what a great book. Charles Dickens has a very interesting way of describing. It`s not easy to read, but I enjoyed it very much. And it gives an important view into the French Revolution. ( )

Last summer, my parents planned a trip for our family. We were going into New York City to see Jill Santoriello's musical adaptation of "A Tale of Two Cities." I wanted to know the story before I saw the show, so I picked up the book at Barnes & Noble to read it. I never did. I went to the how without knowing anything of the story except that it started with: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Needless to say, by the time the curtain closed at the end of Act 2, I was sobbing like a child. I, a high school junior who never cried for anything, was touched by the profound yet heartbreakingly unfair conclusion to this brilliant tale. The show closed three months later, but the story stuck with me.

I didn't experience a revival in my interest of "A Tale of Two Cities" until last week. I heard that the show had been filmed and was being shown on PBS December 6th. I picked up the novel on Friday; I finished it last night, a Monday. And you know what? I cried. AGAIN.

This story has the most unimaginable effect on my heart, and I love it. ( )

I'm sad that I didn't read this seriously in high school. I read it many years later and absolutely loved it. Sydney Carton is a character that affected me deeply. Only a few can claim that. Oddly enough, this is the only book that I've read by Charles Dickens that I enjoy. I've pretty much disliked everything else. ( )

This story is about until Revolution of Paris. Many aristocrats sent guillotine in thi time. In that time, many person worked to survive. This story is interseting, because of many moving of charactor. So when I read this book, I could read this book smoothly. ( )

This story set in France and England in 18th century.
In those days, there were many wars and revolutions.
Charles Darnay is put in prison and he will go to a guillotine.
Because his uncle is an aristocrat.
So, his friends try to help him.
One of his friends, Sydney Carton is kind and brave.
But I didn't want him to carry out his plan. ( )

Read this book in high school. It made quite an impression. I want to go back and read it again sometime. ( )

This is a great book! It is about the lives of several people who live in London and Paris about the time leading up to the French Revolution. Is has a lot of passion and it is a heroic book with tragedy, but with a great ending.

I read this book in high school. It was a hard read, but one I have never forgotten. Dickens does make it a bit difficult to read, but I got through it fine with the help of a great English teacher.

I can think of many ideas of ways to use this book in the classroom. If this is a 9 or 10th grade class I could break them into groups and have them choose from 3 or 4 project ideas that I have. One could be to build a replica of the city with the guillotine in the center of the city or Bastille. The other would be to create a newspaper using the significant happenings in the book as headlines. They could even do a skit of one of the more memorable scenes from the book.

This is a great story; artfully crafted, beautiful imagery, powerful emotions. It is a tragedy that Dickens never knew that he would touch so many, but such is the life of the unknown artist.

I was drawn (as many are) to Sydney Carton, the embodiment of tragedy and beauty.

I also listened to the audio book read by Frank Muller. I thought the story couldn't be more moving until it was performed by an extraordinary vocal actor. ( )

This is an amazing book! It has lots of twists and turns, love and drama, leading up to the French Revolution. Like the first line says, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I loved it because of all the surprises and it keeps you guessing at whats going to happen next! ( )

Although I knew French Revolution, I didn't know about common people.This book told me about them, it was interesting. ( )

A good book and well written. Much better plot development than other Dicken's books recently read, and although there are the familiar tricks of strange coincidences lining up for resolution at the end, this book does it with a bit more mastery. The social context is also interesting – supportive of the causes of the revolt that led to the French revolution, but aghast at the bloodletting that followed. At last, a Dickens book that is matches his reputation. Read December 2008 ( )

