Great Expectations is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens, which depicts the education, childhood and young adult years of an orphan nicknamed Pip, a blacksmith's apprentice, in a country village. He suddenly comes into a large fortune (his great expectations) from a mysterious benefactor and moves to London where he enters high society. It is a coming-of-age story of fortunes lost and found, partly because of the character of Miss Havisham, the jilted bride rotting away in her wedding dress. This is a perfect place to start for someone who has never read Dickens, and a great way to revisit his work for everyone else.
In 2011 Great Expectations was voted the UK’s favorite Dickens by readers of the Guardian. This book is a good, classic book to set as a reading goal for the summer, read for a book report, or even just read in your spare time.