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Summary: A Book Review of A Tale of Two Cities
Review: Carlton Millsap "Book Review of A Tale of Two Cities" Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is a unique piece of literature due to the widely varied opinions of its readers. Some readers have critically picked the book apart while others have gone as far as categorizing it as a great piece of literature. While I have mixed emotions towards A Tale of Two Cities, most of my thoughts fall on the critical side. Other than a few exceptions, Dickens' has failed in depicting the characters in A Tale of Two Cities. One example of Dickens' failure is Dr. Alexander Manette. Throughout this novel, Dr. Manette is a very confusing character because he drifts in and out of the shoemaker state. This shoemaker state is Dr. Manette's transformation back into the shoemaker that he was in jail. He made shoes for his daughter whom he had to leave after his imprisonment. Because of Dr. Manette's drifting in and out of the shoemaker state, the reader never gets a feel for who he really is. Another example that contributes to this confusion of Dr. Manette is the lack of background given for him as he is introduced. The best developed character in A Tale of Two Cities is Sydney Carton. Throughout the beginning of this novel, the reader sees Sydney Carton as an alcoholic who is lost and is suffering. His suffering mainly is caused by Charles Darnay because of the similarity between the two. Although Carton and Darnay may look alike, their lives have taken very different directions. Carton sees in Darnay what he could have been, and Carton feels very hopeless. Carton's life drastically changes after he meets Lucie Manette. Even though he is hurt by her decision to marry Darnay, he still loves her and is willing to do anything for her happiness. When Darnay is sentenced to the guillotine, Carton sees his opportunity to save Darnay because of their resemblance. Carton switches places with Darnay, and will be executed. As the guillotine lurks near, he doesn't have fear but happiness because he has found meaning in his life and feels proud to make the ultimate sacrifice for Lucie. The overall plot of A Tale of Two Cities is very dull and unentertaining. The beginning of the novel is very slow and confusing. Dickens begins the opening scene with Jarvis Lorry and Jerry Cruncher, as if it was the middle of the book. It is also very dark and vague and is filled with confusing dialogue. One of the most brilliantly written parts of the novel is Chapter 5, Book I. This is the first chapter that set in France in the St. Antoine District. In the chapter, barrels of wine have been spilled in the street, and the workers and their families have stopped to have fun and drink it. After the wine is finished, the people are reminded of the harsh reality of their lives and go back to work. As these people are going back to work, Dickens describes the poverty, oppression, and physical stress put upon this class of people. One of Dickens better jobs of foreshadowing is shown in this scene as a poor man named Gaspard writes, with the wine, BLOOD on the wall. This foreshadows the actual blood of the aristocracy that will eventually take the place of the wine on the street and on the people's hands and mouths. Dickens tells the reader this when he says, "The time was to come, when that wine too would be spilled on the street-stones, and when the stain of it would be red upon many there" (Dickens, 38). One aspect which significantly helped this novel was Dickens' view towards the mob and aristocracy. By taking a neutral stance, Dickens rules out the possibility of a biased novel. In this way Dickens wasn't afraid to compliment or demean either side. Although there are parts of A Tale of Two Cities which are exciting and well written, it is overall not a good read. The novel's intense vocabulary and slow plot leaves it's reader with a feeling of relief once he or she has finished it. This novel gives vague history for this time period and is not historically accurate. While some have thouroughly enjoyed A Tale of Two Cities, I would never recommend it to anyone or read it again myself.
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Summary: Controversy in A Tale of Two Cities
Review: "Controversy" is an excellent word to describe feelings about Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Some may think it is an exceptional, timeless classic; for others it is a dreaded, tedious bore to read. Either way looked at, both sides have the essential arguments.
One area of contention is the novel's plot. Its unstable plot provides for an interesting read, forcing you to really think while reading the book. In another sense, capricious plot and scenes makes the story quite confusing. It randomly jumps from one character, scene, or even location to another, leaving uncertainty about the transition. This is shown when Carton leaves to go to Paris to help a fellow companion, however the story lagers behind in England with Lucie and Dr. Mannette; then skips completely to the Defarges and their contumacious lives of the Revolution. The book also begins with one story of Dr. Mannette's recovery, and ends with another of Sidney Cartons death. Although having some connections to each other, it is yet a different story.
