Two Sides of a Broken Heart: C.J. Simone’s Pip and Estella Reimagines Dickens with Psychological Depth
(By Gaius Konstantine / for Just Reading Nook) “It’s a sad truth that the greatest efforts are often made not for those we cherish, but to impress and compete with those we most despise.”
It is sad indeed—and far from the only human failing explored in Pip and Estella (A Retelling of Dickens’ Great Expectations Told in Dual Points of View) by C.J. Simone. The familiar story follows two orphans raised in starkly different worlds who nevertheless cross paths. Both endure cruelty in their adoptive homes: one overt and brutish, the other insidious and psychological. Young Pip falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Estella, whom he perceives as his social superior. Estella, however, is being molded not for love but for revenge—vengeance on behalf of a broken heart that is not her own. When an unexpected fortune suddenly makes a life with her seem within reach, Pip’s love-addled imagination takes flight. As he soon learns, possibility guarantees nothing.
Misery, wretchedness, and nobility intertwine throughout Simone’s novel. The plot remains largely faithful to Dickens’ original—perhaps the book’s sole drawback. Any retelling inevitably sacrifices some originality, and this one is no exception. Yet there is much to admire. The dual first-person points of view deepen the thematic richness, preserving the classic concerns of class while sharpening the focus on psychology and obsession. The result is fuller, more nuanced protagonists whom readers will alternately loathe, love, and ultimately pity as they grow and transform. Simone’s prose deserves particular praise: it captures the atmosphere of a nineteenth-century novel while remaining far more accessible and fluid for modern readers.
Overall, Pip and Estella is a solid, engaging retelling—one that many contemporary readers may find more enjoyable than the original.
Rating: ★★★★☆ Strong
Pip and Estella: A Retelling of Dickens’ Great Expectations Told in Dual Points of View (2026)
Historical Fiction
Available in Kindle, Paperback and Hardcover
Gaius Konstantine is the author of Fading Away: Dark Bay and a literary critic known for honest, no-nonsense takes on literature. He writes. He critiques. He calls it as he sees it.
Connect with him on X at @GaiusKonstantin.
