u/awaiko

Go nominate a book. But I swear if you start a campaign for The Great Gatsby, I will be most unimpressed. (I studied the book at school, please don’t make me analyse it again.)

And I think it’s actually now in Contest Mode. Sorry about that.

Nomination thread is up. Go for it!

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Pip passes a terrible night. How do you go sleeping away from home? 

2. Wemmick (sort of) explains the warnings. How much trouble do you think Pip is in?

3. A plan develops. Herbert seems to have stepped up competently. We might be able to slip Tom, Jack or Richard onto a boat without notice?

4. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> and I inferred from the number of teacups, as well as from his glances at the two little doors in the wall, that Miss Skiffins was expected.

This post is set to contest mode and anyone can nominate a book as long as it meets the criteria listed below. To nominate a book, post a comment in this thread with the book and author you’d like to read. Feel free to add a brief summary of the book and why you’d like to read it as well. If a book you’d like to nominate is already in the comment section, then simply upvote it, and upvote any other book you’d like to read as well, but note that upvotes are hidden from everyone except the mods in contest mode, and the comments (nominees) will appear in random order.

**Please read the rules carefully.**

**Rules:**

1. Nominated books must be in the [public domain](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public\_domain#Public\_domain\_books). Being a classic book club, this gives us a definitive way to determine a books eligibility, while it also allows people to source a free copy of the book if they choose to.

2. No books are allowed from our “year of” family of subs that are dedicated to a specific book. These subs restart on January 1st. The books and where to read them are:

*War and Peace- r/ayearofwarandpeace
*Les Miserables- r/AYearOfLesMiserables
*The Count of Monte Cristo- r/AReadingOfMonteCristo
*Middlemarch- r/ayearofmiddlemarch
*Don Quixote- r/yearofdonquixote
*Anna Karenina- r/yearofannakarenina

3. Must be a different author than our current book. What this means is since we are currently reading Charles Dickens, no books from him will be considered for our next read, but his other works will be allowed once again after this vote.

4. No books from our [Discussion Archive](https://old.reddit.com/r/ClassicBookClub/wiki/index/discussionarchive ) in the sidebar. Please check the link to see the books we’ve already completed.

Here are a few lists from Project Gutenberg if you need ideas.

[Sorted by popularity](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?sort\_order=downloads)

[Frequently viewed or downloaded](https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/scores/top)

Reddit polls allow a maximum of six choices. The top nominations from this thread will go to a Reddit poll in a Finalists Thread where we will vote on only those top books. The winner of the Reddit poll will be read here as our next book.

We want to make sure everyone has a chance to nominate, vote, then find a copy of our next book. We give a week for nominations. A week to vote on the Finalists. And two weeks for readers to find a copy of the winning book.

Our book picking process takes 4 weeks in total. We read 1 chapter each weekday, which makes 5 chapters a week, and 20 chapters in 4 weeks which brings us to our Contingency Rule. Any book that is 20 chapters or less that wins the Finalist Vote means we also read the 2nd place book as well after we read the winning book. We do this so we don’t have to do a shortened version of our book picking process.

We will announce the winning book once the poll closes in the Finalists Thread.

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Confrontation between Pip and Havisham. What did you think of it? Was Pip fair, does Havisham have a case to make for why she led him on?

2. Pip declares for Estella. It does not go well. Are you sympathetic, or should Pip have actually listened to her words?

3. Miss Havisham might be more taken with Pip’s words. Intervention, perhaps?

4. Wemmick brings the cliffhanger!

5. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> “DON’T GO HOME.”

Discussion Prompts:

1. Estella seems to have departed Richmond and without Pip’s knowledge. Ominous or is Provid inducing undue paranoia?

2. Drummle reappears and of course Pip can’t stand it. Amusing or rather daft behaviour from the two young men?

3. We finish with Pip rather gloomily regretting ever met Havisham or having gone to Satis House. Momentary regret or some substantial self-reflection?

4. Anything else to discuss?

Links

Project Gutenberg

Standard eBooks

Librivox Audiobook

Last Lines:

> … and went out to the memorable old house that it would have been so much the better for me never to have entered, never to have seen.

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. We get Magwitch’s story (finally able to use the name! Having read Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, I was pretty sure I knew it). What did you think of his tale? Sympathetic? Horrified?

