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challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-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
After reading this book, it’s obvious why it is considered a classic. There are so many themes and ideas that are still relevant today. I really enjoyed my reading experience with this one—I sank into the historical aspect, learned a lot, and immersed myself in its beautiful language.
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The language/literary devices in this book are masterfully done! The descriptions are incredible, and the use of metaphor woven throughout the entire story blew me away. The language truly captures the human experience and demonstrates what life was like in France during this time period. I was very impressed with how the storylines of the various characters slowly come together over the course of the story (especially with them starting seemingly so far apart). My inner English major was so, so happy🤓
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Character development is such a big thing for me. Unfortunately, many of the characters in this book are more of “stock characters.” However, Sydney Carton’s transformation from a secondary character to the focal point of this book is very well done and something I didn’t see coming (I went into this book completely blind).
•
Check out what I’m reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!
•
The language/literary devices in this book are masterfully done! The descriptions are incredible, and the use of metaphor woven throughout the entire story blew me away. The language truly captures the human experience and demonstrates what life was like in France during this time period. I was very impressed with how the storylines of the various characters slowly come together over the course of the story (especially with them starting seemingly so far apart). My inner English major was so, so happy🤓
•
Character development is such a big thing for me. Unfortunately, many of the characters in this book are more of “stock characters.” However, Sydney Carton’s transformation from a secondary character to the focal point of this book is very well done and something I didn’t see coming (I went into this book completely blind).
•
Check out what I’m reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Classism
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
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
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I decided to read this book because I bought a poster with 100 books to read in your life. This is book twenty-five on the poster. As with most classics, I kind of struggled with this, but I understood the storyline this time.
After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. These are the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, becomes enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.
I enjoyed how this book was split into three stories with one side being in France, one being in England and then book three being where all hell breaks loose. I enjoyed the humour and the side characters within this book. They were all so interesting and managed to keep me hooked. Even though it’s got a lot of dark themes, I was also intrigued into the mystery whether the characters were going to survive. The character development between the main characters was another strong point, I went from questioning if these two were even going to be able to get out of the town and by the end they were so badass. I have read two books from Charles Dickens, he seems to have this way of making a journey from start to finish, there was no questions for me to ask, everything was wrapped up in a bow.
Even though this book was under 300 pages, it felt like it was 900 pages. I am going to assume it’s because of the language and the classic feel to it, but it felt like pulling teeth to get this book finished. Plus, with the obvious political tone and the representation of all female characters being in the kitchen or just staying at home, was driving me nuts but again it was the time when the book was written.
Overall, I was surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did due to how I do with classics, however I'm not going to have my hopes up because the next one on the list is Crime and Punishment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Mental illness
Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Classism
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Rape
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Mental illness, Police brutality, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is a classic for a reason. It's undeniably brilliant in its storytelling, atmosphere, and prose. However, I found it quite hard to get through at times due to the pace and writing style. It's amazing once you finish, but it can be boring and even frustrating at times throughout. I actually fell asleep mulitple times while reading/listening. It's good, but I don't feel the need to ever read it again.
I found the "love triangle" to be very boring. I understand its function in the text, but whenever it made an appearance I rolled my eyes. Lucie is such a nothing character. Charles irritates me. Really, the only characters that interested me were Ms. Defarge and Sydney Carton. They were the best things about this book, and both of them died, of course (not a criticism, but still).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Murder, War
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a masterpiece. It was my favourite Dickens when I first read it in 2007, and I'm so glad I picked it up again. The characters are brilliant, the relationships messy, good and evil changing sides and coming from places you wouldn't expect. But despite being one of his heaviest novels emotionally, the classic humour is still there, and doesn't let up at even the bleakest moments. There's also a real sensitivity to mental health for a Victorian novel, in Manette and the way his friends and family support him.
La Guillotine is a spectre that hangs over the final part of the book - a character in herself, devoid of mercy and a constant ominous presence. I see her as an extension of Madame Defarge (who is so complicated, but who I can't help but love in her malevolent knitting righteousness).
The lines are blurred during the Revolution, and what starts as workers' revenge descends into barely justified murder, so you just can't tell whose side you even want to be on by the end. But it's a terrifying example of what brutal class divides can lead to.
This book has one of the greatest endings in literature, as well as some of the greatest opening and closing lines. But I still believe the end is far more complicated than it seems. The tension and emotion are brilliantly built up, and the whole thing lives rent free in my head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness