Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

I read this book originally as a teenager and obviously missed a lot of the character nuances at that time, as I didn't understand why Dickens was so well loved. I picked the book up again this week and am so glad that I did. Second chances aren't so bad after all. Dickens was such a subtle humourist and his characters so endearing, that I am sure they will stay with me for a very long time.

Here are my favorite quotes:

“Life is made of so many partings welded together” 

“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.”

“The broken heart. You think you will die, but you just keep living, day after day after terrible day.” 

“You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read, since I first came here, the rough common boy whose poor heart you wounded even then. You have been in every prospect I have ever seen since-on the river, on the sails of the ships, on the marshes, in the clouds, in the light, in the darkness, in the wind, in the woods, in the sea, in the streets. You have been the embodiment of every graceful fancy that my mind has ever become acquainted with.”

“I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so, the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her.”

The novel also took me through quite a stream of emotions. I smiled and snickered a couple of times and felt heart warmed  sad, aghast, disappointed, frustrated, glad, content and relieved at specific scenes throughout the novel (especially near the end).