Isabel Steven
Mrs. Nobles
Intro to Genres
Tale of Two Cities

It was the best of summers. It was, well, it wasn’t the worst of summers, so, it was just the best of summers. I did many fun things this summer, like going to Canada via boat, and mission work that included roofing houses. I learned how to sail and how to use power tools. Another enjoyable thing I did this summer was to read “A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens. Although in past years the eighth grade has read this novel, last year my class read “Great Expectations.” So this summer I decided I had to read “A Tale of Two Cities.”
Reading the famous opening lines after hearing them all these years was amazing, but it left we with a question that I sought the answer to throughout the book; how could it simultaneously be the best of times and the worst of times. I had many other questions about the book, like what “Recalled to Life” meant, and when exactly the French Revolution would start. These questions and others were answered as the book progressed, but I didn’t fully realize the answer until several days after I actually finished the book.
The tale of Paris presents the question of the best of times and the worst of times on a societal level. It was the worst of times for the French people because of the lower class’s extreme poverty. There was a huge disparity in the wealth. Only a few rich aristocrats had the large percentage of the wealth and the many poor people of the slums had barely any. Finally the people had had enough. They rose up and rebelled against the aristocrats and monarchs. At last the people were in control of the government, they could decide who was guilty and who was not. However, these good times did not last long. The hastily established “government,” fell apart and the citizens in charge sent anyone and everyone to the guillotine. The revolution had turned into a blood bath. People guilty of no crime were sent to be beheaded and criminals who should have been in prison, walked free.
London’s tale is different. The best of times and the worst of times were presented on a personal level. It should have been the best of times for Sydney Carton because he came from a wealthy family, but he had threwn his life away by becoming an alcoholic. It also should have been the best of times because he was in love with a woman named Lucie Manette, but instead it was the worst of times because Lucie loved and married Charles Darnay. He became bored and cynical of the world. Carton was in the worst of times in his life throughout the book, until the very end. While Charles Darnay is waiting to die in prison Sydney Carton comes to his cell. He tells him to switch clothes and to leave as Sydney Carton and he will be Charles Darnay. It becomes the best of times for Carton when he decides to save the person Lucie loves so that she can be happy. To him his life had been a misery, so to die for the only one he cared for in the world “was a far, far better thing that he did, than he had ever done before.”
The time period of “A Tale of Two Cities” gave people the chance to be the best and worst that they could be. The French people sunk to their lowest, butchering the citizens of France and their fellow compatriots. Sydney Carton however rose to his highest by forfeiting his life for another’s. Carton could have left Charles Darnay to the guillotine, but chose to subject himself to the fury of the French. This ultimate sacrifice is what made “A Tale of Two Cities” one of the best books I have ever read, and I will definitely read it many more times in the future. ( )

I am not sure what I can add given the extensive literary critique available on A Tale of Two Cities, so I'll try a modern perspective. Of course this is one of the finest literary works ever, not to mention historically important, but how does it read today? I have to say I found it a bit melodramatic-- both the writing style and the plot. At times, almost laughably so. However, Dickens makes it work somehow and you read to the end to find out what happens even though it's fairly obvious what's going to happen. It was more accessible than his other novels and I think everyone should read this book, but it is showing it's age-- no writer today could get away with such an overblown style. ( )

Dickens style of comparing the opposites is the theme throughout this classic. His contrasts of the "best "and "worst "of times, "Light "and "Darkness, "and "hope "and "despair" mirror good and evil that will persist throughout the novel in characters and situations. Resurrection of the physical person of Dr. Manette and the spiritual of Sydney Carton by his personal sacrifice reflect this as well.
The full story runs a little slow for me but as Classic go IMHO, it is better than most. ( )

Synopsis: A mix of characters live their lives in different ways in London and Paris in the years leading up to the French Revolution. The story focuses on the reign of terror and the mob mentality that accelerated it. The book follows a cast of characters including eagle eye Madame Defarge and her husband, a wine shop owner. The Defarges are leaders in the revolution in their town. Contrasting the darkness that follows the Defarges, is the story of golden, Lucie Manette, reunited with her father, Doctor Manette after 18 years of his imprisonment in the Bastille. Dr. Manette is driven mad, but in a moment of clarity helps Lucie's husband Charles Darnay years later. Miss Pross, Lucie's lifelong servant, Mr. Lorry, an elderly businessman, and Sydney Carton, a drunk attorney are three other memorable characters that also help to save Darnay from the bloody guillotine.

Pros and Cons: Despite knowing the famous first sentence of this novel for years, this is the first time that I have read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even struggling through the first half. What I found hard to read are the sentences and phrases that Dickens repeats throughout the book. In the forward, I found out that the book was published in installments, so I guess this makes sense. Also, I had trouble keeping up with time frame and minor character names. These are minor complaints to the story as a whole. The dark mood is present right from the beginning and he describes the mob mentality pushing fear and terror into all citizens. No one was safe from the guillotine! ( )

I genuinely liked this book. Fast read for a classic. Dickens had me so convinced that it was going to end badly, that I hated the entire first 3/4 of the book, and then laid it down for awhile because I was sick and thought that reading the conclusion would make me feel worse. Obviously I was anticipating a bad ending. But he came through with a spectacular hero's ending, making one of the least noteworthy characters into the saving grace of the whole story. Happy endings are good. Well done. ...Oh, and wait til you hear what happens to Madame Defarge. So gratifying. Good guys prevail!!! ( )

There are some flaws in this novel. But the passion and pathos of the plot more than makes up for it. ( )

This is story of the French Revolution. There was a man with white hair and his name is Dr.Manette. For eighteen years he was a prisoner in the Bastille but not because he had done something wrong.　He just knew about the secret of marquis st.Evremonde brother. His friend,
who worked at Tellson's Bank, Jaruis Lorry,went to Paris to save Dr.Manette. But in the stormy years of the French Revolution, the people were poor, hungry and unhappy. They were angry with the king and his nobleman and they wanted to see nobleman were to kill with a terrible machine of death, Guillotine.
I think historical context makesthis book good, but as young reader, I wondered if the story has more romance.
I think the author wants us to know that people has an air of disturbance in French Revolution.　Readers need to know about French Revolution to understand and enjoy the book. I like this book because I'm interested in the French Revolution. ( )

This is the novel that the author had written about the London and Paris before and after France revolution.It is mainlu written about the difference between the aristcrats and the civils.
The vocabulary is not difficult,but the relationships of chractersare complex,at first,it is thought that you are hard to underdstand. ( )

Dickens takes his time to spin the threads, weaving them all together in a tight conclusion.
A recommended read, especially for those interested in the turbulent first years of the French Revolution. ( )

I waited much too long—two months—to write this review, so that it's difficult for me to put things together. What subsists is only the flavour of the book. But finally, isn'it the most important?

