Great Expectations - A Retelling by Tanya Landman

By Tanya Landman (author) , Helen Crawford-White (illustrator) Part of the Classic Retellings series

"This skilful, engaging re-telling will see Dickens’ masterpiece enjoyed by new generations of readers."

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September 2024 Book of the Month | Interest age 11+ Reading age 9+

In her re-telling of, arguably, Charles Dickens’ most perfect novel, Tanya Landman has achieved exactly what this edition sets out to do — crafting an eminently accessible, engaging version of Great Expectations.

Though the story at the heart of Dickens’ masterpiece has the power to speak to all ages, through the ages, the original language can present a challenge to younger readers. Not so here, for Landman has pulled a blinder in writing a version of the story that evokes the style, atmosphere and detail of the original, while also condensing the novel and conjuring its characters and key themes in lively style.

In Landman’s hands, Pip’s coming-of-age journey from orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice to high society gentleman takes on fresh resonance, with its themes of class, ambition, integrity, love, loyalty and justice explored in relatable fashion.

Carnegie Medal-winning author Tanya Landman returns with a brilliantly realised and truly accessible retelling of the book described as Dickens' "most perfect" novel.

Read the full description

My story is a long one with many strange events and dark turns. But time is short. I will be brief. In this slim volume I concentrate on five people. A dangerous criminal. An honest blacksmith. An abandoned bride. A girl who glittered like a distant star. And myself. Philip Pirrip, known as Pip, whose life was twisted and bent out of shape by all of them.

Orphaned as baby, Pip is raised by his sister to live the simple life of a blacksmith's boy. But a chance encounter in a graveyard and a visit to a ruined mansion set him on a different path. When a secret benefactor pays for him to become a gentleman, Pip's life takes a greatly unexpected turn …

Captures the fascinating narrative of the original text in a concise format without ever compromising on the impact of Dickens’ original, bringing a truly iconic classic to more readers.

Tanya’s previous classic retelling, Jane Eyre has achieved excellent critical acclaim:

'This nippy, easy-to-digest condensing and rewriting of the novel ... doesn’t put a word wrong ... the story flies along with the narrative trot of a finely crafted literary telenovela. Landman has oiled the wheels of Mr Rochester’s carriage ... makes the essence of a great book accessible to all.' - The Times Children’s Book of the Week

Tanya Landman is renowned for her prize-winning novels including the beautifully “deft and dark”, Carnegie Medal winning Buffalo Soldier . In 2019 she won the Scottish Teenage Book Prize for her critically acclaimed novella One Shot .

Tanya says that she loves how writing allows her to daydream – something she was always in trouble for at school!