Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861)

Great Expectations is Charles Dickens's sweeping story of ambition, identity, and transformation. It follows Pip, a poor orphan whose life is changed when he suddenly comes into wealth from a mysterious benefactor. As he moves from the marshes of his childhood to the glittering but hollow world of London society, Pip learns hard lessons about love, loyalty, and what it truly means to be a "gentleman." Filled with unforgettable characters like the bitter Miss Havisham and the proud Estella, it's both a coming-of-age tale and a sharp look at class, greed, and redemption in Victorian England.