Great Expectations: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES DICKENS!

In honor of Charles Dickens birthday, we took a look at his most recent leading ladies, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. Dickens purists will want to keep this description of Miss Havisham from the great Great Expectations in mind.

"She was dressed in rich materials - satin, and lace, and silks, - all 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. .......but I saw that everything within my view that ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress and like the flowers and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes. I saw that the dress had been put upon the rounded figure of a young woman, and that the figure upon which it hung loose, had shrunk to skin and bone."

READ Great Expectations via Project Guttenberg

Gillian Anderson, above debuted her Miss Havisham on television in the Masterpiece Classic Great Expectations in 2011. Douglas Booth starred as Pip. The 3 episode series won Prime Time Emmy's for art direction, costume design and cinematography, and is available to stream on Amazon Prime for $1.99.

Helena Bonham Carter

The HBC version won a BAFTA for Best Costume Design. Looking at the intricately ruffled yet tattered gown, it's easy to see why. This version which also stars Ralph Fiennes is more widely available to stream on Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu and GooglePlay.

I have to say, so far my vote is going to Gillian! At least in terms of how she looks! I like how she rocks that old lace while Helena looks like she's afraid to get any grey or white dye in her hair. What do you think? Who looks more like the Miss Havisham that Dickens had in mind?

Check out the trailer at PBS Great Expectations video  LOVE the music.