"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." So begins Dickens' best known work. A Tale of Two Cities was published in 1859, but was set during the historical period of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. In it, we meet the French Doctor Manette, his daughter Lucie, English banker Jarvis Lorry, Monsieur and Madame Defarge, Charles Darnay, Sidney Carton, and Miss Pross among others.
At the beginning of the novel, we learn that Doctor Manette has been languishing in the Bastille, wrongfully imprisoned, for the past 18 years and is finally released to live with his daughter who had previously never known that her father was even alive. In the years that follow, Lucie and her father live comfortably in London with Lucie's childhood governess Miss Pross. Lucie marries and things are going well for the whole family until the French Revolution begins and her husband ends up going back to Paris to clear up some business there. Will his former status in Paris lead him straight to the guillotine? Will Doctor Manette's sympathetic position as a Bastille survivor save his son-in-law? Will anyone make it out alive??
This novel was brilliant. While it was a little slow getting started and slightly confusing following everyone's storylines, when Dickens brought it all together, it was truly a masterful tale and it's no wonder this is probably his most famous work. The sacrificial love displayed had me cheering for Miss Pross and crying for Sidney Carton. The bloodthirsty Madame Defarge made my skin crawl. And the gritty depiction of the Reign of Terror sent chills up and down my spine.
After reading Great Expectations and now A Tale of Two Cities, it's easy to see why Charles Dickens is widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His work was instantly popular and remains so today over 150 years later. Critics and scholars have recognized him as a literary genius. I would definitely recommend A Tale of Two Cities. It is a phenomenal novel.
Having said all that, where do I turn next? We have Charles Dickens' complete works, and I have no idea which to put on my 2019 book list. I'm thinking it has to be Oliver Twist, but then I start looking at the rest of the titles and my certainty wavers. What's your favorite Dickens novel? Which ones are the absolute must-reads? And who was your favorite character from A Tale of Two Cities?
*SHOUT-OUT to my Dad*
Have the happiest of birthdays!
Thank you for always encouraging my love of reading and recommending all the best books.
You're the greatest and I love you forever.
A Tale of Two Cities is probably my favorite of Dickens' works so far. It convinced me he was a genius. #mindblown
ReplyDeleteOliver Twist is a must. I read it last year early on when I was motivated and got through it reasonably quickly. A Christmas Carol is super short and easy. Bleak House was really good (and the BBC mini-series has some great portrayals of the characters! I watched it first, then read it because I liked the story). Bleak House was an on and off project that took me a couple years though (ridiculous - kindle, audio, kindle, then finished it with a hard copy from the library).
Our Mutual Friend is long, and not as popular, but it's an interesting story with a happy ending. I want to read Little Dorrit for the same reason as Bleak House - the BBC rendition (Matthew Macfadyen) was good.
David Copperfield and Hard Times are on my list for someday. Nicholas Nickleby is one of my professor friend's favorites, and she loves Dickens. I watched a recording of a theatre adaptation by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and it was 8 or 9 hours long. So. Many. Characters. It's super long too, which is why I haven't attempted it yet.
I vote for Oliver for next year.
All the ones you mentioned are on my short list along with The Pickwick Papers, but I think I've narrowed it down to Oliver Twist or David Copperfield for 2019. Maybe I'll try to get to both! Or do one of those along with A Christmas Carol. Decisions, decisions....
DeleteI'm still too chicken to take on A Tale Of Two Cities! French Revolution stories tend to put me to sleep, I'm afraid (I really need to commit to learning more about the period, so that I have some context and stop glazing over). I read David Copperfield earlier this year and LOVED LOVED LOVED it; and I've got Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Bleak House flagged as my next Dickens reads.
ReplyDeleteWell, now you've made my decision that much harder! David Copperfield was one of the choices for next year, but Jen (commenter above you) just suggested Oliver Twist which was my other pick! Haha!
DeleteFor what it's worth, I thought A Tale of Two Cities was much more character-driven than historically-driven. It did start a bit slow for me while I was trying to figure out who everyone was, but boy, was the ending worth it!
Thanks for the memory, Hannahbelle. Reading to you and your brothers and sister was one of my very favorite things to do. You always paid attention and you always knew if I skipped a line or even a word. I love being called your Dad!
ReplyDeleteYou're the best, dad!
DeleteI've never read a Dickens novel. I tried to read Great Expectations once, but I never finished it. I'm just not a very well-read person, obviously. Lol
ReplyDeleteHey, it's not about what you read; it's just about reading. You read a ton of stuff that I'll probably never read. There's just so much out there!!
DeleteAll that being said, A Tale of Two Cities was AMAZING and if you ever want to attempt another Dickens, I think it's the one you should go for. You definitely have to kindof push through the beginning, but it's totally worth it.