Jason's Reading (books by Charles Dickens)

As I suspected, my high school self wasn’t ready for this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around. I love Dickens’s style, particularly his humorous descriptions and the way that everything seems to connect in the end. I’m also impressed by how the story caused my feelings about the protagonist, Pip, to evolve over time, mirroring his own experience. Great Expectations is a heart-warming depiction of humans’ ability to change.

This is the most enjoyable book that I’ve read in several months. I like the way that Dickens’ verbose descriptions seem to slow things down a bit, making for a nice, relaxing read. It’s also fun to see how details or characters that appear tangential in the moment get tied back into the story later. …

I loved this book. I loved the charming, kind-hearted, quirky characters. I loved the themes of hard work and caring. I loved the funny narration. I even loved the fact that the book went on for nearly 600 pages – I enjoyed every one. Most of all, I loved the way many seemingly small threads were woven together to tell the full story of a man rather than focusing on a single big, climactic event. …