On Christmas Eve, around 1812, Pip, an orphan of about seven, encounters an escaped convict. The convict scares Pip into stealing food for him, and a file to grind away his shackles. Miss Havisham wants to find a boy to play with her adopted daughter Estella. Pip begins to visit Miss Havisham and Estella, with whom he falls in love. One day, Pip is approached by a lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, who tells him he is to receive a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor and must leave for London immediately where he is to become a gentleman. He became selfish and vain. Years later, his benefactor is revealed to be Abel Magwitch, the convict he helped. It is also revealed that Estella is the daughter of Magwitch and Mr Jaggers's housemaid, Molly, whom Jaggers defended in a murder charge and who gave up her daughter to be adopted by Miss Havisham. And he was actually taken advantage of. At last, he repented thoroughly of one's misdeeds and started a new life.

Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It depicts the growth and personal development of an orphan named Pip. This is the story of the orphan Pip’s trials and tribulations among London’s high society circles.

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812—9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic who is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and the creator of some of the world's most memorable fictional characters. During his lifetime Dickens's works enjoyed unprecedented popularity and fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was fully recognized by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to enjoy an enduring popularity among the general reading public.

Amazon.com Review:

An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged.