Rating: 
Summary: Not a bad book.
Review: Yeah, it's a great book, to be sure, but it's a little tough to understand....you know, olde English, all that jazz? Word? Peace.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful, romantic, tragic
Review: This book had me enthralled from page one. Dickens allows the characters and their inner workings, feelings, and motives to present historical views and an affecting story. A wonderful example of the romanticism that is present in 19th century literature. It's called a "classic" for a good reason.As to those who don't appreciate the book because it's too long: you obviously don't read very much. Just because a book is long doesn't mean it's a bad story. But, if you're still convinced that the length of a book determines its worth, then do not read "Les Miserables," an amazing novel by Victor Hugo. Also set during the French Revolution, it contains the same emotion and zeal with which Dickens wrote.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly emotional, symbolic, beatiful masterpiece:-)
Review: First of all, I really give it 4.7546788 stars, because it only has a slight problem, but other than that, I found this book impossible to read without feeling some of the emotion felt by the characters, especially Carton. Dickens' eloquence and beatifully constructed sentences allowed for this. It is difficult to tell whether Dickens is impartial, or he supports the Revolution or aristocracy. Personally, I think it is the latter, but he seems to be understanding of the revolutionaries despite what seems to be a satire of them, especially Madame Defarge. I think, however, that Dickens stumbled a little bit when he used so much foreshadowing. Sometimes, it does not seem natural, and it felt like I was reading almost someone who had clumsily jumbled together various elements of style and literature. But other than that, it was wonderfully written, and I enjoyed it very much.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Dicken's Work
Review: A Tale of Two Cities is so often considered a classic and its no wonder why. Dickens gives the reader a timeless romantic story with plenty of action and betrayal. However, it is a bit forced at times, the coincidences of being in the right place at the right time are all to frequent. In his later chapters when the revolution is in full force, more of the swashbuckling swordfights are present. This element is a little annoying but it adds to the splendor of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring and Predictable
Review: I guess A Tale of Two Cities is considered a classic because it's long, boring, and deals with an important event in history, IF YOUR FRENCH. Isn't that the criteria for a classic? I think adults are just fooling themselves when they read a book like A Tale of Two Cities. I think they say, "Oh, this was written before the 1900's. It's long, it's boring, it must be a classic." English teachers love presenting "great" literature to their unsuspecting students. BEWARE, YOU TOO MAY BE TAKEN ALIVE BY THE EVIL OF THE LONG AND BORING LITERATURE, KNOWN AS CLASSICS.
Rating:
Summary: Explains the book and expresses my feeings towards it.
Review: A Tale of Two Cities is, without doubt, the best piece of writing Charles Dickens has ever written. It captures the spirit of revolution and explains it vividly. Once you have read this book, you will have acquired two things. 1. You will have read a masterpiece. 2. You will have understood the period of the revolution and what was happening in it.
Rating: 
Summary: a Mtv generation, but with a imagination of one without a tv
Review: In my 10 years of being able to understand what the words i read in a book means, this book is not as great as some claim it to be. Dickens use of words to create scenery and moods, was well written. As in all books there comes a time when the story lags and becomes blant and "boring". in the first book he is introducing the character and the plot in which the story will follow. this part i found wonderfully detailed but hard to stay awake with. the second book is more interesting because now the story is moving along the plot line. now book three is where dickens tries to pull together some quick excitement and then finish off the book.This was the exciting part but it was quick and could easily be missed. The whole novel was pleasing. To my fellow friends, I am a 15 yr old, and this book was not stupid and boring. but i guess for some of your feeble minds, this book is boring or dull or shall i say "stupid". but since those are the only words u can come with to degrade a book then i can see why we a forced to read a book. it might enhance us (you) to speak of a better v-o-c-a-b-u-l-a-r-y.
Rating:
Summary: It's the best of books...
Review: The 'Tale of Two Cities' is actually a tale of two men; the honorable yet naive Charles Darnay; born of a hated aristocratic blood and sworn to protect the people whom his family oppressed, and the dissolute and careless Sydney Carton, who although has lost his passion for living, can still evoke a desperate and beautiful love for the girl that Darnay is destined to marry. The heartache and happiness in their lives are set against an era in which people are seperated by finance; and united in pride. The one thing that disturbed me about this otherwise psycological and provoking piece was the one dimensional portrayal of Lucy Manette. Carton is willing to sacrifice at any degee to simply uphold her happiness, although she is written up as nothing more than a pretty face who is neither his intellectual match nor manifests the same passion that he once did for living. She speaks but a few words, naturally compassionate as was expected of young ladies in her day. I find it a disgusting 'image' of the ideal Vistorian woman; one who neither thinks nor possesses individualism. I'm not promoting feminism; I just can't understand why she was the favorite heroine.
Rating:
Summary: Dickens usage of strong&graphic descriptions enhanced themes
Review: Dickens' usage of strong and sometimes graphic descriptions in A Tale of Two Cities added to the plot and enhanced the themes of his work. Graphic descriptions utilize symbolism, imagery, and details to express the intensity or severity of a situation. Often, simple words can be combined which have an effect that leaves the reader speechless and awestruck. Well-known authors possess a linguistic ear, and the ability to place graphic descriptions at the correct moments to emphasize key conflicts in the plot. In these passages, Dickens masterfully employed literary techniques such as foreshadowing and symbolism. Three strong and graphic descriptions in particular contributed to the effectiveness of the novel as evidenced by their reinforcement of certain themes present in the novel. "Some men kneeled down, made scoops of their two hands joined, and sipped, or tried to help women, who bent over their shoulders, to sip, before the wine had all run out between their fingers. Others, men and women, dipped in the puddles with little mugs of mutilated earthenware, or even with handkerchiefs from the women's heads, which were squeezed dry into infants' mouths; others made small mud embankments, to stem the wine as it ran; others, directed by lookers-on up at high windows, darted here and there, to cut off little streams of wine that started away in new directions; others devoted themselves to the sodden and lee-dyed pieces of the cask, licking, and even champing the moister wine-rotted fragments with eager relish. There was no drainage to carry off the wine, and not only did it all get taken up, but so much mud got taken up along with it, that there might have been a scavenger in the street, if anybody acquainted with it could have believed in such a miraculous presence." (pgs. 59-60) This powerful description in "The Wine-Shop" foreshadowed an event and also symbolized a key theme in the novel. This scene effectively portrayed the misery and deprivation of the French peasants. The wine spillage had a double meaning. It showed that the people could not function any longer in the deprived state they were subjected to live in. Also, it foreshadowed the inevitable revolution which would attempt to correct the sins and malignancies of the aristocratic ruling class by publicly exterminating them in the streets. The color of the wine smeared across the eager peasants' faces represented their bloodthirsty, implacable pursuit of every aristocrat under whom they had suffered. This theme was also foreshadowed by the actions of a jest outside of the Defarge wine shop, "...one tall joker... scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees - BLOOD." (pg. 61) Dickens' usage of highly descriptive, powerful words, and his masterful usage of symbolism, helped delineate this theme and set the tone for the upcoming events. "With a wild rattle and clatter, and an inhuman abandonment of consideration not easy to be understood in these days, the carriage dashed through streets and swept round corners, with women screaming before it, and men clutching each other and clutching children out of its way. At last, swooping at a street corner by a fountain, one of its wheels came to a sickening little jolt, and there was a loud cry from a number of voices, and the horses reared and plunged. ...the carriage probably would not have stopped; carriages were often known to drive on, and leave their wounded behind, and why not?" (pg. 140-141) This tragic death of a young boy in "Monseigneur In Town" complimented the outrageous attitudes and selfish tendencies of the noblemen, further exposing their evils. This grossly repugnant lack of remorse, and lack of regard for human life fueled the mounting anger in the peasants. The lords, such as the Marquis, did not consider the common people to be human beings. He was more concerned for his expensive horses than for the life of a common child. The attitude of the aristocrats was summarized in the Marquis' comments addressing the crowd after the incident. "You dogs! I would ride over any of you very willingly, and exterminate you from the earth." (pg. 142) It was this blatant disregard for human life and attitude of supremacy which enraged the peasant class and drove them to revolt. The only pacification came when the last of the so-called 'elite' were nullified. "I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy... I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." (pg. 404) These heartfelt words Carton spoke just before his beheading in "The Footsteps Die Out For Ever" emphasized the theme of love and brought out one of the main character's true feelings eloquently. Throughout the novel, although Carton's passion for Lucie never drove him to extremes, this ultimate sacrifice truly demonstrated the loyalty and love he felt towards her. By sacrificing himself, Carton completed one of the themes, 'Recalled to Life.' The Darnay family, although indebted to Carton forever, had now closed a chapter in their lives. Charles and Lucie went on to continue cherishing their family, unplagued by the past of Mr. Darnay. Carton's act provoked admiration for his complacent heroism. This true expression of love provided for a peaceful close of many ongoing themes in the book. The chosen passages represented the feelings of the peasants, aristocrats, and Sydney Carton, as well as illustrated key themes in the novel. The spillage of the wine symbolized the blood-thirsty, famine stricken motives for revolution held by the demeaned peasants. The remorseless, immoral destruction of the child in the village depicted the opinions held by the aristocrats of their inferiors. The love Carton experienced was expressed magnificently in the compassionate words he conveyed just minutes before his death. All of these passages contributed to the effectiveness of the novel by their use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and elaborate descriptions.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: AWESOME, the greatest book ever and an excellent source for histor
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