A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Hey everybody! Cassia here! Happy summer! I love the summer. I can spend my days reading. Now that we have a blog, I can also rant talk about these books to you all whether you care or not. Anyway, here's another review for you all! I have the Kindle edition, so that's the cover I have here, plus I think it represents the book perfectly. It's a classic, and spoilers are marked.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Lucy Manette's father has finally been found! Well, her financial guardian, Mr. Lorry, knew, but kept it from her to guard her heart. When she finally meets with him above a wine shop, he is mad. His mind is set on making shoes, and he will not rest. When he catches sight of his daughter, he gets slightly better, and eventually, with much coaxing, Lucy--and only Lucy--brings him out of his madness. They help in the trial of Charles Darnay, who is accused of treason. Little do they know that Sydney Carton is the one really running the trial. Lucy is taken on a journey through the bloody French Revolution. Secrets are revealed, and when Lucy was just trying to find peace between the two cities, she is brought into the heart of the Revolution.

I’ve decided that I am going to try harder to read all the classics, and I decided this would start my adventure. Why? After finishing The Infernal Devices, I couldn’t stand not knowing who Sydney Carton was, and why Will is somewhat like him. Y’all know Will is my number one book crush, so I had to read this. Anywho, that’s why I read this. Plus I heard it was good. ;)

This was very hard to read. It was written very well, but incredibly hard to read. I like to call it “wading through language.” Dickens just goes on and on and on and on. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I just got a little bored. Even if you get bored with the plot, KEEP READING.

*****This is one of those books that nothing really makes sense until the end, so keep reading! I happen to love this kind of book: when nothing seems to fit together, and then once you hit a certain point (usually later in the book), it all comes rushing back like a slap in the face. Everything becomes clear, and then you just can’t stop. SO KEEP READING!!! If you take anything from this review, please keep reading!

Anyway, on to the characters. I liked Lucy enough, but Dickens didn’t give her much to do. What she did do, though, I admired her bravery. She’s very caring, something you don’t find in many protagonists, and if they are, you don’t really see it, but here you do. Now, Charles Darnay...I really don’t know what to think of him. I guess he was only trying to escape his fate, not because it was dangerous, but because that’s just not the life he wanted. So I guess I do like him; I would probably do the same thing. Mr. Lorry is one of my favorites, though, just because he’s so loyal, protective, and brave. Sydney Carton: my favorite of the novel (Lucy’s second, Mr. Lorry third). (Surprise!) I can only explain this by the end. ***SPOILER*** My thoughts at the end: “Sydney, you selfless idiot no!!!!” ***END SPOILER***

Dickens creates a cast of lovely characters (you know what, I just like them all), uses incredible detail, and everything comes together at the end.

Five stars!

Goodbye for now,

Cassia