Another argument is Dickens's choice of point of view. He choose third person. This is a brilliant choice for the large amount of characters, because third person allows you to see everyone's emotions and feelings. You are able to understand all the characters views on conflicts, and all their individual actions. However, if Dickens had used an actual character's identity in the first person the novel may have been less perplexing. First person would keep the plot from jumping around so much and changing scenes so frequently. As the book was written the scenes moved from London to Paris repetitively. If the author had written it in first person, then the book would have had more defined scene locations, making a smoother transition.
The topic of characters is brought up as controversial. Dickens has many distinctive, fascinating characters. Some include, the melodramatic Lucie Mannette, who finds her father after so many years of his isolation in shoe making, and then living a life with her wonderful husband and new child. Other characters include the indestructible Miss Pross, the heroic Sidney Carton, and the unstable minded Dr. Mannette. Dickens does have a weakness of forgetting his characters. Main characters in the fist part of the book with the Dover mail are forgotten towards the end with Sidney Cartons self-immolation. Mr. Jarvis Lowry and Jerry Cruncher, are rather important in the beginning of the novel, but as time goes on are slowly left out of the plot.
Dickens complicated writing is portrayed throughout the novel. This is excellent because it shows his spurious vocabulary and writing skills. His ability to start with two completely different stories of, such as Dr. Mannette and the Revolution in France, and bring them together in the end demonstrates his complex writing. Dickens is also able to make you truly think throughout a novel about the conflicts, and maintain a neutral side in all arguments, such as the rich versus poor in the French Revolution. In spite of this, his styles of writing create confusion for the average reader who can not comprehend these complicated writing techniques. Many people are dumbfounded at the vocabulary used and the old English dialect. They find themselves missing out on the original story because the accent distracts them and exacerbates an already confusing novel. Words such as the buzzing of the blue flies, felicitously, obsequiousness, mused, convey, equipages, methodically, and immemorial are prime examples.
Dickens's artistic merit is also to question in this novel. There is a sense of confusion throughout the novel, although, at the end most conflicts are resolved and figured out. Some people read it thinking it's a beautiful love story in the French Revolution, others a complex story of dreary lives, and deaths. This story was a debacle in the sense of an enjoyable, good feeling book for all readers, though those who are able to read and understand it remember it forever, giving it great permanence. Despite its unstable plot, lingering characters, complicated dialect and lackadaisical seriousness; it has been paraded as a superb piece of literature in the world of "English scholars". Away from Dickens inevitable flaws and weaknesses, A Tale of Two Cities remains an unforgettable story of love, injustice, conflict, and revolution.
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Summary: A Tale of Two Cities: A Classic or Not?
Review: A Tale of Two Cities is a remarkable novel that gives a great insight into the French Revolution. Dickens's style of writing is rare, unlike most authors who do away with violent scenes in order to not upset their audience. Dickens stays true to his audience by describing every dreadful, horrific, and frightening fact about the French Revolution just as it had happened.
In his works Charles Dickens tends to "Beat around the bushes." Instead of getting to the plot of the novel, he moves away from the plot, and adds chapters such as "The Honest Tradesman," a chapter that is in no way related to the plot of the novel. The Honest Tradesman is an entire 10-page biography on Jerry Cruncher, which is simply unnecessary, because Cruncher is neither a main character in the novel nor does he play a major role in the novel. The "Fellow of Delicacy" is another chapter that is used as an alibi for Dickens to take up space. The chapter describes the escapades of Mr.Stryver, a lawyer who is one of the many suitors of Lucie Manette and is trying to ask for her hand in marriage. Chapters such as these neither add to the plot of the novel nor help us further understand the novel. Visual imagery is also another problem in the novel. Dickens's visual imagery seems to take up entire chapters at times, which needless to say, causes disinterest in the readers. For example in Chapter Seven Book II, Monseigneur in Town, Dickens used five out of eight pages to describe Monseigneur. These descriptions mainly consist of irrelevant things, such as the furnishings in Monseigneur's home and his visiting the Comedy and Grand Opera. It will be reasonable to conclude that Dickens seemed pressured to have a full length novel at all cost, compelling him to elaborate on the unnecessary.
