Promising prospects

This 1861 novel is one of Dickens' most famous works. Pip, an orphan from a poor background, is raised by his strict older sister and dreams of a better life. It seems that this dream will come true when a mysterious benefactor grants him considerable wealth. Pip moves to London, where he begins to lead a lavish, snobbish life. He also decides to once again court his childhood love, Estella, who once scorned him for his poor circumstances. But then, it begins to emerge that his mysteriously acquired fortune has a rather dark origin, and everything in Pip's life could go wrong...