Great Expectations

Fascinated with the title of this novel by Charles Dickens, I had nevertheless avoided reading it for many years, until now, because my experience with some of Dickens’ other works.  As a youth I was exposed to Dickens in English classes, but my reading experiences, as I recall, were never uplifting or positive.  I thought, in fairness, now, I ought to give this well-known and highly-read author another chance.  And, again, I liked the title.  

But again, I came to the same conclusion.

I would think we should have great expectations for anything in which we voluntarily invest our time or energy.  If we give any credence to the cardinal Christian virtues of ‘faith, hope, and charity,’  hope being that of a great future ahead of us, beyond this life, and I do, we should apply ourselves to it.  Besides, aren’t there those who have ‘great’ or ‘high’ expectations of us? As parents, don’t we have these expectations of our children?

Unfortunately, with Great Expectations which I have not and may not finish, though I have found the prose style and some of the character workups and their language usage (which was apparently common of mid-nineteenth century England) fascinating, the darkness of theme and plot and character weaknesses of many other introduced characters is repelling and deterring to me.  There is much evil in this book.  If it, like A Christmas Carol, finally comes to a good end, and I suppose it does, the end with both books comes too late. 

Moreover, with the reported moral weakness of the author, of which I have recently learned, further tainting the content, and notwithstanding his reputed ‘literary genius,’ as evaluated by numerous critics and scholars, I just can’t get into his works.  My literary and entertainment standard has not been met; and that is to seek after that which is “virtuous, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy,” and to read “out of the best books words of wisdom.”  I think I was mislead on this one.  

I had ‘great expectations’ for this book, but may have to put it down so as to not waste my time when there are so many other excellent works  to read that I’m sure I will never have time to exhaust in my mortal lifetime.