** spoiler alert ** 
 I felt very close to this book. 
 The plot of this story is well-known: a poor boy meets an eccentric rich woman and beautiful adopted daughter, falls in love, thinks the old lady is sponsoring his becoming a gentleman, but finds out the truth is a dramatic way! 
 Pip was a familiar character to me - he was poor and wanted something more out of life. He wanted an education, to move away from where he grew up and to accomplish something important. I understand this, as I had those same feelings. He was sometimes embarrassed by his family's limited means; sadly, I understood this as well. Although I never took things quite as far as Pip, it was tough to read - hit a little close to home. 
 Another theme was about being able to adapt and move forward ... to leave the negative feelings and failures behind (after learning from mistakes). This is sometimes easier said than done, but if it's not done it will lead to bitterness and anger. Miss Haversham is the epitome of a life wasted and the danger of "infecting" others with those negative ambitions, realizing only near the end of her life, that she was wrong. 
 Change and growth were key in the story. Pip's journey was about being able to learn and change course. He came to understand himself, others and the world around him better once he began to let go of the money and other distractions. Magwitch, the convict turned benefactor, also experienced a dramatic change and we were left to hope that Estella, the child reared to hurt others, had also changed and realized that she could have something better. 
 Yet, balanced against this were the characters who remained rooted - Joe, Biddy, Herbert, Jaggers, Wemmick and so many others were steadfast in their commitment to Pip. This story reminded me of the saying about two lasting gifts we give children: roots and wings. Pip didn't appreciate his roots and wanted only wings, but after flying a bit too high, he finally came to realize a need for both. 
 One area where I was disappointed was that initially Pip seemed to want not only to be a gentleman, but to be educated. Yet, he seemed to focus on the former and forget about the latter. He seemed to drift without a plan for his future. He only wanted to "be a gentleman" but was rather vague about what that meant in practical terms. I was disappointed because he seemed to have such promise as a child. Fortunately, when he finally grew up, he realized that ambition without a work ethic is an empty place. I like to think he resumed his education and continued to expand his horizons all his life. 
 So many lessons in this book - about being careful not to judge people because they are not always as they appear, about striving for something better while appreciating what you have, about working to achieve something being better than having it handed to you, about understanding that goodness and love count more than money and things. 
 Aside from all of that character development stuff, the book also has a great adventure! The chapter describing the return of the convict Magwitch was wonderfully scary. Running from the "bad" convicts to try to get the "good" convict out of the country was compelling. It was also nice that, after several other books focused on getting people married off, Pip was not focused on marching down the aisle! Instead, he was living in an exotic setting and learning to enjoy his life and the people in it. 
 I really enjoyed this book and rate it 4.5/5 stars - it looses 0.5 because it did sort of wander a bit in places. I love Dickens and am always entertained by his books, but for the longer ones, I wish an editor had helped assemble the various installments into tighter books!