I found difficulties to enter the story, and I suspect I'm not the only one who noted the incredibly slow pace of, say, the first half of the book. One really needs to know that Dickens first published it in episodes in a newspaper to understand why he keeps to phrases like "in the year seventeen-hundred-and-eighty-nine"—just to make one more line, at least it seems to me.

Then, everything precipitates, collapses, rushes in a tremendous pursuit up to the end. Being French, I thought I would appreciate the atmosphere of the French revolution in Paris at the time of the Terreur. Dickens is rather deceptive on this point. The revolutionary Paris he depicts is just fake, and one doesn't believe even a second in the bloody events his imagination reports. But anyway, the story is there, Dickensian and unbelievable as it should be. I owe that I read the last pages much quicker than the first.

I've only read three of Dickens's novels up to now. I continue to put David Copperfield first, then A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations in third position. ( )

Classic; masterpiece!

The book was quite boring, especially at the begining. Hamda ( )

That must have been the longest 369 pages I have ever read. I was not sucked into A Tale of Two Cities until about 100 pages away from its final sentence. My main issue, as I had said before, was the constant repetition of phrases throughout. I can understand that Charles Dickens does this for effect, and to create a unique style that later is recalled by literary historians, "This is, indeed, a book by Charles Dickens!"

Oy!

My Signet Classics edition also included the page breaks indicating where portions of the book were serialized by weekly installments and by monthly ones as well. For the purpose of repetitive phrases makes sense here if a reader was only allowed one portion one week (or a month) at a time. I sincerely believe that if this book was never written, and was written by a modern author and presented to a modern publisher, I feel that it would be turned down.

In spite of my misgivings, however, I did enjoy a good majority of the book. The flowery language of Lucie and her romantic throes were a bit much to take; and the gentlemanly language of the suitors in search of Lucie's hand and her father's acceptance was a bit trying. But, I understand that this is what draws the reader in; especially those of a more idyllic disposition.

I was impressed by Dickens's depiction of the poor doctor's psychosis of resorting to being a shoemaker while confined as a prisoner in the Bastille. And I was even more so impressed that he would resort to such a state, nearly a psychological fugue, whenever the stresses of his past (and when all hope seemed to be lost) would stampede his mental health.

The violence of The Terror was also depicted well; with the blood and gore of the routine beheadings drawn out in great detail. Dickens also describe the mob mentality very well; and the anger that seethed within using descriptions nearly apocalyptic. For example, "the gnashing of teeth".

Within the last few pages, I should indicate, that I was drawn in emotionally, as well. One incident was when Carton decided what his fate was to be. The description of his state of mind was wreathed in sadness, and I felt it conveyed well to me. Another was when Carton is in line waiting for his death, he befriends and comforts a poor, young, weak woman. They hold hands until the very end, when her head falls from her body. I found that to be beautiful. Another sacrifice that touched me was the standoff between the turned-antagonist Madame Defarge and the house keeper and family friend, Miss Pross. Miss Pross loses her hearing because of the standoff, and that deafness carries through to the rest of her days.

There one part of the book, and I found it to be my favorite. It was when the family escapes together in a carriage constantly looking over their shoulders to assure themselves they are not being pursued. Towards the end of this chapter, which is called Fifty-Two, Dickens goes into a first-person account—one could even venture to say it is a type of meta-fiction. I liked this. It made the story all the more personal. It was at this moment that I really cared that this family makes it out of France, away from The Terror.

In conclusion, A Tale of Two Cities, defeated my initial annoyances. I went from nearly giving up to getting sucked in complete, and eventually caring for those involved; even liking them. It also spurred the thoughts within me how it is a shame that so many needlessly died in this event…and in so many other events such as the French Revolution…and to this day. A tale of Two Cities did not concluded within me that there is purpose in other people's deaths and murders; much rather, it showed me how life is devalued for when the self-interest outweighs reason; and death's value, in all of its showmanship, suddenly has more value, more purpose than any of our existences. Thus, "spare my life" is perverted to "we need more bodies".

Oh, the monsters we create when pursuing Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity…

Thank you for reading. ( )

Couldn't read the book, had to do books on tape and I still don't remember anything but the famous quotes. ( )