Charles Dickens published Great Expectations in 1861. It is one of his most famous novels. In it, the main character and narrator, Pip, makes his way through life from blacksmith's forge to becoming a gentleman in London. He is assisted by money from a prisoner whom he helped in his escape. He meets the strange, icy cold young woman, Estella, to whom he is attracted and the eccentric lady who has adopted Estella, Miss Havisham.

Miss Havisham is one of the most memorable characters in the book. She was abandoned years ago by her fiancé on her wedding day, and she has never recovered. All her clocks are stopped at the time she received the terrible letter from him. She never goes out and she has never changed out of her wedding dress which is now decaying. Her wedding breakfast lies rotten on the table.

Miss Havisham is partly responsible for encouraging Pip to think about Estella and wanting to become a gentleman. So is Estella But Pip is partly responsible too. When he does this, he leaves his old home behind him. It is true that Pip has no living parents and his elder sister who has brought him up is very harsh to him. However Joe Gargery, the blacksmith and husband of Pip's sister is very kind and there is a sadness in the story when Pip does not want to help Joe in the forge any more and goes away to London.

Time is an important theme in the novel: Miss Havisham is clearly stuck in the past and cannot recover from being jilted* on her wedding day; but Pip too is a prisoner of time in an opposite way - he is always thinking about the future and cannot enjoy the present.

There are many twists in the plot and other strange characters too!

If you would like to read a shortened version of this story, specially adapted to help learners of English, I am using the Penguin graded reader. This is suitable for intermediate or advanced students. It is recommended to buy this book online or in a shop.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/319194/penguin-readers-level-6-great-expectations-elt-graded-reader-by-dickens-charles/9780241463338


* to jilt someone means to drop or reject a person as a lover suddenly and without any kind feeling. It has the meaning of very abrupt. Both men and women can jilt each other.
We can say: Compeyson jilted Miss Havisham, she was jilted by him, or just, Miss Havisham was jilted. If the sudden rejection happens on the day before the wedding takes place, we say 'jilted at the altar', referring to the altar in church for the wedding service.