Great Expectations directed by David Lean
or
Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens
I counted fifty entries on my list of books/plays I’ve done for my Classics Revisited book group and I finished all but four. Unfortunately, Great Expectations was one of them. I liked the story of young Pip, Herbert Pocket, Estella and the mysterious Ms. Havisham; I just kept getting bogged down while reading it and wasn’t able to finish it.
David Lean’s 1948 film version with John Mills and Alec Guinness I did get through and thought was quite good, so I did get the whole story that way. There is also a BBC version I saw starring the guy that was in those Fantastic Four movies, though I am still partial to Lean’s version.
Book or Movie? Since I didn’t go with the David Lean movie for my Doctor Zhivago post, this time I’m choosing the 1946 movie over the book without guilt.
I haven't seen this movie, but I enjoyed the book much more than I expected. Dickens writes with subtle humor that is delightful, and he tells a good story. No wonder his books are classics!
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