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pixelotte's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.25
ageorgiadis's review against another edition
5.0
“My friend, I will die, perpetuating the system under which I have lived.”
A beautiful tragedy centered around the murderous onset of the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities is a classic that I simply hadn’t picked up until now. I’m glad that I waited – younger me might not have appreciated what a sensational writer Dickens was.
It’s tragic, and heartbreaking, and yet still very funny. The cast is full of whimsy and everyone, even the more passive personages, have a presence that feels authentic. Everybody knows everybody, coincidences are the rule not the exception, and, in this case, the broad contours of the final act are obvious by the midportion of the novel. Still, I found this compulsively readable.
A beautiful tragedy centered around the murderous onset of the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities is a classic that I simply hadn’t picked up until now. I’m glad that I waited – younger me might not have appreciated what a sensational writer Dickens was.
It’s tragic, and heartbreaking, and yet still very funny. The cast is full of whimsy and everyone, even the more passive personages, have a presence that feels authentic. Everybody knows everybody, coincidences are the rule not the exception, and, in this case, the broad contours of the final act are obvious by the midportion of the novel. Still, I found this compulsively readable.
justinenoon82's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Despite its literary merits, the complexity of the story and writing style can make it challenging to fully engage with in audiobook format.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Alcohol, War, and Classism
fionnualalirsdottir's review against another edition
Dickens presents his usual stock of quirky characters, some hilariously ridiculous, some ridiculously sentimental, in a tale of astounding self sacrifice against the backdrop of the French revolution. Interesting to read alongside Hilary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety.
teslahv's review against another edition
3.0
Good description of the feelings of the male characters
katie__ho's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
abiofpellinor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Xenophobia
Minor: Gun violence
devind19's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this book up on a whim late last year. We were spending a long weekend in a rustic cabin and there wasn't much else to do late at night but read; so I read what I brought with me, and when I got bored of that, I browsed the bookshelves in the cabin to see if anything caught my eye. I landed on a crusty old paperback copy of A Tale of Two Cities.
I had never really given Dickens a fair shot in the past; I tried reading both Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol when I was in high school and gave up on both, deciding archaic language and sentences that last entire paragraphs weren't really my thing. However, I'm a firm believer in the idea that the state of your personal life has a huge impact on your reading experience, no matter the material. I think it simply wasn't the right time for me to read and fully appreciate a book like this.
I fully expected to struggle through this book and make it to the end as more of a personal achievement than anything. What I did not expect was to get sucked into such a complex, well written, suspenseful plot. I did not expect to wind up caring so much about characters whose lives and way of speech are so far removed from my own. And I certainly did not expect to wind up reading one of the best stories I've read in recent memory.
Is it a bit of a challenge to read? Yes. I'll admit I had Sparknotes handy in case I needed a layman's explanation of a particularly confusing passage (sidenote: go follow them on Instagram or Twitter, their social media game is hilarious and on point). But if you are willing to challenge yourself, this is an incredible story of love, revenge, and redemption, with some very poignant and relevant criticisms of violence, especially violence that is portrayed as just or righteous. So if you are willing to brave 400 pages of ye olde English, this is a beautiful novel; emotive, powerful, and just as relevant today as it was in 1859.
Final rating: 4.5 stars
I had never really given Dickens a fair shot in the past; I tried reading both Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol when I was in high school and gave up on both, deciding archaic language and sentences that last entire paragraphs weren't really my thing. However, I'm a firm believer in the idea that the state of your personal life has a huge impact on your reading experience, no matter the material. I think it simply wasn't the right time for me to read and fully appreciate a book like this.
I fully expected to struggle through this book and make it to the end as more of a personal achievement than anything. What I did not expect was to get sucked into such a complex, well written, suspenseful plot. I did not expect to wind up caring so much about characters whose lives and way of speech are so far removed from my own. And I certainly did not expect to wind up reading one of the best stories I've read in recent memory.
Is it a bit of a challenge to read? Yes. I'll admit I had Sparknotes handy in case I needed a layman's explanation of a particularly confusing passage (sidenote: go follow them on Instagram or Twitter, their social media game is hilarious and on point). But if you are willing to challenge yourself, this is an incredible story of love, revenge, and redemption, with some very poignant and relevant criticisms of violence, especially violence that is portrayed as just or righteous. So if you are willing to brave 400 pages of ye olde English, this is a beautiful novel; emotive, powerful, and just as relevant today as it was in 1859.
Final rating: 4.5 stars
skoot's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.0
It was the longest book, and it was three books, it was well written, and it was incomprehensible, it was worth the read, but I dont recommend it.