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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
It has never taken me so long to read a book like this one. I read amazing things about it but somehow I just couldn't really get into it no matter how much I tried, I do have to say that Dicken is an incredible writer. I might need to pick it up a little later again and see if I can appreciate it for the masterpiece it is.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Perhaps I’m missing something here, but this turned from class struggle and refugee solidarity to attempting to make you feel bad for the ruling class of pre-revolution France who have been historically deemed to be in the wrong re: the French Revolution. I get Charles renounced his father and uncle’s abusive behavior, but reality he was still complicit to a point in the consolidation and abuse of wealth inequity. I don’t think he deserved Le Guillotine, but the idea of the new ruling republic wanting to assess the level of guilt of former aristocrats is not above reason.
A much more interesting story here was Madame Defrage’s continued cycle of abuse of power in the revolution — blindly and vindictively accusing people of “crimes,” that in a contemporary lens are medieval in reason, but the story seemed to put that on the back burner in favor of making her and her husband the antagonist of the story. It’s entirely possible to have an unlikable and villainous protagonist (the book as it stands does that) so this could’ve served as cautionary tale of power vacuums in the struggle for liberation, but it ends up framing the revolution as bad when in reality it abolished a completely abusive system of power.
A much more interesting story here was Madame Defrage’s continued cycle of abuse of power in the revolution — blindly and vindictively accusing people of “crimes,” that in a contemporary lens are medieval in reason, but the story seemed to put that on the back burner in favor of making her and her husband the antagonist of the story. It’s entirely possible to have an unlikable and villainous protagonist (the book as it stands does that) so this could’ve served as cautionary tale of power vacuums in the struggle for liberation, but it ends up framing the revolution as bad when in reality it abolished a completely abusive system of power.
A masterpiece by Charles Dickens. This book show pain, hope, change, and love all in a terrifying era. With memorable characters and a twisting plot, this book should be a must read. If there was a higher rating than five stars, I would probably give this book that.
challenging
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
This was my first Charles Dickens and it was beautiful. I loved the story and the characters and learned a lot about the revolution. I also loved how beautiful the ending was. It can be hard to follow at times (I was listening to it and I'd space out for a minute or get distracted and then end up having to rewind it because I had no idea what was going on), but it is well worth the effort.
It's a long time since l read a work by Dicken's, and l was reminded why his work are classics. The writing is pitched at a slower pace than most modern novels but the story is teased out in exciting episodes as befitted the serial form in which they were originally published.
It is a story of the two cities of Paris and London during the French Revolution, and sparked some debate in our Bookgroup, as we trawled our memories of history lessons. I was surprised to find that the two cities were so closely entwined at this time. As always it's surprising and disappointing to find that little changes with time; banks and finance are at the nub of the story, as is the struggle of peasants who have been consistently demoralised and abused by the ruling classes.
It is a tragic and brutal story but one that is well worth putting in the effort to read.
It is a story of the two cities of Paris and London during the French Revolution, and sparked some debate in our Bookgroup, as we trawled our memories of history lessons. I was surprised to find that the two cities were so closely entwined at this time. As always it's surprising and disappointing to find that little changes with time; banks and finance are at the nub of the story, as is the struggle of peasants who have been consistently demoralised and abused by the ruling classes.
It is a tragic and brutal story but one that is well worth putting in the effort to read.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Classic Dickens: well-developed and interesting characters involved in an original and intriguing plot.
It was true literature. One if Charles dickens best story's. Wonderful book fully recommend.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Look, I have read a few web serials now, I'm not *averse* to overly long serial writing. What I *am* averse to is reading hundreds of pages of material when it seems the author only really had a short story of novella's worth of plot in mind.
I read this book back in middle school for class, and over the long time since those days I have only held onto the plot beats and the vibe. The vibe remains immaculate, and the plot beats (if you just think through them) are flavorful and interesting and good. But you have to wade through alot of what I'd call... kind of inconsequential stuff to get there. That being besides the fact that while many of the characters are interesting, you could go 100 pages without hearing them talk even once, and it really watered down their potential. It just makes it kinda an agonizing experience to read through.
I read this book back in middle school for class, and over the long time since those days I have only held onto the plot beats and the vibe. The vibe remains immaculate, and the plot beats (if you just think through them) are flavorful and interesting and good. But you have to wade through alot of what I'd call... kind of inconsequential stuff to get there. That being besides the fact that while many of the characters are interesting, you could go 100 pages without hearing them talk even once, and it really watered down their potential. It just makes it kinda an agonizing experience to read through.
slow-paced