Yes, it’s a deserved classic. Did you ever read Heinlein’s long 1973 critique of a draft of the book? Fascinating. See pp. 15-31 here (pdf).
About halfway through Great Expectations. It’s the third Dickens I’ve picked up in the past decade, and for the third time I’m remembering, with delight, how funny he is. It sometimes takes me two or three readings of a passage to figure out what the hell he’s saying, but the reread is worth it.
That book has a special place in my heart. I read it as it came out on a family driving vacation that included a stop at the Grand Canyon. I was at a good point when we got to the Grand Canyon and didn’t want to stop reading to get out of the car and see the Grand Canyon, until my dad threatened to throw my book into the Grand Canyon. Then he yelled at me for getting too close to an edge, no making him happy!! ![]()
Yeah my priorities were not the best. I had to be 15 given when the book came out? I remember myself as younger. At 15 I really should have been better. But then - 15.
Fun bit is that I did a GC Rim to Rim with two of my adult kids a year and a half back and on the way out I recognized the very spot I got too close to an edge!
Whew, read that in 1984 or 5. I remember being unsatisfied with the ending, but loving everything else.