Review of 'Estella' by Kathy George
Release Date: May 3rd, 2023
Publisher: Harlequin, HQ Fiction
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REVIEW
What an imaginative and compelling re-telling of the Victorian classic Great Expectations! Estella gets to tell her side of the story and it is a stunning comprehensive portrayal. For an author to take on such a challenge and deliver it so effectively speaks volumes of Kathy George’s writing ability. Her talent shines here in being able to step inside characters from a highly recognised novel and to shape a story around them into her own creation. Kathy has provided clarity and filled in the missing pieces of Estella’s unusual life. I also truly felt transported into the world of Dickens. The gothic atmosphere, the period language, the Victorian culture and the haunting settings embraced me in such a profound way. It all seemed very authentic. Ms George’s command of language captured my imagination so persuasively I could not put the book down once I entered its pages. The descriptions are exceptional. All my senses were engaged. I could even picture the costumes for it was as if I was watching a period drama, true to form and style in every way.
I also loved the fact that the author mentions some of Dickens’s work in the text: appropriately placed so that it becomes a ‘sort of’ cameo appearance. Of course, she provides a full Dickens cast besides Estella and Pip. And the misty marsh setting is quite important—even taking on a character’s role. Estella’s love of it haunts her—a shroud of rustic beauty. And for Pip, it is his childhood home—a place of danger and uncertainty and where many events happened.
Estella (like Pip) is an orphan. She is the prime focus of this novel. Taken from her mother at three years of age, she is adopted by the wealthy and strange Miss Havisham who lives in Satis House, a dark and oppressive dwelling. This eccentric woman surrounds herself with subtle reminders of disappointment. She was jilted on her wedding day and spends her life seeking revenge through the innocent, beautiful Estella by shaping her into a person who must become a heartbreaker of men. She is taught the cruel tactics of leading them on and then breaking their hearts. It is a sad passage to satisfaction for Miss Havisham and the control is deeply wounding to a young impressionable Estella. Miss Havisham’s peculiar training takes its toll on the girl’s relationships, even on her dear childhood friend Pip, who has been faithful and devoted to Estella from the start. For she is expected to break his heart, too. Despite these terrible learned actions, Kathy George shows us that Estella is capable of being more than just a cold and uncaring heartbreaker. It is true that Estella has experienced little joy in her life as a result of her tragic upbringing, where she was given adult responsibilities at a young age, but she has found some comfort and kindness in the housekeeper who has been one shining light in her life. So, in that respect, she has had another woman figure to offset the cruelty and lead her (eventually) to what she seeks.
In this novel we get to see a fairly well rounded picture of Estella: who she is and wants to be but also the tragedy that made her into a pawn. Once she grows up and returns home from France with an education, she bumps into Pip again. He is a person of wealth now. Will his improved station draw Estella closer to him? But Miss Havisham is not done with her yet and begins seeking a husband for her (which Estella does not really want). And worse still is the fact that she sends Pip on a mission to try and find a husband for Estella—which is a cruel task in itself knowing Pip still loves her. Sadly, Estella falls once again to Miss Havisham’s control and marries a dreadful man— putting her in an even more isolating circumstance. Will Estella ever break free from all the chains of control that bind her? Will she realise what she has in Pip?
I absolutely adored the ending of Estella which is different from the one of Dickens. As we all know from reading Great Expectations, Estella is indeed a changed woman from the trials she has endured but there is a piece missing in her redemption that Kathy George delivers in her version. Those of us who are Romantics will appreciate this new satisfying ending. Choosing a more fulfilling outcome for two characters who have gone through such horrific agony and change, made my heart cheer! I totally recommend the wonderful Estella to all Classic literature lovers. It swept me away to the much loved Dickens world and it will do the same for all who enter its haunting domain. A well-deserved 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to HQ Fiction and Netgalley for my review copy.
