"He says, no varnish can hide the grain of the wood; and that the more varnish you put on, the more the grain will express itself."

Imagine getting the chance to have everything you've ever wanted. For young Pip, an orphan working at a forge, that chance comes in the form of a mysterious fortune that allows him to rise through the ranks of society and become a gentleman. Along the way he loses his sense of self, casting aside the people who care about him because of their lower-class status.

Often called Dickens' best work, Great Expectations is a tale of ambition and social class that mirrors England's own coming-of-age during a time of great change, as manufacturing created a new middle class with a voice of its own. Some surprising discoveries lead Pip to realize that being a true gentleman means being good and kind, rather than looking down on those that are low on society's ladder.

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