Great Expectations by Charles Dickens with Francine Prose

About this episode

The episode discusses Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' with guest Francine Prose, exploring themes of class, love, and the complexities of wealth.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens follows Pip, an orphan who rises from humble beginnings after receiving a mysterious fortune, believing it will transform him into a gentleman worthy of love. As he navigates London society, Pip becomes entangled with the eccentric Miss Havisham and her cold ward Estella, while slowly uncovering the true source of his wealth.  Francine Prose is the author of twenty-two works of fiction, including The Vixen , Mister Monkey , the New York Times bestseller Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 , A Changed Man , and Blue Angel , a finalist for the National Book Award. Her nonfiction includes the modern classic Reading Like a Writer and the acclaimed memoir 1974: A Personal History . A former president of PEN America and a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is widely regarded as one of our most insightful and versatile contemporary writers. Her latest book, Five Weeks in the Country explores a fascinating moment which Francine describes as this: “In 1857, Hans Christian Andersen visited Charles Dickens, his wife and nine children in the British countryside for five…

People in this episode

Host: Gigi Howard

Guest: Francine Prose

Topics covered

• literature
• fiction
• character analysis
• author discussion
• 19th century literature

Keywords

• Great Expectations
• Charles Dickens
• Francine Prose
• literature
• 19th century
• orphan
• London society
• Miss Havisham
• Estella

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Great Expectations, The Vixen, Mister Monkey, Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, A Changed Man, Blue Angel, Reading Like a Writer, 1974: A Personal History, Five Weeks in the Country

Places: London, British

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