The title of the novel is a Tale of Two Cities, which means the novel will revolve around these two cities. However, the transition between the two cities is unclear at times. So the reader finds themselves struggling to understand the intricate language of the novel and at the same time wandering whether the chapter they are currently reading is set in France or London. For instance in Book II Chapter Twenty - four, "Drawn to the Loadstone Rock", the novel begins with "In such risings of fire and risings of sea - the firm earth shaken by the rushes of an angry ocean which had no ebb, but was always on the flow, higher and higher, to the terror and wonder of the beholders on the store - three years of tempest were consumed. Three more birthdays of little Lucie had been woven by the golden thread into the peaceful tissue of the life of has her home. Many a night and many a day had its inmates listened to the echoes in the corner, with hearts that failed them when they heard the thronging feet. For, the footsteps had become to their minds as the footsteps of a people, tumultuous under a red flag and with their country declared in danger, changed into wild beasts, by terrible enchantment long persisted in" (232). In this part of the novel, one can assume that with the name of "little Lucie" being mentioned in a sentence, the setting is in London, but with the phrase "their country declared in danger, changed into wild beasts, by terrible enchantment long persisted in," one can also infer that the author is talking about France. While Dickens tries to compare and contrast London and France, and combine London and France. Dickens fails to differentiate between the settings of these two cities.
If readers don't remember half of the things that happen in the novel due to the tendency of the author to dwell on the unnecessary, they will remember the characters. Dickens develops memorable characters, characters who will live on through history as if they were actual beings. Sydney Carton is the epitome of a "memorable character." Just like an angel that was sent from God, he delivers Darnay from the evil of the Revolution. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Sydney Carton is that he laid down his own life for the happiness of Lucie -- the ultimate act of love.
While A Tale of Two Cities doesn't have that many aspects about it that set it apart from most classic British novels, it should be considered great literature because of the incredible moral lessons it teaches. Sydney's final words resonate even today: "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" (367). These words will forever live on until the end of time, because of their combination of immense bravery, extreme sorrow, and undeniable joy that Sydney and the readers know will be attained by his sacrifice.
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Summary: An Incomplete Tale of Two Cities
Review: Because it was told piece by piece in a magazine, A Tale of Two Cities develops extremely slowly. But in the case of some characters, the story does not develop at all. Two of the main characters are Lucie Mannette and Charles Darnay, two fairy tale stereotypes. Lucie is the petite, flaxen, "damsel in distress," who faints at every given chance. Dickens does not clearly elaborate on Darnay, but when we do see him, he is submissive, monotonous, and does not have an impact on the plot. On the other hand, Madame Defarge, the vindictive villain, and Sydney Carton, the hero, were well drawn and were easier to understand. Although Carton is one of the decent characters, the changes he makes are unrealistic. Sydney evolves from being a lethargic drunkard and jackal to sacrificing his life for another in the end. This transition is sudden, surprising everyone with his fatal decision.
The rest of the plot follows this pattern of dull confusion followed by revelation. With books one and two being uneventful, Dickens startles us with a dazzling end. Cartons last words," 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"(352), represent the height of the novel, but then it abruptly ends. The better part of the book is wasted with too much unnecessary detail, such as when describing Mr. Lorry: "Very orderly and methodical he looked, with a hand on each knee, and a loud watch ticking a sonorous sermon under his flapped waistcoat, as though it pitted its gravity and longevity against the levity and evanescence of the brisk fire (14)." These details prove no importance in the plot, and make readers less interested. The time spent on describing random features would be better spent on developing Carton.
