he is visiting his parents and siblings graves on Christmas Eve. Pip is living with his abusive older sister and her kindly husband, a blacksmith, at the time. The convict scares Pip into bringing him a pork pie and a file. I have always remembered that pork pie. I had never seen or heard of a pork pie at the time and now, whenever I see one it reminds me of this book. The convict also has a significant influence over the course of Pip’s life.

The writing has to be very powerful when you remember these sorts of scenes years and years later in a fair amount of detail. I can picture the scene with the wedding feast and rats and it still gives me the shivers. It is fascinating in a completely repulsive way.

This is the scene with the convict from the original movie that gave eight-year old me nightmares.

Have you read Great Expectations? What do you think of it?

Have a great weekend.

Robbie

 

Published by robbiesinspiration

Robbie and Michael Cheadle are co-authors of the Sir Chocolate series of books. We both like to write and bake.

42 thoughts on “#Interestingliterature – Great Expectations by Charles Dickens”

  1. Oh, Robbie, I would like to watch the classic black and white movie now. I read Great Expectation a few years older than 8 years old. I remember watching the movie in a later version. I like Dickens. But when I was 8 years old, I listened to a radio broadcast of Midnight Mystery, ghost stories from 11:00 pm to midnight. They gave me nightmares.

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      1. I agree with you, Robbie. It doesn’t have the spooky and scary scenes. I saw only that version. I’ll search for the classic version. Thank you, Robbie.

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  3. Robbie, a wonderful post weaving in your personal experience of the book with an overall review. Do you know they still show this film about the book in schools and this was my first seeing of it with my son a few years ago. That scene is still scary, even in B/W!! Brilliant rendition of a book I loved to read when young.

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  5. Robbie, Great choice. I read this book later in life and thoroughly enjoyed it. Dickens was a great master of the cliffhanger. Some of his stories were written as serials in the newspaper. He is the inspiration for my own serials that I’ve been posting on my blog.

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  6. I really enjoyed this post and how you combined both the movie and the book, and your childhood memories, Robbie. I did not see the movie. Watching the old scary black and white movies as a child leaves memories you never forget. Anthony Perkins and shower curtains still give me the creeps after watching Psycho.

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      1. Again, I totally agree with you. I remember reading David Copperfield for the first time. I was so taken by the cruel behavior toward children and the idea of a wicked stepfather. My life took the same path and I found comfort that those conditions were survivable.

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  12. Read Great Expectations, Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carole and other Dickens classics many years ago. Loved them all and I think I’ll check out the movies soon. Thanks for jogging my memories, Robbie!

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  17. An unforgettable novel from the beginning to the enigmatic last line. I reread it a couple of years ago and still loved it. I also recommend the great film adaptation, the first one b/w. Thanks for the reminder. I think I’ll have to watch it again!

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