Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations was first published in 1860 and became one of the most popular works of the writer.
The first publication took place in the magazine "Round the Year", which was published by the author himself. The chapters of the novel were published for several months: from December 1860 to August 1861. In the same year, 1861, the work was translated into Russian and published in the journal "Russian Herald".
A seven-year-old boy named Pip (full name Philip Pirrip) lives in the home of his cruel sister, who constantly bullies him and insults him in every way. The grumpy woman makes trouble not only for the tribesman, but also for her husband, blacksmith Joe Gargery. Pip's parents are long dead, and the boy often goes to the cemetery to visit their graves. One day Philip meets a runaway convict. The man, intimidating the boy, demanded that he bring him food. Pip was forced to obey the order and sneak whatever was required of him from the house. To Pip's luck, the convict was caught.
Miss Havisham, an old maid, wants to find a friend for her adopted daughter Estella. Years ago, this woman was deceived by her fiancé by robbing her and not showing up at the altar. Since then, Miss Havisham has been sitting in a gloomy room in a yellowed wedding gown, longing for retribution for all men. She hopes to achieve her goal with the help of Estelle. Her adoptive mother teaches the girl to hate all male persons, to hurt them, and to break their hearts.
When Miss Havisham is recommended to Pip as a playmate, the boy begins to frequent the old maid's house. Pip likes Estella very much. He thinks the girl is beautiful. Estella's main flaw is her arrogance. She was accustomed to it by her foster mother. Philip used to be fond of blacksmithing, which he learned from his uncle. Now he is ashamed of his hobby, afraid that his new girlfriend will ever catch him at the blacksmith shop doing dirty work.
The Mysterious BenefactorOne day Joe's home is visited by Jaggers, a capital lawyer, who informs him that his anonymous client, wants to take care of Philip's future and do whatever he can to arrange his fate. If Philip agrees, he will have to move to London. Jaggers himself would then be appointed Philip's guardian until the age of 21. Pip is convinced that the client about to become his benefactor is Miss Havisham, and that with a favorable outcome, he will succeed in marrying Estella. Meanwhile, Pirrip's sister is attacked by an unknown assailant, striking her in the back of the head. The perpetrator has never been found. Philip suspects Orlik, who worked as an assistant at the blacksmith shop.
In the capital, Pip rents an apartment with his friend. The young man quickly settles into his new place, joins a prestigious club and spends money without looking. Herbert, the friend with whom he lives, behaves more cautiously. Pip goes to visit Miss Havisham and meets the now grown-up Estella. The old maid is left alone with the young man and asks, no matter what, to love her adopted daughter.
Unexpectedly, Pirrip meets Abel Magwitch, the same fugitive convict he tried to help against his will years ago. Pip is horrified by this encounter, fearing that Abel will try to kill him. His fears were in vain. Magwitch turned out to be the mysterious benefactor who hired Jaggers' lawyer and decided to take care of Pip. The convict escaped from Australia, where he had been sent into exile, and returned home, even though such an act threatened him with hanging.
Magwitch tells of his comrade Compeyson, with whom they "went into business" and then tried to escape and were sent to Australia. Compeyson was the very fiancé of old maid Havisham. Magwitch is Estella's birth father. Soon Pip discovers that his sweetheart has married Druml, who is reputed to be a cruel man, at an arranged marriage. Philip visits Miss Havisham. The old maid's dress accidentally catches fire from the fireplace. Pirrip rescues the woman, but a few days later she is dead anyway.
Philip is sent an anonymous letter in which an unknown person demands a meeting at the lime factory at night. Upon arriving at the factory, Pip sees the blacksmith's assistant, Orlik, who tries to kill the young man. Pip, however, manages to escape. Pirrip is forced to prepare to flee abroad. Magwitch also wants to flee with him. The attempt failed: the friends were intercepted by the police. Magwitch was convicted and then died in a prison hospital.
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January 30, 1998 (USA)
Alfonso Cuarón
Patrick Doyle; Ron Wasserman
Ethan Hawke; Gwyneth Paltrow; Hank Azaria; Chris Cooper; Anne Bancroft; Robert De Niro
$55.5 million
Great Expectations
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