Rating: 
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: Although most high school students complain relentlessly about the assignment of this book, I (being the book-loving nerd that i am) was glad to have an oppurtunity to read this classic. What I got out of it was more than i had hoped for.
The kids in my class that complained about its boringness and lack of excitment were obviously missing the point. This book isnt about plot, its about charcters and relationships. (although Dickens does a terrible job of showing affection. "o, my life"- who says that?)Of course the beginning of the book was "boring"! Deep, thought provoking charcters were being established. Dickens is truley a master of words, and has no reserve in showing it. Although some complain his sentences are too lengthy and lose the readers intrest, if your reading carefully, you'll catch all sorts of hidden symbols and meanings, as well as the ocassional joke. The charcters can easily be related to, and the ending is wonderful. EVERYBODY shoudl read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the Best:
Review: Charles Dickens' genius is clearly displayed in this excellent work. His characters are multifaceted and complex. The time that he spends describing the physical characteristics, habits, education and social/life background of each character are all necessary to the plot. By the end you will identify with them as real people and more. Dickens' use of a story within a story at the end adds a fascinating twist. However, I do not recommend this book for those who seek instant gratification, or for those who require a unidirectional plot. There are many instances where Mr. Dickens leads his reader down what could be construed as a dark alley or a dead end. Read on. You will be rewarded. DON'T MISS THIS ONE RJ
Rating: 
Summary: The National Razor...
Review: I am a little surprised to see how many negative reviews there are of this novel here...but only a little. A Tale of Two Cities is not my favorite Dickens novel. Harold Bloom refers to it merely as one of his "entertainments." Unlike the best Dickens novels - Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby - there is no central character here for the reader to latch onto. As is the trouble, the "good guys" in the book are a bit boring. Sometimes Dickens has a social axe to grind, and I find those novels less interesting. One of the problems here, which is attendant upon the lack of a central character, is the lack of a focused plot. Only towards the end of the novel, do we get a sense of what the point is.
On the other hand, a lesser novel by Dickens is better than most other authors' great novels. Even though there is no central character, it is filled with a host of unforgettable lesser characters - especially the diabolic Madame DeFarge. Dickens captures the corruption of the Ancient Regime and then the corruption of the Reign of Terror that followed it. After all, this is THE NOVEL of the French Revolution. It also contains some of Dickens's best narrative descriptions and may possibly possess the greatest opening and closing lines of any novel: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," and "It is a far, far better thing I do..."
Rating:
Summary: Dickens was a Genius - Wow
Review: I decided to read all of Dickens novels and was pleased to purchase this classic for only a few dollars and then have such a great read.
This novel alternates hot and cold in tempo as one makes their way through the night coach rides, trials in London and Paris, the stately Tellson's (English) Bank, the magnificent chateau of the Marquis, the wine shop in Saint Antoine in Paris, and the chaos that was the French revolution. Where are we going with this novel??? Round and round!
So many characters, so much action, so much chaos: will Darnay escape the guillotine? Will his family be captured? How did the stately or at least the reserved Miss Pross learn how to wrestle? Will Madame Defarge finally kill someone? Who is this Carton character? What is he doing in France? On and on we sail through the book.
I read the whole thing - all 300 pages in one happy day.
My parting thought when I finished and closed the book was that Dickens was a bit like Shakespeare; he was a popular "rock star" in his era, a God among his fellow writers, a true genius, but living in a different time. What a book! Wow.
Rating: 
Summary: A Tale of Two Cities
Review: I don't have much to say, so I will be brief. I as well would have thought Dickens a much better author than I found him to be, I was extremely disappointed. He describes so much in too great detail (this is mostly a ditto to the previous opinion that stated the same). yeah I guess thats it. Good job, Davis, ripping off Cliifnotes with 'your' tone synopsis.
Rating: 
Summary: Takes a while to get into, but fantastic by the end
Review: In this sharply honest recounting of the French Revolution, Dickens weaves together an unusual cast of characters to form a tale of love and loss, hope and despair, trust and betrayal. Dr. Manette, who had been jailed on false charges, is released after almost twenty years. His daughter Lucie, who believed him dead, found him, brought him back to Soho, England, and began to care for him. In the course of events, they meet and become close with Charles Darnay, an alleged French spy. Dr. Manette and Lucie also form a strange sort of friendship with Charles' rather unsuccessful lawyer, Sydney Carton. Sydney, who is misunderstood by everyone, possesses a quiet strength that he seldom reveals. Meanwhile, in Saint Antoine, France, the wicked Madame Defarge and her husband plot to overthrow every single aristocrat they can get their hands on. But every one of these characters are struggling to survive in a world full of terror, dread and false friends.
