A review by ineffectual_intellectual
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

adventurous emotional slow-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

3.25

Although this is my first read of Dickens' work, he is clearly an gifted writer. He sprinkles in wonderfully crafted gut-punching descriptions of characters, scenes, or simply statements about the world that I really appreciate. He also wove a complex and epic tale that required lots of delicacy, and there are quite a few plot twists I did not anticipate. 

My main gripes with the book come from the characters. They are uni-dimensional, and only respond to the events in the story super predictably. With the bold exception of

Mr. Carton

, virtually every character remains unchanged by the end of the book. I will also add the language can be a bit archaic and difficult to interpret, but that is clearly not Dickens' fault.