The One and Only Miss Havisham

Remember Miss Havisham from Dicken's Great Expectations? It used to be required reading for most of us in the 9th grade. I've found I'm not alone in considering Miss H. to be the most interesting feature of the book. Here's how Dickens describes her:


"She was dressed in rich materials--satins, and lace, and silks--all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she wore, and half-packed trunks, were scattered about. She had not quite finished dressing, for she had but one shoe on-the other was on the table near her hand-her veil was but half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on, and some lace for her bosom lay with those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a prayer book, all confusedly heaped about the looking-glass."


As you may remember, the fiftyish Miss H. had been jilted on the day of her wedding as she was getting ready. She stopped all the clocks, and left all as it was, including the cobweb-ridden wedding cake rotting on the table. Deliciously creepy.

So here are a few images from my new altered book. Guess I'm feeling Halloween-ish early.

Front Cover

The woman on the left would probably weather a jilting just fine, but our
Miss H. hides behind her wilted garments and flowers.

Here's little Pip, (left) our hero. He doesn't get to go

out shopping like the young Miss H. and her family did.

Two of Miss H.'s more fortunate school friends who have
become an explorer-ballonist, and an actress-mistress.
(I made this up--it's not in the book.)