The novel tells a story of personal growth and personal development of an orphan nicknamed Pip.

Set in Kent and London in the early to mid-19th century, the novel contains some of Dickens's most memorable scenes, including the opening in a graveyard, where the young Pip is accosted by the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch.

Great Expectations is full of vivid imagery including poverty, prison ships and chains, fights to the death.

It offers a colourful cast of characters who have entered popular culture.

These include the eccentric Miss Havisham, the beautiful but cold Estella, and Joe, the unsophisticated and kind blacksmith.

Dickens's themes include wealth and poverty, love and rejection, and the eventual triumph of good over evil.