2. I admit to not quite following the story with him falling in with Compeyson. Can anyone straighten it out?

3. They’re in the dock, I think this experiences beats heavily on Magwitch’s obsession with creating his own dear boy gentleman. 

4. And the two parts of the story come together in the last paragraphs! Were you expecting that?

5. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> I shut the book and nodded slightly to Herbert, and put the book by; but we neither of us said anything, and both looked at Provis as he stood smoking by the fire.

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Herbert is told the secret and Magwitch (Provis) continues to revel in his elevation of Pip to gentleman. Thoughts on how this plays out? 

2. Pip considers heading off to be a soldier. Herbert rightly calls that out as ridiculous. Surely there are other options!

3. They’re convinced that Pip needs to break this off. Predictions for how this will go? 

4. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> … and after turning an angry eye on the fire for a few silent moments, looked round at us and said what follows.

I read the chapter last night with an intent to draft up some questions this morning. Can I recall a single thing? No, I cannot. 

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Pip is being teased and wound up by Trabb’s boy - Pip’s clearly not comfortable with his change of status now that he’s back in his old environs. 

2. Pip opens up to Herbert about his adoration of Estella, and is surprised that it was so very obvious. Have you ever shared a confidence or secret and found out that everyone already knew?

3. Herbert opens up about his family, including that he is engaged! His prospective father in law doesn’t seem like the most agreeable of people though. 

4. Off to the play! Perfect place for a weekend cliffhanger.  

5. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> … we blew out our candles, made up our fire, locked our door, and issued forth in quest of Mr. Wopsle and Denmark.

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Pip is getting ideas about what Miss Havisham wants for him and Estella!

2. A brief Orlick and Sarah Pocket interlude and we’re with Miss Havisham and Estella. How do you think their reunion went? 

3. Jaggers arrives and is immediately dominant in the room. We determine that Estella is a Havisham. Thoughts on the dinner? 

4. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> It was but a day gone, and Joe had brought the tears into my eyes; they had soon dried, God forgive me! soon dried.

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Pip is at least aware that he’s self-sabotaging. Were you surprised by his decisions?

2. The convicts are on show (I’m sure that in modern times we as a society would do nothing so crass). Pip is recognised, perhaps? And the convicts travel on the coach. Would you be comfortable sharing transport with them in manacles?

3. Did the newspaper article make an iota of sense to you? (Pumblechook is further touting his influence on Pip’s good fortune - there you go, one line, not a half page of run-on sentences!)

4. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> … who would have told me that Pumblechook was my earliest patron and the founder of my fortunes.

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Joe is going to visit! Why is Pip so unenthused?

2. What did you think of Joe’s rendition of the events of the play?

3. Joe saw Miss Havisham, and apparently Estella wants to see Pip! That’s a surprise. 

4. Eventually Joe relaxes and has a proper exchange with Pip. What did you think of their reunion?

5. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> As soon as I could recover myself sufficiently, I hurried out after him and looked for him in the neighbouring streets; but he was gone.

I’ll fix the formatting in a few hours when I’m at my computer. Reddit mobile now refuses markup for some reason!

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. Pip and Joe head off, poor Joe is so anxious. What did you think of their meeting?

2. Twenty five guineas! That’s an absolute fortune (I say, not having done any calculations whatsoever)! 

3. Joe presented the situation smoothly to his wife, Pumplechook gets involved, and Pip is “bound over.” And Pip is miserable. Speculations as to why?

4. History buffs or those of the esoteric knowledges - what did it mean to be “bound” or to have indenture papers? It sounds a lot more serious than an apprenticeship or similar. 

5. Anything else to discuss?

**Links**

[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1400)

[Standard eBooks](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/charles-dickens/great-expectations)

[Librivox Audiobook](https://librivox.org/great-expectations-by-charles-dickens/)

**Last Lines:**

> I had liked it once, but once was not now.

Well, that will teach me for procrastinating on buying tickets.

**Congratulations on finishing the book! Another classic crossed off the list. See you all very soon for our next book, which starts on Monday! (27 April)**

**Discussion Prompts:**

1. First of all, did you enjoy the book? Why/why not?

2. Who was your favourite character in the book, and what character was the most memorable?

3. What were some of the main themes of the book in your opinion?

4. What do you think Austen is trying to tell us about the society this book was set in?

5. Do you like the way Austen writes? What stands out to you from her writing?

6. Would you like to read more of Austen’s work in the future? 

7. Anything else to discuss? Rants encouraged!