Hi, world!
Today my review is about A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I bought this book because 1) I wanted to read a classic and why not Charles Dickens? 2) Because in both Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare the main characters talk about this book and 3) I never finished reading Christmas Carol and put Dickens out of the way a little, I thought it was boring how it was written. A lot of description and a little bit slow in getting from one action to another. Nevertheless the story is good , and when I was a child I saw the TV adaptations and I liked them.
Going back to this book, I saw it quite differently. It’s a story about thrilling historical drama and the preparation to an important moment with heartbreaking personal tragedy.
“Described by Dickens as ‘the best story I have written’, A Tale of Two Cities interweaves thrilling historical drama with heartbreaking personal tragedy. It vividly depicts a revolutionary Paris running red with blood, and a London where the poor starve. In the midst of the chaos two men – an exiled French aristocrat and a dissolute English lawyer – are both redeemed and condemned by their love for the same woman, as the shadow of La Guillotine draws closer…” Amzon.co.uk description of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
I enjoyed it, the story is good and well-built, always leading you to that one big Moment. The characters are realistic, they have flaws and qualities that create a persona that does actions by love to a person or according to their believes. Overall it’s a good story to read.
Now for what I didn’t like. There was a huge amount of preparation to the Moment. I do understand that it was built like that so the story could have a steady base and the characters had time to grow and for us to know them, but for me it lacked action. I bought the pocket-book edition by Penguin English Library that has 442 pages and for me the story just started to get more pace, when i got to a little after the middle of the book, so 250 probably. Before that it was just lose moments that didn’t seemed to matter a lot, but in the end they did and that’s why I actually liked the book. But I do advice you to have persistence. At first I put down the book some times, because the pages/story didn’t grabbed me, but I still had the thought that this is Charles Dickens and this was a bestseller and for that the story had to be good. And it was.
I compare, a very poorly comparison, indeed, with Agatha Christie novels. You have the preparation, where you get to know the characters and make your own judgements. Then you have a middle way, where things get pace, action starts to happen, and then you have the end, where all knots are given so you end up with a solid story. Of course, Dame Agatha used evil as the main subject, while Charles Dickens uses the true nature of human kind and his own believes.
*Now a little bit of spoiler, If you haven’t read it just skip to the end.*
I think that the most moving moment for me, was when Sidney Carton sacrificed himself in the end. For me there is nothing more beautiful and at the same time heartbreaking than that. I admit that I though that he had the intent of killing Darnay or send someone to kill him, but I was surprised and wrong. In society, this days it’s very rare to see something like that and in that time also happen, because you are familiar with envy and selfishness. Where this days can we find a man giving his life for another man that is nothing less than the husband of the love of his life? But at the same time that’s why he did it, because Darnay was the love of Lucie’s life and because Lucie was the love of Carton’s life and also because Carton didn’t have hope. He was a drunk man, that knew that Lucie would never love him like that. All hope and faith for a better life was gone. So I think he though that why not die? At least he would die as a brave and good man, something that he never was in life.
Even Jerry Cruncher that was a man of not many virtues or none at all, became loyal to Mr. Lorry in the end. I love the part where he and Miss Pross, which love for Lucie his bigger than anything, escape from Paris and how that ends that journey. They are like the loyal soldiers of a king that stay behind to assure that everything is fine.
And let’s not forget Mrs. Defarge that dies in the end, leaving The Vengeance alone, which I think is more painful for her than if she was dead. Love wins over hate and evil.
*End of Spoilers*
I advice you to read, but I warn you that is not an easy book and it’s complex and simple at the same time.
Lots of love and keep on reading,
Paradise of Words
paradiseofwordsanddreams 