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Summary: A Far, Far, Better Book Than I Have Ever Read.
Review: The sharp blade of the guillotine comes crashing down. The creaky tumbrils come through the town carrying their scared prisoners. The Bastille is being stormed by angry french citizens. This is known as the French Revolution that Charles Dickens magnificantly describes in his book, "A Tale of Two Cities."The book is very well-written. It goes into great details. The story is romantic and it contains death, which are topics two different types of people would be interested in. The characters are romantic, evil, saddening, and heroic. People all over are interested in at least one of these types of characters. It is hard not to like a book made for all different types of people. The book goes into great detail of the French Revolution. Dickens describes "the death-carts rumble, hollow and harsh" very well. He describes the "cold female" guillotine throughout the book, so you can picture it in your head. He describes how the citizens sharpen the female most of the time due to how many prisoners' she has beheaded. Dickens is very good with giving detail. Dickens also went into great detail with his characters. Lucie Manette's golden hair, the business man, Mr.Lorry, The heroic but drunk Sydney Carton, and the shouldering through life C. J. Stryver. Those all are one of the many descriptions/tags Dickens has given his characters. When introducing his characters he goes deep into their description. Such as the case with Lucie Manette. Lucie was "a young lady of not more than 17 in a riding cloak, and still holding her straw traveling hat by its ribbon in her hand. As his eyes rested on a short, slight, pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, a pair of blue eyes that met his own with an inquiring look, and a forehead with a singular capacity of lifting and knitting itself into an expression that was not quite one of perplexity." Obviously, Dickens knew how to describe something to the point where you can picture it in your mind. The story Charles Dickens so beautifully and descriptively wrote, takes place during the French Revolution. The story covers the many lovers of Lucie Manette has and the one she marries. It covers how Lucie Manette is reunited with her Bastille imprisoned father, Alexander Manette. Lucie Manette's husband, Charles Darnay, hands over his title of Evremonde, the Marquis, which only his uncle knows. So, thinking that if he, Darnay, returns to France, the french citizens will think him a hero, who gave up his title to take the side of the french peasants. When Darnay goes to France, the peasants arrest him for being an Evremonde and throw him in the prison, La Force. Dr. Manette's influence gets Darnay out of prison, but again he is thrown in a prison, the Bastille. Dr. Manette's influence can not get him out this time, but Sydney Carton, who swore Lucie his love and to do anything for it, including dying for her, switches places with Darnay in the Bastille. The story is very well-written with great descriptions. It contains both death and romance. Two different types of topics for two different types of people. It is something everyone can enjoy!
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Summary: A Tale too Confusing
Review: A Tale of Two Cities was a great tale that was too confusing. With wonderfully developed characters, colorful setting, and interesting plot, A Tale of Two Cities had all of the makings of a great book minus clarity. Perhaps Charles Dickens was just too intelligent for most of the readers to understand his complicated dialogue and hidden metaphors. A book should be understandable without a handy dictionary and Cliff Notes. With a government that relies on the obedience of a dying class of people, France is headed for disaster. Led by the Defarge couple, the French peasants destroy all that the nobles hold sacred; their homes, their power, and their lives. Charles Darnay, a Frenchman residing in England, decides to leave his family to fight with his people, but he is considered a noble and therefore must die. When his family recieves word that Darnay will be executed, his wife, Lucie Manette, and her father, Dr. Alexandre Mannette, a former prisoner of the nobles and a heroic icon to the French, leave to free him. However, nothing can save Darnay except for his look-a-like and secret admirer of Lucie's, Syndney Carton. Carton will now take action for the first time of his life. This was truly an inspiring story of love, freedom, and war but the message of the book would have been more effective without metaphors that were so subtle and dialogue that was not explained. In the courtroom scene, when Darnay is being accused of treason, it was thought by some readers that the "great blue flies" were actually blue flies, not people. Also, when Carton and Barsad are sizing each other up, it is difficult to tell what they are talking about because the visualization is so unclear and mixed up with the metaphors. Although A Tale of Two Cities was thought provoking, emotional, and inspiring, a reader would need to read the book either very slowly and carefully or twice.
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Summary: A Tale Of Two Cities
Review: When a dream of change for the peasents comes true The nobles are in for a rude awakening. The French revolution had peasents in chaos and a killing machine called "La guillatine" working overtime. It was a story of revenge, hate, backstabbing and more! Charles Dickens's "A Tale Of Two Cities" took place in the late 18th century, in England and France when the idea of revelution was brewing. It was about how the suppresed lower class revolted against the cruel and unjust nobles The book focuses on Lucy Manette, a young woman who is an orphan and the people she touches and a couple named the Defarges who have a major part in the uprising. It is also about a race against time to get Charles Darnay out of France before it is to late. In between their is gruesome killing, backstabing, and love. It is a story a mixed emotions of hate, sorrow, and happiness. The highlight of the book is its caracters. There is a large array of caracters from those you will love like Sydney Carton to those you will hate like the wood sawyer. There is even a caracter who is always knitting. The variety of caracters will keep your interest thoughout the whole book This book is a book that you will not be able to put down. With all the great caracters suprises and action, it will be a great book to read.
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Summary: It was the Best of Books, it was the Worst of Books.
