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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
It has been long enough since Dickens wrote that, between it being British English and that long ago, there were plenty of times where I completely lost the plot. Well, not literally, but figuratively. And then there were times where his prose was so beautiful and evocative that it was just awesome. The one thing that I have to say is that it's motivated me to learn more about the French Revolution. I was fascinated by the sympathy he expressed by the whole mess that it turned into. I also found myself thinking about an article that I read some time about about how, because his observations and descriptions are so keen, it's possible to medically diagnose his characters. What the article didn't mention is how acute his psychological portrayals are as well. It was touching to read a portrayal of what was, to my mind, clearly PTSD, and (though we certainly don't have it all figured out now) feel the helplessness of those around him. So, as I'm writing this review, I had to up my rating. Yeah, it wasn't an easy read, but it was very good.
In my mind, I think every novel I read will be compared to this. And I am afraid that most will be found lacking. Never a fan of Dickens ... And I will blame my teachers for making me read him instead of leading me to him ... I have completely changed my mind. Dickens was a genius and Sidney Cotton is now and may forever be my definition of a hero.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read for school. I did a French Revolution history research presentation on the book and found the assignment interesting.
This book was written by Charles Dickens, so of course, it's extremely well written and full of moments that will have you gasp and shouting "Noooo." Although I enjoyed reading A Tale of Two Cities, I found myself getting tired of it, obviously, I wouldn't read this book on my own time.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sydney Carton- I love you.
People who have never read A Tale of Two Cities are familiar with the famous opening line. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". But the ending line is absolutely gorgeous and fitting. "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."
Wow. This was a beautiful work of art. I will be processing this book for a long time to come. David Copperfield still remains my favorite of Dickens, but his writing in this book is just so well done. Dickens for the win again.
Wow. This was a beautiful work of art. I will be processing this book for a long time to come. David Copperfield still remains my favorite of Dickens, but his writing in this book is just so well done. Dickens for the win again.
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It took me a while to get used to the style of writing and numerous characters but by book three I was hooked
If Dickens didn't have such an obnoxious style of writing, I probably would have enjoyed this more. The plot was interesting and straight-forward, albeit a little predictable. The characters were all fairly likable, but I felt most, if not all, were severely underdeveloped. The unnecessary length of most of the sentences devalued the book for me. Conciseness is a key skill that Dickens did not seem to hold.