In this victorian novel we follow the life of main protagonist, Phillip Pirrip, or "Pip" as he calls himself after not being able to pronounce his first or his last name. Pip lives with his abusive older sister and her husband, Joe. After encountering a scary convict, Abel Magwitch on the marshes when Pip is around six years of age, his life is changed forever. Pip befriends many characters including Biddy, a sensible school girl and Herbert, a boy with whom he once quarrlled. Pip discovers the pressures of your past and understanding your path in life. To know that substance over style will always prevail.

Many themes are present in this novel, especially conflict towards self improvement on Pip's part. Pip, born into lower social class strives to be a gentleman after being sent by Pumblechook to Miss Havisham's manor, Statis House to play. To accompany this theme, confusion also plays a huge part, in Pip's journey to discover who he is. Pip experiences guilt when becoming a gentleman as he becomes snobby and begins to view Joe as common, whilst falling deeply in love with cold hearted Estella.

As the novel progresses, Pip begins to understand more about how he came to be, and that somethings are not meant to be. Dickens beautifully explains how the fortune that enabled Pip to become a gentleman was not given to him by Miss Havisham, but rather by Abel Magwitch, the convict he met all those years ago. This thereby proves Pip was never intended to marry Estella, much to his dismay. This outlines themes of what is meant to be and what was never intended. This plot twist truly contributes to where Pip goes from there in his life.

From here the links all fall out, how characters are tied together in Pip's world, and how they all contribute into Pip's journey through life. By the end of the novel Pip knows who meant most to him, and how he should love the ones who love him most. He learns to be happy for a newly wedded Joe and Biddy, before encountering Estella once more, to find they should never part again. The plot really gives the novel pace, and allows further intrigument from the readers, brilliant.

Dickens outlines many life altering themes within the novel including despair, morality, sudden change, ambition and discovery. Along with beautiful settings to outline pathetic falacy, and contrastic characters such as Biddy being a representative opposite of Estella.

However, Miss Havisham's death was one that angered me quite a bit. How Pip saves her when she goes up in flames, but later claims he can do nothing for her when she is ill and leaves her to her servants.

The plot in a whole is very well thought out, especially with specific detials such as clocks set at 20 to 9 to exaggerate Miss Havisham's desire for revenge on her fiance. I particularly love how the characters develop and they intrigued me a great deal.

Also the first few chapters do make a bit of a slow read until the plot further develops, but overall, a well thought out novel with extensive intriguing character developments.