Since this story is of the two-sided revolution, the narrator is best as author. If the narrator had been anyone else, such as Darnay or Dr. Mannette, the story would have been biased, corrupting the strong point of having unprejudiced narration. Dickens does show slight sympathy for the poor, such as the scene with the Marquis running over a peasant's child and throwing out coins to pay for his life, but overall, Dickens does an excellent job of telling the story of Paris and London.
The language makes this love story seem more complicated than it actually is. Using words such as "obsequiousness (105)" and "tumultuous (217)" clutter the romantic yet heroic plot. The language is a surprise, considering the book started out in a newspaper which people of all reading levels could buy.
Written in 1859, A Tale of Two Cities has been a well-loved novel for over a century. The timelessness of the novel proves that no matter how lingering and dreary it can be, the outstanding love story overrides the negative components, such as the characters. Carton's gallantry exemplifies pure and unselfish love, and his resurrection makes a great story line with an everlasting value of importance. Even though every period is different from the next, Dickens makes an original love story with an unexpected twist which people of any age and social ranking can relate to.
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Summary: My View of A Tale of Two Cities
Review: When reading Charles Dickens's works, the reader is put into a whole new world. Though Dickens does relate events back to the actual late 1700's, he makes you feel as though you are actually witnessing these actions. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens brings out the best and the worst in his characters. A good example of this is Sydney Carton. Carton is a lawyer, physically resembling Charles Darnay. This character lives in a fog of apathy and alcohol. Throughout the book Carton expresses his love for Lucie Mannette, although he knows he has too many burdens for her. He ends the book a completely changed person, sacrificing his life for Lucie's husband, Darnay. While bringing out the problems and selfishness of Doctor Mannette, Lucie's father, Dickens also shows how this character has grown into a man of distinction. Mannette was imprisoned for 18 years, until he was "recalled" to life. He witnessed several downfalls throughout the novel, mainly losing his daughter to a young man. Lucie marries Charles Darnay, and during their honeymoon, Mannette goes into a state of depression and the past life of imprisonment resurfaces. Overall, the character developments were handled well in Tale of Two Cities.
The most difficult part of reading Tale of Two Cities is the first 60 pages. Once the reader passes those, the rest is enjoyable. Dickens should have spiked some interest into those pages to better draw in readers. Dickens also has a tendency to drag out problems, only because the book was first issued in installments in a newspaper. He had to keep the people reading. The way that Dickens intertwined historical records into the everyday problems helps the readers have a better understanding of the French Revolution. When writing the novel, Dickens included so many details and descriptions. I feel he directed this novel towards history buffs more so than readers.
Dickens chose to write Tale of Two Cities in third person. Most people prefer reading works written in third person so they can experience what happens to the main character or know what all characters are thinking. On the other hand, some readers enjoy reading what one character thinks and what runs through their minds. When reading the novel, the reader might not have known how Lucie felt about Charles Darnay or Sydney Carton. Dickens writing the novel in third person, gives the reader a better overview.
The major downfalls of this book are the language and style of the book. A Tale of Two Cities is incredibly cluttered and overly-packed with information, overwhelming the reader. This puzzled me, being that the tale is drawn out, and also packed with information. Dickens should have thought more about the amount of details he included. A great deal of is learned about the time period and how the men and women in Paris and London lived their lives.
This novel has no humor and is overloaded with details. It's geared toward adults and historians. When finishing this book a sense of relief is felt. A Tale of Two Cities is a classic for teachers and historians; it is literature and history in one. Dickens's themes of poverty, violence, and revolution are there. The many details make getting to these ideas difficult.
