"Great Expectations" opens unforgettably in a twilit and overgrown churchyard on the eerie Kent marshes. There, the orphan Pip is disturbed to meet an escaped convict, Magwitch, but gives him food, in an encounter that is to haunt both their lives. How Pip receives riches from a mysterious benefactor, snobbishly abandons his friends for London society and "great expectations", and grows through misfortune and suffering to maturity is the theme of one of Dicken's best-loved novels.

In "Great Expectations", Dickens blends gripping drama with penetrating satire to give a compelling story rich in comedy and pathos: he has also created two of his finest, most haunting characters in Pip and Miss Havisham.

On a personal note I must add that this is one of my favourite of Dickens' novels and, indeed, one of my "all time" favourite books.

With the original black and white illustrations by Charles Green.

NB: I now regard this as a "finished" eBook. If you find any errors, please let me know, either by posting to this thread, or by sending a PM to "Harry T".

Enjoy!

EDIT: 18 Nov 07.

Improved formatting. Added a cover picture. Uploaded v2.

EDIT: 27 Dec 07

Added the original illustrations by Charles Green. Converted capitals to italics as appropriate to match the printed version. Added the original ending as an appendix to the book. Uploaded v3.

EDIT: 22 Jan 08

Thoroughly proof-read against a printed version; many minor errors corrected. Added a list of characters. Uploaded v4.

EDIT: 23 Jan 08

I suppose it was inevitable that after saying it had been "thoroughly" proof-read that I should immediately spot four additional errors (two instances of missing commas, hyphens used in place of dashes, "again" spelled as "a gain". Now fixed. Uploaded v5. Hopefully this one will last a little longer than the last version!

EDIT: 18 Feb 08

Corrected about a dozen minor errors, largely found by MR user "dynabook" (for which many thanks!). Uploaded v6.

EDIT: 17 Mar 08

Had to recreate the book due to paragraph end problems. I've re-applied most of the corrections found in earlier releases, but it's possible that I've missed a few. I need to re-proof-read the book. I didn't like having to re-create it from scratch but unfortunately it was only practical way to sort out the problems. Uploaded v7.

EDIT: 6 Apr 08

MR user "Jellby" has done an absolutely wonderful job of proofing the book against a scanned 1st edition that's available online at Stanford University, and has found several errors, and literally dozens of words which should have been either capitalised or in italics, and weren't. (The PG text I originally used to create the book had no italics marked). I've applied all these changes, and the book is now hugely better as a result. Many, many thanks to Jellby for doing this! Uploaded v8.

Previous downloads: 566

I agree - this book is fantastic!

I very very very rarely re-read a book, but my favorite Dickens books, like this one, deserve a second reading. Besides, my memory is so bad that it will seem just like the first time all over again! ;-)

Thanks Harry!

I agree with you. Many critics consider "Great Expectations" to be Dickens' finest book, although my favourite, from the point of view of a "good read", is "Bleak House".
"Great Expectations", though, I'd probably put in second place.

..and I'm so glad you're working on his books.

I'm a huge fan of a somewhat misunderstood novel by Dickens - "The Old Curiosity Shop" - a book I've read 3 times. I anxiously await that one, as you continue to work through his volumes.

At one time, when I was working on my Ph.D in Literature, [not completed], I considered working on Victorian literature and was thinking of concentrating on Dickens. I also own about 20 hardbacks of literary criticism on Dickens.

Wilkie Collins, whom I also enjoy, is like the Stephen King of shock fiction. I mean this in a positive sense. (I thoroughly enjoy both King and Collins.)

Thanks again,
Don

Improved formatting. Added a cover picture. Uploaded v2.

Thanks!

I'm about halfway through reading this. It's a great book so far, and I wish I hadn't put off reading it for so long.
The only Dickens I had read previously were A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist and,of course, A Christmas Carol.
Thanks for posting it.

Thoroughly proof-read against a printed version; many minor errors corrected. Added a list of characters. Uploaded v4. I'm finally happy with this version; I think it's as close to the "perfect eBook" as I've been able to create so far.

I suppose it was inevitable that after saying it had been "thoroughly" proof-read that I should immediately spot four additional errors (two instances of missing commas, hyphens used in place of dashes, "again" spelled as "a gain". Now fixed. Uploaded v5. Hopefully this one will last a little longer than the last version!

Corrected about a dozen minor errors, largely found by MR user "dynabook" (for which many thanks!). Uploaded v6.

Had to recreate the book due to paragraph end problems. I've re-applied most of the corrections found in earlier releases, but it's possible that I've missed a few. I need to re-proof-read the book. I didn't like having to re-create it from scratch but unfortunately it was only practical way to sort out the problems. Uploaded v7.

MR user "Jellby" has done an absolutely wonderful job of proofing the book against a scanned 1st edition that's available online at Stanford University, and has found several errors, and literally dozens of words which should have been either capitalised or in italics, and weren't. (The PG text I originally used to create the book had no italics marked). I've applied all these changes, and the book is now hugely better as a result. Many, many thanks to Jellby for doing this! Uploaded v8.