Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Obviously this classic is well executed and shows a dramatic and funny critique of the time surrounding the French Revolution. I'm taking off a star because I like Great Expectations better, and because it wasn't really my thing. Is that a weak reason to take off a star? YES! Do I care? NO!
Historia de dos ciudades de Charles Dickens, narrada entre Inglaterra y Francia, recrea la historia del doctor Manette y su hija Lucie, como así también la de Charles Darnay, aristócrata francés expatriado, todo condicionado por un contexto convulsivo, de cambio y de ajuste de cuentas en pleno siglo XVIII. Un libro que goza de un ritmo rápido y trepidante, que va y viene entre dos ciudades, cada una disímil de su par, pero que conforman el decorado perfecto para representar la ambigüedad del siglo de las luces: Razón, locura, revolución, progreso, vida y muerte en una novela histórica que entrelaza pequeñas historias dentro de la gran historia de la revolución francesa, evento que trastocó a gran parte del mundo moderno, hasta el día de hoy.
Dickens elabora una historia que goza de elementos concernientes a la trama sumamente atractivos que me atraparon como lector. Dobles identidades, espías, conspiraciones, un romance en peligro, pasados que iluminan y condenan, entre otros. Lo anterior, se encuentra determinado por los eventos relativos a la revolución francesa, lo que otorga un acento oscuro y violento a toda la historia, proponiendo una lectura que me dejó pensativo acerca de los alcances de los actos revolucionarios, sus causas y consecuencias, en relación al discurso humanista que se construyó en la antesala de los eventos del XVIII, y a las ideas y sistemas que surgieron posterior a su emergencia. Interesante libro, que utiliza una trama llena de pasajes y personajes llamativos, que provoca repensar el cambio de época que supuso la revolución francesa en el devenir de la historia de la humanidad. Es tremendo el perfil de los revolucionarios que construye Dickens, recordando en lo posterior, a los pasajes revolucionarios de la Guerra civil española, que Hemingway narra en Por quién doblan las campanas.
Recomendada lectura. Dickens no defrauda. Inteligente, atractiva y vibrante.
Dickens elabora una historia que goza de elementos concernientes a la trama sumamente atractivos que me atraparon como lector. Dobles identidades, espías, conspiraciones, un romance en peligro, pasados que iluminan y condenan, entre otros. Lo anterior, se encuentra determinado por los eventos relativos a la revolución francesa, lo que otorga un acento oscuro y violento a toda la historia, proponiendo una lectura que me dejó pensativo acerca de los alcances de los actos revolucionarios, sus causas y consecuencias, en relación al discurso humanista que se construyó en la antesala de los eventos del XVIII, y a las ideas y sistemas que surgieron posterior a su emergencia. Interesante libro, que utiliza una trama llena de pasajes y personajes llamativos, que provoca repensar el cambio de época que supuso la revolución francesa en el devenir de la historia de la humanidad. Es tremendo el perfil de los revolucionarios que construye Dickens, recordando en lo posterior, a los pasajes revolucionarios de la Guerra civil española, que Hemingway narra en Por quién doblan las campanas.
Recomendada lectura. Dickens no defrauda. Inteligente, atractiva y vibrante.
It was the best of books, it was the worst of books. The contrast is quite a topic in this book, and it's exactly how it felt. I hated it for a long while, just to end up thinking that it is truly a masterpiece. A recipe for developing emotions and connecting with the characters.
Classics always kind of surprise me; it's never quite what is seem at first; but always ends up shockingly close to my heart.
Yes it dragged on, and yes it is so different than what we are use to.
BUT I believe this will end up on my favorites shelve!
Yes it dragged on, and yes it is so different than what we are use to.
BUT I believe this will end up on my favorites shelve!
I haven't read this book since high school (my first Dickens), so I shouldn't be surprised by how much I didn't remember. I am surprised, however, by how different this book is from other Dickens' novels I have read more recently, and this book suffers in comparison. To me, the book lacked a single main protagonist and colorful secondary characters; Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge are the best I can come up with, respectively. I appreciated how the Parisian population constituted a character, but thought the revelations towards the end were too contrived.
Dates: 19 Aug-5 Sept 2013
Dates: 19 Aug-5 Sept 2013
Better with age and a greater historical context of the world.
this will always be a favorite book of mine. it simply has everything—romance, mystery, humor, deep characters, a unique time period, and incredible writing. probably a good dickens book to start with as it’s not too challenging but can be a bit confusing until you really get into it
Personally, it is my favourite Charles Dickens plot. The writing is very graceful in telling the story of the love triangle between Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Towards the end of the book, the story gets heavier with more tears shed.
Personally, as a reader who enjoys action scenes, the book portrays the French Revolution in a vivid way that gives the reader how destructive, ugly and deadly the revolution was.
Personally, as a reader who enjoys action scenes, the book portrays the French Revolution in a vivid way that gives the reader how destructive, ugly and deadly the revolution was.
There were a few chapters which I found a bit of a struggle as I couldn't immediately see the relevance so I wasn't really taking them in very easily. But as the story progressed, everything came together and the golden thread of the story was revealed. It was at that point that I was overwhelmed with how clever the story was. I immediately went back and read the chapters that I found difficult and those all became clear. I'd like to read the whole thing again but there are too many other books that I need to get on and read!