The detailed accounts of the people and places cause you to feel as if you are right there, in middle of all the action and drama. The meticulousness of the writing gives you information that enables you to picture the characters perfectly. In addition, I highly enjoyed the characters' personalities. Specifically the way the character of Charles Darnay was so bluntly truthful, and how the villain, Madame Defarge complacently knitted away at public hangings.
In conclusion, I recommend this book to people who go for drama and/or historical fiction. I sort of enjoyed reading it (once I got past the first 100 pages or so -which were kinda boring).
Rating:
Summary: Bit boring sometimes, but great plot and characters!
Review: In this sharply honest recounting of the French Revolution, Dickens weaves together an unusual cast of characters to form a tale of love and loss, hope and despair, trust and betrayal. Dr. Manette, who had been jailed on false charges, is released after almost twenty years. His daughter Lucie, who believed him dead, found him, brought him back to Soho, England, and began to care for him. In the course of events, they meet and become close with Charles Darnay, an alleged French spy. Dr. Manette and Lucie also form a strange sort of friendship with Charles' rather unsuccessful lawyer, Sydney Carton. Sydney, who is misunderstood by everyone, possesses a quiet strength that he seldom reveals. Meanwhile, in Saint Antoine, France, the wicked Madame Defarge and her husband plot to overthrow every single aristocrat they can get their hands on. But every one of these characters are struggling to survive in a world full of terror, dread and false friends.
The detailed accounts of the people and places cause you to feel as if you are right there, in middle of all the action and drama. The meticulousness of the writing gives you information that enables you to picture the characters perfectly. In addition, I highly enjoyed the characters' personalities. Specifically the way the character of Charles Darnay was so bluntly truthful, and how the villain, Madame Defarge complacently knitted away at public hangings.
In conclusion, I recommend this book to people who go for drama and/or historical fiction. I sort of enjoyed reading it (once I got past the first 100 pages or so -which were kinda boring).
Rating:
Summary: Tale of Two Cities Review
Review: Tale of Two Cities overall is a poorly written book. Charles Dickens way too much time adding detail and excess bagage to the story. However, I do understand that Dickens wrote this book in the 1800s, when books were too expensive for most people to afford. Dickens wrote this story in different segments. Wanting to keep the people interested, Dickens added many details and cliffhangers to the book. Now that the different segments of the story are put together, the details make the story seem neverending and almost tiring. Despite the excess writing, the plot of the book is readable. It contains a conflict and resolution. The ending of the book is excellent and it makes all of the time the reader spends getting to the end worthwhile. Also, the characters of the novel are great. Sydney Carton invests much drama and conflict into the story and ties the storyline together. On the otherhand, Lucie Manette is a pathetic character. She adds a stereotype into the novel, being that women are weak and are unable to handle hard situations. She is too perfect and almost reaches the point of annoyance. Overall, I rated the book with two stars based on the storyline of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: This novel certainly requires pacience and the reader who can stick it out through the first 2/3 of the novel, will experience a beautiful and powerful ending. That being said, it is not my favorite Dicken's novel. "David Copperfield" is superior in my opinion. But who can forget Carton's stunning sacrifice at the end of this novel? This is worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Slow to Develop but Outstanding by the End
Review: Unlike in David Copperfield or Great Expectations, Tale of Two Cities is not woven around one central and well defined character. In fact, character development does not really start until almost one hundred pages in - after several important and plot defining events. This made the reading difficult for me at first, since all of the characters seemed sinister and blended into one another. My advice is to stick with it and pay close attention to the treason trial in London. It is here that most of the critical characters are introduced and it contains vital keys for the full enjoyment of the rest of the book. This failing is why I rank the book only a 4 star story. The late character development does not undermine the book but it does not enhance it in my opinion. Although Dickens does bring all of the pieces together with traditionally astounding skill, I was still left vague as to why some things early in the book happened or at least why they happened when they did. This is unusual for a Dickens novel and surprising. That being said, Tale of Two Cities blossoms into a wonderfully told story with the traditional rich Dickens characters and, expectedly, defies a one line description of the plot. When a son of an Aristocratic French family renounces his lands and titles and makes a new life for himself in England, he is unexpectedly called into harm's way when he must return to clear the name of an old servant being held by the new French Republic for crimes he did not commit. Encountering more trouble than he expected, it up to his father-in-law, a celebrated Patriot and ex-prisoner of the old regime, to find a way to save him. However, when the truth comes out about the father-in-law's imprisonment, it does not appear that even true love can save the well intended son-in-law.
|
