A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
From the book jacket:
A Tale of Two Cities quickly establishes itself with one of literature’s most legendary opening lines:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
With these famous words, Dickens plunges the reader into one of history’s most explosive eras – the French Revolution. The two cities are Paris and London, and between them rumble conspiracy, intrigue, and the heavy traffic of countless spies. From the storming of the Bastille to the relentless drop of the guillotine, Dickens vividly captures the upheaval of the tumultuous, terror-steeped days of 1789.
At the center of it all is the novel’s hero, Sydney Carton, a lazy, alcoholic – but honorable – attorney who is in love with Lucie Manette, a beautiful woman brought up in London. When Lucie marries Charles Darnay, a man condemned to death for his ties to the aristocratic Evrémonde family, Carton makes the supreme sacrifice on the bloodstained streets of Paris.
In this rousing historical romance, Dickens exposes his severe distaste for the excess of police states, the ease with which citizens resort to mob violence, and aristocratic tyrants, whose livelihood is predicated upon unfeeling notions such as “Vengeance and retribution require a long time; it is the rule.” A stirring classic of love, revenge, and resurrection, A Tale of Two Cities remains one of Dickens’s most exciting novels.
I’m happy to say I’ve finally read a Charles Dickens novel, and actually one whose film adaptation I haven’t yet seen. I must admit, the beginning portion was hard for me to get through because of its old English language. Because of this, I could only read 1-2 chapters at a time and I also got distracted by library books I much rather wanted to read instead. The mystery around Dr. Manette’s(Lucie’s father) 18-year imprisonment at the Bastille was intriguing, however, the many characters and things going on, plus my difficulty with the writing language made it quite tedious for me to read.
I persevered though, mostly because this was one of the novels I listed for the Victorian Challenge, which ends this coming Tuesday. I really wanted to like this book because it’s one of the most talked about classics, but I was losing hope and interest. Then somewhere in Book 2, it just became really interesting and I was able to understand what was happening in the story. Thank goodness, because I was about *thisclose* to cheating and reading SparkNotes, which would’ve been an embarassing big step back to high school English. I think the turning point for me was when Sydney Carton’s marriage proposal to Lucie Manette was politely rejected and he responded with this:
For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Try to hold me in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing. The time will come, the time will not be long in coming, when new ties will be formed about you – ties that will bind you yet more tenderly and strongly to the home you so adorn – the dearest ties that will ever grace and gladden you. O Miss Manette, when the little picture of a happy father’s face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!
Honestly, how could I NOT read on after that?
I was glad the rest of the book became more fast-paced and that the plot thickened, especially the involvement of the French couple Defarges with the blood-thirsty revolution and the interesting way in which they were connected with the mystery of Dr. Manette’s previous imprisonment at the Bastille. Madame Defarge definitely makes it into my list of hated fiction characters. Her story gives some credence and justification for her hate of the aristocracy, however, it is this hate and intense desire for vengeance which makes you lose any possible sympathy you might have had for her. Dickens definitely and successfully paints the French Revolution as out of control and Madame Defarge is the perfect personification.
Despite my difficulty with the beginning of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and the ending was just wow. I was afraid I was going to be put off from reading any more of Dickens’ novels in the future, but now I’m actually looking forward to reading more Dickens! I’m glad I chose to read A Tale of Two Cities now rather than in high school because I would’ve absolutely hated it back then and not appreciate why it’s such a classic.
Rating: 
Tags: 1780s, aristocracy, Charles Dickens, classics, espionage, French Revolution, London, Paris, romance
