Great Expectations

by Dickens, Charles

Great Expectations is a classic novel by Charles Dickens, published in 1861. It tells the story of Pip, a young orphan boy brought up by his abusive sister and her blacksmith husband in rural England. Pip dreams of becoming a gentleman and escaping poverty, but his life takes a dramatic turn when he receives a large fortune from an anonymous benefactor. As he rises in society, he becomes involved with a host of colorful characters, including the eccentric Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella, and learns valuable lessons about love, loyalty, and the true meaning of happiness. The novel is considered one of Dickens' greatest works and a masterpiece of English literature.

First Edition Identification

Great Expectations by Dickens was first published on 6 July 1861 in London by Chapman and Hall. It is considered not only the rarest and most valuable of Dickens's works, but arguably his greatest. Copies in the original cloth are particularly desirable.

Published in 3 volumes, the first edition of Great Expectations has the original publisher’s violet wavy-grain cloth binding with floral decoration in blind on covers and spines lettered in gilt.

Five impressions of the first edition were printed, each of the latter four with a new edition statement on the title page.

The first edition first issue of Great Expectations’ rarity has been attributed to the probable small binding-up of copies with the first title page, coupled with the fact that the first edition was almost entirely taken up by the libraries.

Other Collectible or Notable Editions

Other collectible editions of Great Expectations are the earliest American editions, and subsequent editions of the work, such as the one with 30 engravings by F. A. Fraser (Chapman and Hall; UK, 1872). 

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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Poor
Edition
First US Edition
Published
1861
Binding
Hardcover
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Winston, Georgia, USA
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Philadelphia, PA: T. B. Peterson and Brothers, 1861. First US Edition . Hardcover. Poor. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Hardcover, original binding with blindstamped front and rear boards which reads: Peterson's Uniform Duodecimo Edition of the Complete Works of Charles Dickens "Boz". Peterson's editions are one of the earliest known US versions and the… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations.
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Great Expectations.

by DICKENS, Charles.

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Used
Published
1861
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London, GBR
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London: Chapman and Hall,, 1861. Original cloth, with all the points of first issue First edition, first impression, published on 6 July 1861; both the rarest and most valuable of Dickens's works, and, arguably, his greatest. Copies in the original cloth are particularly desirable. Five impressions of the first edition were printed, each of the latter four with… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Dickens, Charles; Lindsay, Norman

Condition
Used - Fine
Jacket Condition
Good
Edition
First Thus
Published
1947
Binding
Hardcover
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Rutherglen, Victoria, AUS
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Sydney: The Shepherd Press, 1947. With 46 illustrations by Norman Lindsay, including two tipped-in. Black cloth with gilt titling, rules and publisher's motif on the spine. The dustwrapper is chipped. Scarce, especially with such a good dustwrapper.. First Thus. Hard Cover. Fine/Good.
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£172.66
Great Expectations

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Good
Edition
Later printing
ISBN 10
0140430032
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Brossard, Quebec, CAN
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Penguin, New York. Condition: Good, edge and corner wear, creasing at corners, spine has creases and small tear at bottom edge, price sticker on rear cover. In what may be Dickens's best novel, humble, orphaned Pip is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentleman — and one day, under sudden and enigmatic… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Good ++
Jacket Condition
No Jacket
Edition
First Edition Thus
Published
1866
Binding
Decorative Cloth
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Northampton, Northamptonshire, GBR
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UK: Chapman and Hall, 1866. First Edition Thus . Decorative Cloth. Good ++/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Marcus Stone. 2nd Imp of the Cheap Edition 1866. First published 2 years earlier in this format. It was an entirely new edition with text in two columns. Bound in the original publishers green cloth. The Second… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Very Good
Published
1937
Binding
Hardcover
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Novato, California, USA
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£239.29

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The Limited Editions Club, 1937. Hardcover. Very Good. in x in x in. Limited to 1,500 signed, numbered copies, this being number 569. Signed by the illustrator, Gordon Ross. Sunned spine and front cover top edge. Gilt top page edges. Lightly read ir read at all. No markings in book. Binding is fine. Original slipcase with wear and sunning to… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Very Good ++
Edition
New Edition
Published
1880
Binding
Cloth
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Northampton, Northamptonshire, GBR
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£140.00

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UK: Chapman and Hall, 1880. New Edition . Cloth. Very Good ++. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. New Edition C1880. Undated. Part of the Charles Dickens Edition and complete in own right. Illustrated with 8 engraving. Book is very good+ and bright. Edges lightly rubbed. Contents good. More images can be taken upon… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by DICKENS, Charles

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Used
Published
1861
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Beverly Hills, California, USA
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London: Chapman and Hall, 1861. PAILTHORPE, F.W.. First edition in book form, first issue according to Smith. Three octavo volumes. [4], 344; [2], 351, [1, printer's imprint]; [2], 344 pp. plus 32 pp. advertisements, dated May, 1861. With the first issue title-pages and with all the internal flaws for the first issue called for by Smith, except page 173… Read more about this item
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

by Dickens Charles

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Used
Published
1861
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Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA
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London: Chapman and Hall, 1861. 3 volumes. First Edition, fifth issue of the title-pages, but with virtually all first issue points of the First Edition, first impression, first state. Vol. III with "i" p. 193, "3" present as last digit in p. 103 in the text per Smith and Clarendon bibliographies and etc. With the August 1861 catalogue.… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Book and slip case in fine condition, Very clean,no writing.
Jacket Condition
Slip case
Edition
Heritage Press, Norwalk, Connecticut, 1967 Heritage Club Edition
Published
(1967)
Binding
Binding beautiful blue cloth over boards Gold design on front and gold lettering.
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Nashua, New Hampshire, USA
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On Christmas Eve, around 1812, Pip, an orphan who is about seven years old, encounters an escaped convict in the village churchyard while visiting the graves of his mother Georgiana, father Philip Pirrip and siblings. The convict scares Pip into stealing food and a file to grind away his shackles, from the home he shares with his abusive elder sister… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations (New Oxford Illustrated Dickens)
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Great Expectations (New Oxford Illustrated Dickens)

