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A review by cocopopsmonkey
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Delightful romp! This is my first Dickens novel, having read this I understand where Pratchett got his style from. Apparently Dickens was not highly regarded as "literature" at his time of writing but he takes place among the 100 best English Lit classics so who's laughing now!
As with any other book first written in the 19th century, the biggest hold back is the language used in the book. Dickens turns that on it's head and makes it a strength-- alongside the reader he is scoffing at the convention of language of the time, the long, drawn out sentences, the never ending semi colon use; he mocks it alongside the reader of the modern day. The way he writes his characters is so endearing, even characters that are detestable are detested in a fun way, dipping it's leg into cliche but not quite wetting the knee. The naming convention is also delightful, very easy to remember who is who, and the names given suited the characters perfectly.
As a side note-- I have just recently read Prophet Song, and found myself remembering scenes in that book in contrast to this one, I suppose novels depicting war can resemble another, particularly when it comes to civil conflicts.
As with any other book first written in the 19th century, the biggest hold back is the language used in the book. Dickens turns that on it's head and makes it a strength-- alongside the reader he is scoffing at the convention of language of the time, the long, drawn out sentences, the never ending semi colon use; he mocks it alongside the reader of the modern day. The way he writes his characters is so endearing, even characters that are detestable are detested in a fun way, dipping it's leg into cliche but not quite wetting the knee. The naming convention is also delightful, very easy to remember who is who, and the names given suited the characters perfectly.
As a side note-- I have just recently read Prophet Song, and found myself remembering scenes in that book in contrast to this one, I suppose novels depicting war can resemble another, particularly when it comes to civil conflicts.