Great Expectations
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Great Expectations is a famous book written by Charles Dickens. It was first published in full in 1861 and was one of the last big books he finished. The story is filled with interesting characters and tells the journey of a young boy growing up. It’s one of Dickens’ most loved and well-known stories. The book mixes different types of stories—like mystery, love, funny parts, and spooky parts too!
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the book, share a simple summary, tell you more about the writer, and explain how you can read Great Expectations online for free—legally!
📖 What is Great Expectations About?
Great Expectations was first shared in parts in a magazine called All the Year Round, which Charles Dickens helped run. Each part came out month by month between 1860 and 1861. After that, the full book came out later in 1861.
Right from the beginning, people really liked the story. It sold well and got great reviews. Today, it’s one of the most popular books from the 1800s. It has also been turned into movies, TV shows, and plays, and it’s an important book in English literature.
✨ Story Summary of Great Expectations
The story has three big parts and is what we call a “coming-of-age story.” This means it shows how a young person grows up. The main character is a boy named Philip Pirrip, but people call him Pip.
We follow Pip as he grows from a poor orphan into a rich young man. A secret helper gives Pip money so he can live a better life and join high society.
Other important characters include:
The story is special because it includes lots of different types of stories—like love, crime, funny parts, and scary moments. Some big ideas in the book are:
💰 Money and rich vs. poor life
👨👩👧 Family and relationships
⚖️ Justice and fairness
❤️ Love and heartbreak
📚 About the Author – Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in a place called Portsmouth, England. When he was just 12 years old, he had to leave school and work in a factory to help his family. Even though he didn’t get much school education, he grew up to become one of the most famous writers in the world!
Besides Great Expectations, some of his other popular books are:
Many of his stories are based on real problems he saw growing up, like poverty and how hard life was for poor people.
Dickens passed away in 1870, when he was 58 years old, due to a stroke. Unlike many writers back then, he became rich and famous while he was still alive, and his books are still loved all over the world today.
💬 Famous Quotes from Great Expectations
Here are some famous lines from the book:
“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”
“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching… I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.”
“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears…”
“Love her, love her, love her… Even if she breaks your heart, still love her!”
“The broken heart. You think you will die, but you just keep living, day after day after terrible day.”
🌐 How to Read Great Expectations Online for Free
When an author has been gone for a long time, their work becomes public domain. That means anyone can read or download it for free, and it’s totally legal. Since Charles Dickens died in 1870, his books are now free to read.
Here’s how you can read Great Expectations for free:
📲 Project Gutenberg (Download eBooks)
You can visit this link: Project Gutenberg – Great Expectations
They let you:
Just pick the version you want and start reading!
🌐 ManyBooks (Read in Your Browser)
If you don’t want to download anything, you can read the book directly on the ManyBooks website using this link:
Read on ManyBooks
📘 Archive.org (Read, Download, or Listen)
Visit: Archive.org – Great Expectations
Here, you can:
🎧 Audiobook – LibriVox (Listen for Free)
Want to listen instead of read? Go to:
LibriVox – Great Expectations
It’s a free audiobook that reads the whole book to you. Great for bedtime or car rides!