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - NEAR MINT
Jacket Condition
Very Good++
Edition
Oxford University Press 10/22/1987
Published
1987
Binding
Brown Cloth over boards, gold lettering. DJ vibrant, front flap clipped
ISBN 10
0192545116
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Nashua, New Hampshire, USA
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Oxford University Press, 1987. Oxford University Press 10/22/1987. Brown Cloth over boards, gold lettering. DJ vibrant, front flap clipped. NEAR MINT/Very Good++. illustrations by F. W. Pailthorpe and an introduction by Frederick Page.. A mysterious benefactor enables Pip to become a gentleman and he begins to look down on his lower-class friends. illustrations by F. W. Pailthorpe and… Read more about this item
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

by DICKENS, Charles

Condition
Used - Spine slightly darkened with some rubbing, much nicer than usually found. Near Fine in an intact Very Good slipcase
Published
1937
Binding
Hardcover
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Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, USA
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£351.31

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Edinburgh: Limited Editions Club, 1937. Hardcover. Spine slightly darkened with some rubbing, much nicer than usually found. Near Fine in an intact Very Good slipcase. Gordon Ross. Quarto (7" x 10") bound in green buckram and printed by R. & R. Clark with a previously unpublished 6000-word preface by George Bernard Shaw. This edition is also bibliographically important… Read more about this item
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£351.31
GREAT EXPECTATIONS

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

by Charles Dickens

Condition
As New
Jacket Condition
No Jacket as Issued
Edition
1st Thus
Published
1987
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10
1870418077
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1
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Mansonville, Quebec, CAN
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£22.44

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London- UK: Laurel Press, 1987. GREAT EXPECTATIONS- Charles Dickens- Laurel Press- London-UK- 1987- 1st Thus- Hardcover:- Large 8vo- As New/ no dj as issued- A fine binding of light brown simulated leather with gilt geometric design and titles in gilt on cover and spine-Unread!- 299pp are clean and crisp- marbled endpapers- A beautiful example!- Unread!!- SEE PHOTOS- "Dickens' classic romance… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Dickens, Charles

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Used - Good+
Binding
Hardcover
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Staten Island, New York, USA
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New York: Peebles Press International Book. Good+. Hardcover. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Hardcover. faux silk moire covered boards decorated in gold. 566 pages. Illustrated with portrait frontispiece. Sandy Lesberg, editor. Introduction by Frederick Page. A title in the Peebles Classic Library. No publishing date present, circa 1970's. Sporadic underlining… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations (Chatham River Press Classics series)
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Great Expectations (Chatham River Press Classics series)

by DICKENS, Charles

Condition
Used - Near Fine with no dust jacket
Published
1983
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10
0517415097
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Littleton, Colorado, USA
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New York: Chatham River Press / Arlington House, Inc.. Near Fine with no dust jacket. 1983. Hardcover. 0517415097 . A handsome reprint edition of the 13th novel by Charles Dickens. "Great Expectations" is the life story of the author's endearing orphan character, Pip. Includes black & white illustrations by Marcus Stone and others. With a foreword by… Read more about this item
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Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Condition
Used - Good
Published
1960-06
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10
0396066038
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HOUSTON, Texas, USA
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Dodd Mead, 1960-06. Hardcover. Good.
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£133.27
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS

by CHARLES DICKENS

Condition
Used - Very good
Published
1866
Binding
Original marbled paper & leather
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Vancouver, Washington, USA
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£341.28

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Early edition in fine binding. Includes The Uncommercial Traveler - 204 pages with Frontpiece by G. J. Pinwell "New Edition " Original Marbled paper & leather binding Leather edges and spine scuffed. End papers and cover in matching marbled paper. All edges marbled . Text bright and free of foxing.
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£341.28
Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by Dickens, Charles

Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
5th or later Edition
Published
1861
Binding
Hardcover
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1
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Beverly Hills, California, USA
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£20,075.00

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Chapman and Hall, London, 1861. 5th or later Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. First Edition, fifth issue. Three volumes, including the publisher's catalog dated August 1861 at the rear of Volume III. Bound in the publisher's original ribbed purple cloth binding, with ruling and decorations in blind to boards, lettering and decorations in gilt to spine. This copy has… Read more about this item
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£20,075.00
Great Expectations
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Great Expectations

by DICKENS, Charles

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Used
Published
1861
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Beverly Hills, California, USA
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£22,082.50

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London: Chapman and Hall, 1861. First edition in book form, first issue. Three octavo volumes (7 x 4 1/2 inches; 180 x 115 mm). [2], 344; [2], 351, [1, printer's imprint]; [2], 344 pp. With all first issue title-pages and all the internal flaws for the first issue called for by Smith, except for the two points in Volume… Read more about this item
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£22,082.50
Great Expectations

Great Expectations

by Dickens, Charles

Condition
New
Binding
Hardcover
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Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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£35.33

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Easton Press. New. Hardcover. Brand new in publishers shrink wrap. Maroon leather. Gilt decoratives with portrait of Dickens raised spine edges, gold page edges; .
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£35.33