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phantomwise's review against another edition
2.0
It's slow in places and I was unsure what rating to give it. I still don't think it deserves four stars, not the whole book, but I think it's entirely possible the last two chapters are among the most giving, horrifying things I've read. I liked them a lot.
wolfgold's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
stelhan's review against another edition
3.0
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
3.5. The parts of the novel set in Paris were much more compelling than those set in London. The final page was brilliant.
3.5. The parts of the novel set in Paris were much more compelling than those set in London. The final page was brilliant.
sadiemac47's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
really incredible, truly an epic, and understandably an all-time classic. this was my first time reading dickens and i can now understand and appreciate why he is so renowned. undoubtedly difficult at points, and characters appear to be quite flat. however, carton’s sacrifice makes up for this lack. outstanding prose and remarkable insights on the pain of war. definitely heavily biased, though, and a strong pro-english sentiment is injected into the story which might make it difficult for readers of the modern era.
biolexicon's review against another edition
3.0
Epic in scope, but lacked a personal connection to draw me in. The last famous last words of Carton rang hollow for me. I wish I could believe in that sort of sentiment.
knuckledown's review against another edition
3.0
I should start by saying that I have a blind spot when it comes to Dickens. This book was a monster to read. It took me weeks because I kept procrastinating. I don't mean this as a complete insult to Dickens. I find his style fairly readable. It's just that it's so long. And what's the aversion to paragraphs?
I think one of the main problems I had is that parts of the book have not aged well. There are several chapters in which I could tell Dickens was satirizing the excesses of the ruling class, but I didn't quite get the joke. The humor was no longer relevant.
However, a great deal of the book focuses on human nature. That part still felt spot-on. Dickens does make the reader understand how the French peasants could be driven to such a bloody revelution.
The personal story within the sweeping history lesson is enough to keep plugging away at the book. Of course, it's always interesting to see the female character that a man of that era would consider worth dying for. Not exactly a modern heroine.
I think one of the main problems I had is that parts of the book have not aged well. There are several chapters in which I could tell Dickens was satirizing the excesses of the ruling class, but I didn't quite get the joke. The humor was no longer relevant.
However, a great deal of the book focuses on human nature. That part still felt spot-on. Dickens does make the reader understand how the French peasants could be driven to such a bloody revelution.
The personal story within the sweeping history lesson is enough to keep plugging away at the book. Of course, it's always interesting to see the female character that a man of that era would consider worth dying for. Not exactly a modern heroine.
zeev's review against another edition
3.5
verrrry hard to read, i was lucky to have a genius english teacher who was rly into it
jazlem's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A slow paced book, Dickens likes to use a lot of words! But the second half of the book picked up and got more interesting and overall I enjoyed the plot and was rooting for the characters. It also taught me more about the French Revolution, which is a bit of a gap in my historical knowledge. Not my favourite Dickens but still an enjoyable, albeit slow, read.
aliteralfield's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is the first Dickens that I’ve read and I’m not sure if I’ll want to read any more.
I’ll give him credit for the character building and descriptions. However I found the plot didn’t get interesting until the 3 part of novel. I did like the contrast between crumbling Paris and London but that’s what you’d expect with a title of tale of two cities. It did feel slow until the final third and I think it gets such a good reputation due to its ending so that’s what people remember, not the length boring but that is the majority of the book
I’ll give him credit for the character building and descriptions. However I found the plot didn’t get interesting until the 3 part of novel. I did like the contrast between crumbling Paris and London but that’s what you’d expect with a title of tale of two cities. It did feel slow until the final third and I think it gets such a good reputation due to its ending so that’s what people remember, not the length boring but that is the majority of the book
nbartkiw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75