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Summary: A Review of Tale of Two Cities
Review: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." (3). A Tale of Two Cites was one of Charles Dickens's greatest love stories, yet it had some flaws. Dickens's book has been around for 150 years, a fact which shows that some people care for Dickens, yet there are others who do not. Dickens described each scene so that one almost got a feeling of being in Paris during the French Revolution. Dickens used a style of writing that made each character believable. Sydney Carton, an alcoholic, non employed, lower class citizen of Paris, France, was in one of the worst possible spots during the French Revolution. There is a major idea of rebirth in A Tale of Two Cities: some of the characters grow and mature in some way. Sydney is one of the many characters who is recalled to life. He starts out as a drunk and ends up a hero. Sydney even loses his life to save Darnay and to keep his promise to Lucie who was his good friend. Lucie and Darnay got married during the novel. Sydney once confessed his love to Lucie by saying that he would do anything for her happiness. "For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything," (189). Darnay, one of the richest men in Paris, left his life of luxury to fulfill his life, but he did not realize what would happen after he left. Darnay got in trouble for leaving because he was assumed to be a spy, and was put in jail. He was recalled to life when Sydney switched places with him right before his death. Sydney and Darnay were enemies until this point in the novel. Sydney knew that the only way for Lucie to be happy was for her to be with Darnay. This was a definite act of heroism in this novel. "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," (470). All the characters worked together to make the plot suspenseful and interesting to the reader. The characters in A Tale of Two Cities were very well-drawn. As the reader reads the book, he or she can visualize each character, and get a feeling for how meaningful a person he or she is. For instance, when Dickens talked about Madame Defarge there was always a feeling of darkness. She even nits everyone's name into a cloth that she thinks should die. The plot in this novel started off slowly, but gained speed toward the middle. Dickens had good intentions for making the beginning slow, yet the speed might lose some readers in the first 100 pages. If one keeps interested in the novel after the beginning, then it is a superior book filled with suspense, love, and heroism. A Tale of Two Cities suits an audience of adults and teens, and it can be related to the present because there are wars and people fighting to change their government every day. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens was telling the story. He proved effective because he got the message across. Dickens used too much detail, and some parts of the novel had so many details that it was difficult to understand. For instance, if Dickens wanted to say something that need 2 words to describe it then he would use five. Dickens would have been wise to give a character in the novel the voice. If Dickens had given Sydney Carton the voice of the novel, then the audience would have gotten more detail about each character and more of what Sydney thought about the Revolution. Charles Dickens is an superior writer, though his writing is too thorough. He does have a very unique way of handling the narrative. He starts the novel off slow as a form of literary suspense, but that is not effective. The ending of the novel is a surprising twist that helps add to the effect of the plot. When one reads A Tale of Two Cites one has to stop and think about what the writer is trying to say, thus it is very thought-provking. Through his novel Dickens definitely enlightens his reader about the French Revolution, and one has the sense of the time period in the 1700s. This book is a classic, and there will be people 100 years from now reading it. Some people like the way Dickens writes, and those people will keep reading it. A Tale of Two Cities was an exciting yet complicated book.
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Summary: A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
Review: A Tale of Two Cites is a novel of two different insights- the Aristocrats and the Revolutionists, or perhaps, a book caught between the public and private views of the effects of the French Revolution. The story is simply a piece of literature, balanced in its strengths and weaknesses, telling the story of the Manettes, a family who struggles to stay together.
The Manette family is just a handful of characters who interact in the story. Some are inclined to be more realistic than others. Lucie Manette, for example, is the daughter of Doctor Manette. She tends to be absolutely perfect in every aspect, except for her extraordinary fainting spells. Sydney Carton, the Christ figure of the novel, is better drawn. His life in the beginning is of little importance and when he is shown, he is bleak and unmotivating. Towards the end, Carton sacrifices himself for Lucie and her ideal world. He proves to all that they should be more altruistic like him.
Dickens, like his character sketches, has the tendency to have problems in his plot line throughout the tale. About a hundred pages into the novel, A Tale of Two Cities becomes dry and unexciting and the reader feels compelled to finish quickly. The riots and action sequences are a few effects that keep the reader interested. Once the discovery of Darnay's imprisonment is made, the novel immediately becomes tolerable. Dickens needs to have exploits and clarity replacing the long, drowsy passsages told in the time frame between Dr. Manette's escape from his prison and Darnay's arrest. To most readers, A Tale of Two Cites is a book of despondency, but somehow, through the years, it remains a piece of "Great Literature."
