Great Expectations

Great Expectations is a novel written by Charles Dickens and serialized between 1860 and 1861. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip who is the protagonist and narrator of this book.

The novel is set in Kent and London in the early to mid-19th century. A mysterious and generous benefactor turns poor, orphaned boy Pip into a high-society gentleman, setting him up for "great expectations." When Pip loses it all, however, is when he realizes what is truly noble in life: honesty, hard work, humility, and a kind heart.

The book presents strong moral lessons about wealth, guilt, criminality, and self-deception. It contains elements of social satire, although ultimately, the story is redeeming.

Dickens wrote two endings. On the advice of his friend Edward Bulwer-Lytton he replaced the original, bleaker close, and most editions print the revised, more hopeful version. It is his penultimate completed novel: Our Mutual Friend followed in 1865.