Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
reflective
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Until I read this book, I could speak lightly of the French Revolution and “la guillotine,” but no more. Its horrors feel much too real now, and closer in the best way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Murder
Re-reading this classic! I had forgotten so much of the plot. Completely forgot the Dr. Manette storyline. Very hard to get into the Dickens "rhythm" of writing. There is a cadence of reading and you just have to plow through until your ear gets it. So many classic lines and visual images from this story. But ... I am Dickens'd out...
The book gets steadily better throughout and the French revolution setting shapes the character relations in interesting ways. I found the ending particularly satisfying. My main issue with this book was that sometimes important plot points were unclear until later on in the novel when I would realize that I had misinterpreted earlier chapters. Additionally, I didn't feel like I got to know some of the characters well enough; many of them lack definition. Overall if I had been less confused while reading, I would have enjoyed the experience a lot more.
My favorite book read in high school that I had to reread it years later!
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book! I can't believe I never read it in high school or college! I enjoyed Dickens characters he painted in a canvas filled with drama, intrique, romance, history, treachery, and salvation. I was able to read some of novel in a bed and breakfast home that was built in 1889, so that added some inspiration! I am totally into classics now but must turn my attention to several smaller novels so that I can catch up to meet my quest to read 50! But I will return to the classics soon!
3.5 stars. Wow. This was tough. I can see why high school students read the cliff notes version. I barely understood what was going on at first. It wasn't until I was about 80% done that I began to appreciate the writing. It wasn't until then that I loved the characters and felt they were real. What a cruel time they lived in.
My favorite character is Dr. Manette. Such a troubled past. I can't imagine faring better than he did on such a situation. Every relapse pulled at my heart, and at the end I thought I'd lose it.
And Carton! Such a seemingly unimportant man. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he was even mentioned in the book summary. But my thoughts on him changed completely. ❤️
When I'm feeling up to it, I think I'll reread it so I can appreciate the intricacies right from the beginning.
My favorite character is Dr. Manette. Such a troubled past. I can't imagine faring better than he did on such a situation. Every relapse pulled at my heart, and at the end I thought I'd lose it.
And Carton! Such a seemingly unimportant man. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he was even mentioned in the book summary. But my thoughts on him changed completely. ❤️
When I'm feeling up to it, I think I'll reread it so I can appreciate the intricacies right from the beginning.
I'm proud to say as a member of my study abroad that I read every page of this novel and actually managed to enjoy it. We were assigned to read this book in English. I'll always remember the day we roadtripped to Portsmouth, Jane Austen's home, and Winchester cathedral because half of the ride I was trying to finish the book, and the other half we were watching the movie version. I wrote an extensive review for my class so I'll paraphrase and say that there were characters that I rooted for, characters I disliked, and rejoicing when I finished the novel. My very first Dickens, and I'm happy to have read it while in England.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
With classics I ask myself if I feel like a better person for having read the book. Here I can definitely answer yes to that question. It’s not the greatest novel I’ve ever read, but I will say by the final 50 or so pages plot threads were (finally) wrapped up in ways I didn’t expect and the ending was incredibly powerful. Dickens views on the French Revolution and mob rule are a marked departure from how we understand the Revolution today. Not that The Terror didn’t happen of course, but I honestly found Madame Defarge to be a sympathetic villain which I’m sure Dickens didn’t intend. But come on, how BA is knitting while watching people being guillotined?