A Tale of Two Cities is better told from a third person narrator's point of view rather than that of one of the novel's characters. If told by a character, the balance between the Aristocrats and the Revoluionists would disappear. Perhaps, if a character told the tale, it would move quicker, but the narrator choice is the correct one. If one of the characters told the story, it would have changed dramatically. For instance, if Lucie had told the story, the reader would get a sense of serious compassion and might wish to alter his life to be more like Lucie's utopia. If Madame Defarge had told the tale, the reader would feel utter forgiveness for all of Defarge's anguish against Lucie's family. The narrative choice is clearly the best.
The story in its entirety is quite confusing. Judging by the intensity of the wording used in the novel, it is clear that the piece is intended to be read by an adult with a dense vocabulary. For instance, the passage on page forty-three states," The uncontrollable and hopeless mass of decomposition so engendered would have polluted the air, even if poverty and deprivation had not loaded it with their intangible impurities; the two bad sources combined made it almost insupportable." Even though the wording is strong, the style definitely fits the particular era. The collaboration of the narrative, the development of the story and character is very unique. When the collaboration is broken down separately, the reader senses less creativity and barely any imagination.
Though this book is not one to be crammed page-to-page with action and wonder, it does keep the reader thinking. The wording and style of the piece are understood from the beginning to be produced by a master storyteller. Only a "great" could accomplish such an opening to a story," It was the best of times; it was the worst of times..." (13). The passage is so intense and foreshadowing that an ordinary writer could not produce such a powerful statement. The book as a whole was quite convincing as the Manette family struggle for completeness during such an ordeal. Though the tale was at times incomprehensible, it will stll be read years and years from now. It qualifies as one of the "greats," the style of writing its qualifying factor. All should read such a book to satisfy a taste of literature in Dickens time.
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Summary: Dickens Proves His Tale
Review: Tragedy seems to be the underlying theme in Charles Dickens's classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities. From the beginning, misfortune plagues the Mannette household, as well as the impoverished public. Even if there is happiness among the people, it is short-lived; tragedy resurfaces and causes more pain. It seems as if nothing good will ever come from the endless story. However, the true meaning of Dickens's novel, resurrection,appears toward the end of the book when the fallen discover hope for the future.
The characters created by Dickens compel the reader to become infatuated in the melodramatic lives of each family. The characters are masterfully drawn out, each one representing different types of resurrection during the Revolution, and each one being the antithesis of another character in the book. For example, Sydney Carton is the general symbol of resurrection. He is, at the beginning, a wasted soul who finds comfort in wine. But after falling in love with Lucie, Carton strives to become a better man for Lucie's sake; Carton realizes "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." (470) From this unselfishness, a hero is reborn through the ashes and his lessons are passed on. Lucie and Madame Defarge portray the two opposing characters. Lucie is an elegant and lovely young lady; she has "a short, slight pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, a pair of blue eyes, and a forehead with a cingular capacity," (24). She has countless friends who are completely
devoted to her; she desires many children and a beautiful family; she represents the ideal woman, wife, and mother. However, Madame Defarge is a crude, unattractive woman who chases evil; she despises children, has horrible enemies, as well as friends that do not stay loyal; she is the vengeful mother of the Revolution, sucking out all life and greedily
desiring death for the wealthy. The pair does find common ground in one respect by both representing their own social class and being the one to whom their peers look up to. Dickens, nonetheless, focuses too much on how each character is being represented. He spends excessive energy making sure each character over-emphasizes his or her message in the story. In Lucie's instance, Dickens portrays her to be the perfect woman,
more fake and dreamy than realistic. Because of Dickens's analysis, though, he is able to include symbolism into the story of the Revolution.
Dickens wonderfully illustrates life during the Revolution; he uses references to common subjects found throughout the time period, such as the guillotine. "It was the popular theme for jests; it was the best cure
for headache, it infallibly prevented the hair from turning grey....It was the sign of the regeneration of the human race. It superseded the Cross,"(341-342). Though the focus on A Tale of Two Cities is the French Revolution, the story also suggests obstacles and possibilities that could easily be found in the Twenty-first century. Hardships of love(seen in the triangle of Lucie, Carton, and Darnay), hope for finding lost loved ones( as
experienced by Miss Pross), and the reality of being ruled by a cruel aristocracy( witnessed by the miserable peasants) are among the many plot lines seen throughout the novel, which relate to our own times.
