A Tale of Two Cities

Rating:
Summary: Love and Sacrifice During Terrible Times
Review: A Tale of Two Cities is one of Dickens's classics and certainly one of my favorite novels of all time. It is a masterpiece on many counts, the development of the characters, the setting of the scene, the intricacy of the plot, and for its meaning and ability to move the emotions. Here we have a complex plot gently unfolding under the shadow of the turbulent French Revolution. Where Dickens excels most is in his descriptions and characterization. Thus after a few pages you will be living with the characters, feeling their tribulations and enjoying their moments of happiness, traveling with them on the road and feeling the tension of the trial rooms. One can feel through the pages the rush of the crowds during the historic moment of the storming of the Bastille, and cannot escape feeling the sympathy for the rescued Dr. Manette. The patterns of the novel shift from the violent to the happy to the frightening to the violent in an endless cycle not unlike today's turbulent world, where the secret trials and the revolutionary bloodshed are the theme of the day. A Tale of Two Cities is a timeless story about the triumph of love in such terrible times.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Sacrifice During Terrible Times
Review: A Tale of Two Cities is one of Dickens's classics and certainly one of my favorite novels of all time. It is a masterpiece on many counts, the development of the characters, the setting of the scene, the intricacy of the plot, and for its meaning and ability to move the emotions. Here we have a complex plot gently unfolding under the shadow of the turbulent French Revolution. Where Dickens excels most is in his descriptions and characterization. Thus after a few pages you will be living with the characters, feeling their tribulations and enjoying their moments of happiness, traveling with them on the road and feeling the tension of the trial rooms. One can feel through the pages the rush of the crowds during the historic moment of the storming of the Bastille, and cannot escape feeling the sympathy for the rescued Dr. Manette. The patterns of the novel shift from the violent to the happy to the frightening to the violent in an endless cycle not unlike today's turbulent world, where the secret trials and the revolutionary bloodshed are the theme of the day. A Tale of Two Cities is a timeless story about the triumph of love in such terrible times.