A Tale of Two Cities

Rating:
Summary: Good but not Great
Review: A Tale of Two Cities was the first difficult book I have ever read. At first I couldn't understand what was going on. Dickens' use of imagery clouded my mind. However, upon reading it further, the book started to flow better. I actually read ahead of the class because the story started to become interesting. My favorite thing that Dickens does is the way he puts something in the story that doesn't seem very relevant at the point, but turns out being very important such as Madame Defarge's "knitting." I also liked his way of foreshadowing like with the street lamps in the beginning.
This book even helps with history and the French Revolution. I totally recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in any of Dickens' works.


Rating:
Summary: Honor, hatred and redemption
Review: This is easily one of my favorite novels. It has overtones of Greek tragedy, but most of all it is a very Shakespearian piece of literature, as can be seen in the force of dialogue and the magnificent eloquence of the characters, as well as in dramatic tension and the vividness of situations. Of course, it is all due to Dickens' great ability to take the English language to the highest form, as well as to his skill in creating characters, in particular Sidney Carton, Mr. Jarvis Lorry, Miss Pross and the Defarges.

Dickens goes back and forth between tragedy and tenderness, violence and family quietness, between the intimate and social denounce, without failing or getting lost. He is, moreover, a genius of irony, of subtle sarcasm and sense of humor, even when the story is not comical at all.

Dr. Manette has spent 18 years of unjust imprisonment in the Bastille (you'll find out later why). His little daughter has been rescued by an English banker and taken to London, where she grows up. Lucie is a charming young woman, the happiness of everybody around her. One day, Mr. Lorry, the banker, breaks the news that his father has been released, and they go to Paris to bring him back, a broken man on the brink of total insanity. A couple of years later, father and daughter are called as witnesses in the trial of a young Frenchman, accused of spionage, whom they had met on the trip from Paris to London. The man is acquitted thanks to the timely intervention of a lawyer, Sidney Carton. Years pass by happily. The Frenchman, Darnay, marries Lucie, with whom also Carton is in love. Carton is the character to follow and his parts are possibly the best crafted in the book, as Dickens paints us a portrait of a gifted but weak man, a good lawyer sunk in the depths of alcoholism and lack of self-esteem. Then the French Revolution breaks out, in all its horror. Mr. Lorry and Darnay are forced to travel to Paris, the first on business and the second on a call of honor. Darnay will get trapped in the Terror on account of the noble past he had renounced, and he will be put into prison. To say more would risk spoiling parts for future readers, but rest assured tension, drama and adventure increase rapidly as Darnay's imprisonment drags on. Another set of characters worth remarking are the Defarges, husband and wife, the leaders of the Revolution in their St. Antoine quarter. She is one of the most perverted, malefic, horrible and well-crafted female bad-guys in literature. It will give you the creeps every time she appears, and for good reasons.

Although this is by no means a political novel (and so it's silly to complain that "there are no two sides to the story"), Dickens shows us both the contempt and despotism of the Ancien Regime, as well as the bruteness, baseness, horror and violence of the masses set loose to take revenge, to replace an old tiranny with a new, fiercer one.

Some people complain that in Dickens' novels too many coincidences occur and some characters are too good or too bad. The hell with everything, there are amazing coincidences every day in the world and some people are too bad and other too good. When it all comes down to giving us a great piece of excitement, identification with the humankind, and pure fun, so be it. This is a wonderful way to spend your time.

Rating:
Summary: a typical book: boring to interesting
Review: Actually this was far from typical but the first book and half-way throught the second book was VERY hard to follow because i was still getting used to their language and way of speaking so it was boring. However, near the end when all the pieces come together, it becomes very chaotic in a despairing way. It is a very moving and sad novel. It should definitely be read because the ending will make up for the boriness at the beginning of the novel.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Dickens Novel
Review: A Tale of Two Cities is one of the best books I have ever read. The way Dickens uses sets up his Characters and plot is fantastic. The stroy came together so perfectly in the Novels climax. I believe this is not only one of Dicken's best novels but best novel period. How could anyone give this book less than five stars?!