The novel evokes excitement through its bewildering stories. For instance, just as the reader thinks all hope for Darnay's life has ceased, he is found acquitted, simply because Darnay and a spectator, Carton, are "sufficiently like each other...thus brought into comparison," (90). Again, Dickens causes fascination, this time by private affairs, as well as ruthless fighting scenes. Each person is connected through two great tragedies, love and war. The way in which Dickens entangles all the characters into one great web of sorrow is intriguing to try to comprehend. Finally, the peasants' thirst for vengeance upon the aristocracy, is one story in and of
itself; the determination of such blood-thirsty people is inconceivable, and the only way to discover what will be the outcome is to keep reading. But even respected authors have their flaws. Dickens dulls his own story by using perpetual detail, which can last for pages and does nothing for the
reader but cause confusion. The story is also weakened by Dickens's tone; the rambling of useless sentences goes on for quite a while, until Dickens reaches a point where he has everyone's private affairs collide at once.
But such a surprise only enthralls the reader more.
Many could argue that Dickens's writing is that of a genius; but his story is simply an accuracy of the war which hides nothing, and instead generates the questions of sacrifice and love. Anyone who wants to learn more about the meaning of life will be fascinated by Dickens's well-thought out story. A Tale of Two Cities has fortunately lingered on for generations because of its gruesome reality. Dickens showed no fear by
telling the world the truth about such a disastrous and dark era. It has become a book of immortality, one that will withstand the test of time, affecting the lives of all who open its pages.
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Summary: Sacrifices Made in Dickens' Tale
Review: We as humans make daily sacrifices. We learn to cope with wants that have not been fulfilled. The sacrifices described in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities are the ultimate sacrifices; dying in the place of another soul. Though the book didn't appeal to me, I tip my hat to Dickens' for his superb detail to the theme of sacrifice.
Sidney Carton's decision to switch places with Charles Darnay, was a superfluous one. A new respect was gained in the event of Carton coming out of his misery and giving his life meaning. Dickens' pulls out his character and brings him to life. Dickens' "recalls him to life" from a miserable nobody to a Christ-like somebody.
With the exception of the first fifty, tedious pages, the novel is one that is presented very eloquently. A Tale of Two Cities is a novel which has a tendency to drag on until it reaches the very enlightening point. The excitement of the French Revolution draws the reader to keep reading. The personal stories of Lucie Manette, Dr. Manette, and other characters keep the reader anticipating more adventures.
An audience of history buffs and adventure lovers would appeal to this book. History excerpts in Dickens' story, bled together with personal stories, resemble a history lesson. Chapter 13, entitled "Fifty-two", discusses the history, necessity, and horrific details of the guillotine. What ties the story together is Sidney Carton's self-sacrifice to save Darnay concluding the novel with the famous line, "It is a far, far better thing I do, than I have ever done. It is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known" (470).
Though the novel could have been written in first person narrative, the third person point of view gives the story interest and intrigue. Critics say the story would have more life if told through first person. Others says it is a fine piece of work, do not tamper with it. However, the third person narrative lets the reader see the story in a form of viewing it through their own eyes; as opposed to somebody else's.
Where some say the author style is exquisite, others object to the style being a painful experience to read. In areas Dickens lost in a smooth read, he makes up for in Victorian style language and a successful storyline. The reader may have the urge to place down the novel and never pick it up again. One the other hand, the most enjoyable moments of the book keep the reader wanting more.
Dickens has a great number of weaknesses, as well as a great number of strengths. The way Dickens presents this story lingers on the palette. The reader will begin to ask himself, "Am I willing to lay down my life for someone else? Am I willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?"
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Summary: nope
Review: i didn't like this book and i don't really know why. i guess it's just the mood i was in, it's too somber for my tastes.
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