Great Expectations

Charles Dickens is regarded not only the most popular novelist of the Victorian Age but one of the most widely read and applauded novelists of all times. His novels were serialised in his lifetime, including Great Expectations in ‘All the year Round’. It is the story of the development of the character of Philip Pirrip, commonly known as ‘Pip’ a village boy brought up by his termagant sister, wife of the gentle, humorous and kindly blacksmith Joe Gargery, and his love for Estella with whom he is finally united. It appears from Foster’s ‘Life’ of Dickens that the author originally devised a less happy ending to the story, which he altered in deference to the advice of his friend Lytton. This Critical study, originally prepared by Dr. Raghukul Tilak, has now been thoroughly edited, revised and updated by Prof. Shakti Batra.