Review: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That is what it was like in the time of A Tale of Two Cities. Set in the time of the French Revolution, Dickens depicts the thoughts and feelings of the Revolution. Doctor Manette was a prisoner in the bastille for 18 years when he finally got out. His daughter Lucie fell in love with and married a former French Noble named Charles Darnay. In the height of the Revolution, Darnay is found and sentanced to death by the ruthless Madame DeFarge. Despite the fact that his father-in-law, Doctor Manette, is a dear friend of the Revolution. There was nothing he could do, his fate was in the hands of friend and look-alike Sydney Carton. This phrase also relates to the book itself. It was the best of books, it was the worst of books. Some parts of this book were great which made it seem like the best book ever written. Other parts, however quickly became boring and lost the reader's attention. The first two books were possibly the worst part of a book ever written. Although they were absolutely necessary to make the third and final book such a success. The first two books have little or no action to grab the attention of the reader. The most exciting thing is reading about a trial of a person that the reader does not even know yet. Also, the language is confusing and hard to understand. It is written in the old English dialect of the time. It should not be a struggle for a reader simply to understand a sentance of a book. The action really picks up in the last part of book two and all of book three. So much is going on that the reader quickly becomes interested. It makes the book very hard to put down. This was the best ending of any book ever written. There are so many things that make this so great. First of all, after reading the first half of the book, the reader is finally used to the language and it is no longer a struggle to read. Also, everything that was unknown or confusing from before all comes together. For example, Madame DeFarge is a person of the Revolution who is extremely ruthless especially towards Charles Darnay. The reader finds out that it is becuase she had experienced first-hand the terror that his father and uncle had caused. At the end, The reader is overcome with a feeling of friendship, loyalty, love and just a general good feeling because a life is given to save another. A Tale of Two Cities is one of the greatest books ever written. Although the first book and a half are boring, They are absolutely necessary. They lead up to the phenomenal ending that could not be undestood without them.
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Summary: A Tale of Two Cities
Review: With the concluding sentence "It is a far,far better thing that I do, that I have ever done..." Sydney Carton demonstrates his courage and love for Lucie. Dickens develops his characters and has something about them that stands out from the rest. For example, Lucie is recognized by her blonde hair, just as Mr.Lorry is a "business man" and Mme. Defarge is always seen knitting. The story takes place in 1775 during the French Revolution, and tells a story of sacrafice, courage, love, and revenge. Lucie and her family struggle to stay alive as Mme.Defarge and the Vengence threaten to destroy them. Dickens takes the experience of the Revolution and turns it into an exciting and twisted story with great deal of suspence and vivid characters. For example, Jerry Cruncher's rusty fingers, Mr. Lorry's "recalled to life" and Mme. Defarge's knitting adds suspence and excitment to the story. The book also was good because throughout it, they were many side stories and then at the end they all came together really well. For example, Jerry Cruncher had rusty fingers, and his job was "fishing." The only thing that was confusing was about the book was the first few chapters. since they were hard to undestand, it was really hard to get into the novel. Also the constant switching between the two cities was confusing and hard to follow. Even though the book did have its low points, the book had great characters, and exciting plot, and a surprise ending.
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Summary: A Tale of A Tale of Two Cities
Review: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That famous opening line from Charles Dickons's A Tale of Two Cities describes the life of the characters in the book. For some, joy, happiness, and new life made a promising life style. For others, murder and hatred ruled thier lives. The story line, which at times is complicated, manily focusus on one man, Charles Darnay. Darnay's life is not an easy one. It begins in France where he resided with his uncle. After a dispute, Darnay leaves his homeland, his family, and part of himself in France while he moves to England. There, he met and fell in love with Lucie Manette, a young woman who cares for her mentally ill father. They began their own life together until the revoulution began. Then, it was trouble. But thanks to the courage and strength of a lonely man, Sydney Carton, things work out for the best. At times the book drags on. With a total of 45 chapters divided into three books, A Tale of Two Cities takes time, patience, and concentration to read. The book brings out various emotions. At time the reader may feel happy for all the postive things, sadness for the pain and suffering of the characters, or even anger for the deadly outcome of the revoultion. Although A Tale of Two Cities is not extemely easy to read, in the end, it all pays off. Everything comes together and begins to make sense. The ending, which is emotional and powerful, will leave the reader proud of the decision made and sad it took such a painful price.
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Summary: A story about the human condition, for better and for worse.
Review: Dickens has written a beautiful tale about the human condition, in both its glory and its downfall. It is a quiet masterpiece that describes the things that people will do for love - for love of people, of country, of family, of themselves, and most especially for love of those who never know how much we love them until it is too late. I cried when I read the ending, a juxtaposition of beauty and of madness. I was both shocked by how horrible mankind can be in his need for vengeance, but at the same time amazed at the fortitude and generosity that can be instilled in an individual by devotion to something greater. A classic of timeless truths.
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Summary: Reasons why
Review: There are many people in this world who seem to think that Charles Dickens spent too much time focusing on the development of his characters. But without this description, the book would not have the same effect. For example, Lucie Darnay has a child and Mme. Defarge does not. This is because Lucie represents love, life, and forgiveness and Mme. Defarge represents vengeance. For her to have a child would not fir into the story. I thought the development of the characters was the best part of the book because Dickens knew what qualities each person had to have and which qualities they could not have. One other great part is when Sydney Carton sacrifices himself for the girl that he loves, Lucie.
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Summary: Resurrection
Review: I'm in 9th grade and I had to read this for school. Dickens, apparently, is one of those authors who sacrifice brevity for the sake of drawing you into the novel, letting you experience it. The first book is boring, and pretty much incomprehensible, but it does get much better as it goes along. This isn't for people with short attention spans, but overall, the writing is strong and powerful. None of the movie versions have had the same impact on me as the power of the novel's ending.
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Summary: great ending but a slow beginning
Review: I had to read this book for my history class. It was hard to get started because of the explosion of details and symbolism that I had to analyze. However, I learned a lot about the French Revolution and the ending was great! I was both surprised and satisfied, and everything tied together.
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