Book 7 - Charles Dickens "A Tale Of Two Cities"

[jazzy_dave]

Charles Dickens "A Tale Of Two Cities" (Wordsworth Classics)




Opening with the poetic statement;

"It was the best of times,
It was the worst of times,
It was the age of wisdom,
It was the age of foolishness,
It was the epoch of belief,
It was the epoch of incredulity,
It was the season of light,
It was the season of darkness,
It was the spring of hope,
It was the winter of despair,
We had everything before us,
We had nothing before us,
We were all going direct to heaven,
We were all going direct the other way,"

and ending with the unforgettable;

"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"

I read this novel over twenty years ago, and last year bought this cheap paperback from one of my mystery shop visits. I started reading this again in November of last year, but had some spare time today to finish the last fifty pages. It is one of his shortest novels anyway.

This is the story of the French revolution told from the perspective of 2 families caught up in it - the Manette's and the Evermonde's - as well as a story of these two families it is a story of two cities - the safe, staid and secure London and the unruly, passionate and violent Paris.


Dickens guides us to have sympathy with the revolutionaries while at the same time showing that switching one evil, repressive regime for another is no revolution at all.

At its heart this is a story about love and redemption and about how kindness and friendship are worth more than anything money can buy, it is a novel about conquering personal demons and putting the past behind you so that the future can be a better place.

It wouldn’t be Dickens without a huge cast of supporting characters, several twists in the plot, secret identities, unexpected connections, and long discourses wherein the characters expound on various issues, while the reader is anxious for the action to continue.


But don’t let that dissuade you. It’s a marvelous story and the last hundred pages just flew by for me. I love how certain characters redeem themselves and rise to the occasion, showing great reserves of moral strength and fortitude. I also love how Dickens surprises us with a villain or two we didn’t expect; or a supposed villain who did the right thing. It is no wonder his works have endured for over 150 years.

Comments

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

I tried to read this a few years ago, and just couldn't do it.
It's a very hard read, at least I thought so. Maybe I just couldn't get into the rhythm of it. :o
Hugs, Jon

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...been thinking of tackling this again, but prose from that time-period and me have always been on shaky terms.

*HUGS*

classic

[pigshitpoet.livejournal.com]

i wish to add.. It IS the best of times,
It IS the worst of times
It never seems to end..
Is IT the END of times?